Small island developing states often bear the brunt of the adverse impacts of climate change, but they are also finding new ways to protect against disaster and explore renewable energy.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for example, the country has put in place a strong program in disaster management, which includes not only supporting families to have a plan but having legislative and organizational processes, said Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
In his country they’ve also looked to innovative ways to reduce their already relatively small carbon footprint and plan to have 80 percent of the country’s electricity produced by renewables by 2018, Gonsalves said.
To find out more about how this small island nation is grappling with climate and renewable energy, especially geothermal, watch the video above.
Planet Worth is a global conversation in partnership with Abt Associates, Chemonics, HELVETAS, Tetra Tech, the U.N. Development Program and Zurich, exploring leading solutions in the fight against climate change, while highlighting the champions of climate adaptation amid emerging global challenges. Visit the campaign site and join the conversation using #PlanetWorth.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is an Associate Editor at Devex, where she covers the intersection of business and international development, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. From partnerships to trade and social entrepreneurship to impact investing, Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.