The Dominican Republic is a popular tourist destination in the Carribbean, if not THE most popular destination. With its many, many, MANY beaches and gorgeous landmarks, it remains a must-visit destination for many people. As my family is from there, I take pride in showing off just how amazing the island can be. And yet, one of the biggest threats to that paradise is the major amount of natural disasters that can occur. The island is very prone to floods, droughts, and most importantly, hurricanes.
Just recently, Tropical Storm Franklin passed over the island, and brought in massive winds, giant floods, and huge mudslides. At least 600 people were forced to evacuate their homes, and over 547 homes were damaged. Hurricanes are easily the biggest threat to the island, since it affects farming, fishing and tourism, which are the 3 biggest contributors to the economy on the island. Climate change is a big factor in these disasters, and not only is it affecting people’s way of living, but it’s also affecting the temperature as well. As you would expect, being an island nation would mean the temperature is usually very warm, and very humid. Climate change is making the nation even hotter than before, to the point where random wildfires are a major concern. According to the Climate Risk Profile published in 2017, the Dominican Republic was ranked the 11th most vulnerable country to climate change, in part to the aforementioned hurricanes and wildfires.
Climate change doesn’t impact just the U.S. and other big countries. People need to take more note of how it impacts smaller countries as well. We’re already experiencing warmer winters, hotter summers, and stronger hurricanes. It’s easy to forget these smaller countries, but they’re at the forefront of most of the effects of climate change, and they would appreciate any aid to combat the very negative impacts caused by climate change and global warming.
WORKS CITED
https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/climate-risk-profile-dominican-republic
https://floodlist.com/america/dominican-republic-tropical-storm-franklin-floods-august-2023
