The only hurricane-proof country in the world
It’s amazing how humans can bring the change with their will and resilience. In 2017, after Hurricane Maria wiped out this small island country, its economy and infrastructure, Dominica has now become the first hurricane-proof country in the world… all because of its will to change.
In the span of a single night, Dominica was torn apart. But from the devastation, the tiny country forged a new goal: to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation, capable of prospering despite a new era of storms made worse by climate change.
Situated in the eastern Caribbean, Dominica sits just over 500 miles northeast of Caracas, Venezuela and among a string of islands that stitch the Caribbean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
The authorities embarked on a mission to build over 5,000 hurricane-proof homes for families displaced by previous weather challenges, under the umbrella project called the Housing Revolution. Over a thousand families have already received their keys and more are set to move into their new, safe homes.
As we continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, warming the planet, hurricanes like Maria are expected to grow in number and intensity. Studies have shown that the Atlantic Ocean is heating up, causing storms to become more common, intense, and long-lasting.
Warm ocean water is fuel to a hurricane, powering it like an engine. The warmer the water, the more the engine revs, growing faster, larger, and capable of dumping more water.
Fun fact
With a population of just over 70,000, Dominica is mostly an agricultural economy but gaining popularity because of its pristine beaches and attracting tourism.
Location
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