Natural Disasters in the Time of COVID By Kadie Williams Co-Chair, WCAPS Climate Change Working Group Growing up in the Caribbean, my world was bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 72,000, Dominica was a safe haven - an island canopy defined by lush forests and earthing greenery. While I embraced the joys of island life, I was fully aware that my island was under threat. My dad worked in disaster management/preparedness, and so I developed an affinity for all things related to natural disasters. In fact, each year, I nervously awaited the hurricane season. I prepared myself for the heavy rainfall, devastating landslides, and turbulent storms. The meteorologists would lament the “inclement weather conditions” as the island remained on standby. From June to October, I was glued to the weather channel, waiting patiently for mother nature to reveal my island’s fate. In 2015, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was ratified, demonstrating the international community’s commitment to the integration of post-disaster relief, rehabilitation, and sustainable development in enabling effective disaster response (UNSIDR, 2015). This framework was a global call to strengthen capacity, reduce risk, build resilience, and adapt to changing climatic and environmental conditions. In 2017 and 2018, total economic loss as a result of natural disasters amounted to $360 billion and $160 billion, respectively, demonstrating the global financial implications of this phenomenon (Löw, 2019). Thousands have lost their lives, while millions have been injured, displaced, or made homeless. The World Bank estimates that every year, extreme weather events plunge 26 million people into poverty and reduce global GDP by $520 billion (World Bank, 2017). The rising cost of disasters has had a disproportionate effect on developing countries, most of which lack the capacity to absorb environmental and other disaster related shocks. I must admit, I have seen a lot of progress in the last decade, and I entered 2020 with a sense of optimism. Despite the growing uncertainty of climate change, the global response to flooding, drought and hurricanes has improved significantly. Evidence suggests that the global community has developed a sense of empathy and awareness that shields disaster-struck and disaster-prone communities from the reality of their impending doom. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. The Atlantic hurricane season is only a few weeks away and the surface temperature of the Atlantic Ocean has been warming at an alarming rate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2015) estimates that the surface temperature of the Caribbean Sea will increase
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