We are all in this together

15.APR.11

If ever a popular saying were proven to be true, it is the one which goes “When it rains, it pours”. St. Vincent and the Grenadines had a grim reminder of that during this week with persistent rains, occasioned by a tropical trough, causing substantial damage, on the Windward and northern parts of St. Vincent in particular. This latest setback occurred while the country is still trying to grapple with recovery efforts from the devastation of hurricane Tomas last October.{{more}}

In a news conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Gonsalves revealed the extent of the damage, from preliminary assessments amounting to tens of millions of dollars. It is compounded by the fact that Tomas had wreaked havoc, not only with homes and crops, but also to our vital forests. In November last year the P.M. had estimated this destruction to be valued at more than $30 million EC. But aside from the costs, considerable debris (logs, stones, mud etc;) were still uncleared in the mountains, a perfect recipe for more damage as long as the rains came.

It is often not appreciated sufficiently how much our economy has suffered as a result of last year’s hurricane. At a time when we needed to unify as a nation and pool our collective efforts behind the recovery, we were divided by the demands of the general elections. The continuing fall-out from the political battles is still with us but it is imperative that we address the effects of the latest natural disaster together as a people. Great as the damage is to us, on a global scale, such disasters appear relatively minor, paling in comparison with the horrendous destruction from earthquakes, tsunamis and the like, with their huge loss of life and damage in the billions, not millions. That makes it even harder to attract attention on the international stage, much more assistance.

These are the sad realities of life in the modern world which we must face in our struggle for survival. There are other, non-economic messages as well. The rainstorm hit us when we would normally be experiencing our dry season. It fits into the pattern of recent years of “strange” weather patterns. Scientists have been warning us about climate change, but how many of us have taken this seriously? Do we always have to wait until we are badly affected before we heed the warnings and take the necessary precautions? Can we, by paying attention to information provided, help to mitigate against some of the worst effects?

On a general scale we are still too lax, too complacent, too irresponsible where environmental awareness is concerned. We are in no position to prevent rains, floods, winds etc. but we can, and must play our part in avoiding the worst effects. Our wilful and reckless refusal to pay attention to waste disposal helps to make us more vulnerable to such natural disasters. The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), has been playing an important role in disaster relief and prevention.Its role needs now to be substantially increased and the Environmental work of the Ministry of Health, ramped up significantly. Environmental education must be on the agenda, not just in schools, but moreso for the general public.

We are all in this together. While it is the north and north-east which have again borne the brunt of the damage, each cent expended to deal with such disasters means one cent less for other national development efforts. We all must make the sacrifices, share the burdens.