Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during a press conference held earlier this week, made the case for international support for Small Island Developing States to be safeguarded against the harsh effects of natural disasters.
The Prime Minister, speaking at Cabinet room on Monday, highlighted the importance of reinforcing infrastructure such as bridges, roads, river defenses and more.
“In Dubai, at the 28th edition, countries have put small sums of mone, nothing very significant. And the point is this, what we have to make all the time, that’s for loss and damage, what about helping me with things to prevent loss and damage taking place? Upfront monies, grants and soft loans for me to deal with my bridges and my roads and my sea defences and river defences and to build ports which are resilient and hospitals which are resilient and schools which are resilient.” He said.
Over the years there have been several sea defense projects in various areas of the country, such as Sandy Bay, Georgetown.
The Government, at the time, had secured finance from the CDB in the sum of USD 13.5 million for the Sandy Bay Sea Defenses Resilience Project, in particular.