Minister Henderson highlights Caribbean’s Climate challenges at ISA Assembly

Dominica: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Dominica, Vince Henderson participated in the International Solar Alliance Assembly (ISA) currently being held in India and advocated for climate sustainability and resilience.  

The Minister expressed his appreciation to ISA director, Ashish Khanna for prioritizing SIDS through their newly launched platform focussing on SIDS. He commended this initiative for promoting joint procurement of solar equipment and establishing a dedicated Star SIDS Programme and research centre, which will help in studying the impacts of storms on solar installations.  

“We hope that these programmes will not only strengthen cooperation but also focus on building resilience through solar PV systems capable of withstanding hurricanes,” Dr. Henderson remarked.  

Small Island states at Frontline of climate change  

Minister Henderson at the conference highlighted that the small island nations particularly those in the Caribbean remain on the frontline of climate change. He stressed that these islands often face the wraths of hurricanes and other natural calamities including earthquakes and Tsunamis. 

He urged the global community to ensure that the SIDS receive fair representation and support in international energy and climate policies as they could act fruitfully for their development and to create sustainable island states. 

He specifically emphasized on Hurricane Melissa during his address, which is nearing the coasts of Jamaica as a Category 5 storm and is expected to make a landfall soon. Minister Henderson said that such recurring disasters highlight the urgency of developing a secure renewable energy infrastructure to stay resilient.  

Dominica is committed to sustainability: Minister Henderson 

He further stressed on Dominica’s commitment to sustainability and resilience and emphasized that resilient solar systems will act as a lifeline for vulnerable island communities.  

“Only through joint action, knowledge-sharing, and fair investment can we build a truly sustainable future for all,” he added.  

He concluded his statement with a call for stronger international cooperation, urging global partners to invest, and share their expertise with SIDS to ensure that no nation is left behind.