Former Haiti PM Lamothe Advocates for “Climate-Smart Zones” in the Caribbean

MIAMI, Sept. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — This week at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, Former Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe, stressed the importance of “Climate-Smart Zones” to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.  Speaking at the Smart Climate Day event hosted by the Monaco Better World Forum (MBWF), Mr Lamothe spoke about how climate change multiplies the power of cyclones and hurricanes. Island states and territories in the Caribbean are extremely vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.

“Haiti is a poster-child for natural disasters and I have experienced first-hand the devastation. Every year the Caribbean braces itself for hurricane season. As a region we need mitigation strategies that better prepare our countries for natural disasters. Large shares of the region’s population live in high-risk areas with weak infrastructure.  Economies rely heavily on sectors sensitive to weather, such as tourism and agriculture, while capacity and resources to manage risk are limited.”

It is for this reason that politicians and philanthropists from the Caribbean established the world’s first “Climate-Smart Zone” and Accelerator. The Accelerator has created an unprecedented coalition including 26 countries and over 40 private and public sector partners which will implement climate solutions for resilience, renewable energy, development of sustainable cities, oceans and transportation. This climate-smart zone will not only protect the region but create jobs and a new economy in climate-smart infrastructure.

The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator was formed in 2017 to strengthen the region’s readiness and response to disasters. Its objective is to help transform the Caribbean economy through fast-tracking sound public and private investment opportunities that support climate action. Building more resilient countries, cities, and industries through partnerships across the public and private sectors, with the goal of creating the world’s first climate-smart zone.

For more information visit https://www.caribbeanaccelerator.org/home