On September 6 2019, Hurricane Dorian caused unprecedented catastrophic damage on the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in The Bahamas. Entire communities have been ravaged by 20-foot storm surge and 185 mph sustained winds. Substantial parts of Grand Bahama remain underwater. As of Saturday, September 7 2019, CNN reported that the official death toll in the Bahamas stood at 43. Unfortunately, that number is likely to rise dramatically. Hundreds of persons are missing and it is estimated that some 70,000 are homeless in the Sister Islands of Grand Bahamas and Abaco. A series of Tweets posted this morning, September 9 2019, tell a horrifying story. One Tweet by the Bahama Press read, “The bodies of Hurricane Dorian victims loaded off a plane from the Abacos. More than 3,000 are feared dead.” Another Tweet said.
The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF), a Sister Fund of the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund (SLUNCF) has appealed for donations to support recovery efforts within The Bahamas.The BPAF and the SLUNCF are members of the Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture, a mechanism led by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, whose mission is to support biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in member countries around the Caribbean.
The Mandate of the SLUNCF, like the BPAF is also to provide grants for conservation, sustainable development and climate and disaster resilience in Saint Lucia. Thus, the Board of the SLUNCF approved a small grant to assist the BPAF with its community-based disaster efforts.
During the restoration process and in keeping with its mandate, the BPAF will give local grants to support for assessments to determine the impacts of Hurricane Dorian on ecosystem health, restoration of impacted protected areas, and other initiatives related to ecosystem recovery following Hurricane Dorian. The BPAF will also support the provision of water purification systems and renewable energy initiatives for communities in Abaco and Grand Bahama.
The SLUNCF is proud of recovery efforts of the BPAF and is glad to make the donation.
Photo Credit: Weather.com