Forests For Us: Dominica Harnesses Nature for Climate Resilience and Economic Development

Dominica is not your typical Caribbean island. While it lacks white sand beaches, the country’s beauty shines through its lush forests, geothermal springs, rivers, and waterfalls. Covering more than 60 percent of the island’s landmass, Dominica’s forests are a sanctuary for a diverse array of species, from the Jaco parrot to the Manicou possum.

The current state of nature reflects joint efforts of the government and local communities to restore what Hurricane Maria decimated. The Category 5 storm, which made landfall on the evening of September 18, 2017, battered homes, flooded the streets of the capital, Roseau, and upended life for Dominica’s residents. In addition to inflicting damages of approximately US$1.3 billion, the storm destroyed a staggering 85 percent of the island’s forests, which had served as a natural barrier to the winds and helped avert even further damage. In the years since, the nation has championed a remarkable regeneration of its forests, aided by a government-led tree-planting initiative at remarkable scale that has enabled trees, shrubs, and wildlife to flourish once again.

Following the devastation and subsequent rebuilding from that fateful September evening, the Government of Dominica is now on a mission to secure climate resilience for future generations. At the center of this effort are the country’s forests. “The trees taught us how to be resilient – how to rise above what happened,” says Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, Dominica’s President. “If we do not have the forest, then we’ll be in trouble.”

With support from the World Bank, the government is working to accelerate economic development by harnessing, and simultaneously protecting, these forests. As Forestry Commission Director Minchinton Burton remarks, “our forests, our wildlife, our biodiversity; that forms the basis of any sustainable livelihood opportunity for individuals.”