Statement on Hurricane Michael and Ongoing Reconstruction from Extreme Weather Events
ParlAmericas expresses its solidarity with the Governments and people of the United States, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Cuba for damages and losses of life caused by Category 4 Hurricane Michael. ParlAmericas also continues to stand with small-island and low-lying countries and territories of the Caribbean engaged in ongoing processes of reconstruction and recovery to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017.
In recognition of the increased frequency of extreme weather events in the region, ParlAmericas reaffirms its commitment to inter-parliamentary action and cooperation with national governments, civil society organizations, academia and local communities to strengthen efforts to develop and implement mitigation and adaption measures that are an essential basis for disaster risk reduction.
“Just last week, parliamentarians from across the hemisphere convened in Panama [during the 3rd Gathering of the Parliamentary Network of Climate Change] to press for more ambitious efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 C,” stated the President of ParlAmericas, the Hon. Robert Nault, Member of Parliament from Canada. “I have learned from my colleagues […] the extent to which hurricanes devastate entire communities; and just as they rebuild, the next hurricane season arrives. What remains abundantly clear to everyone is that climate change has no borders and that we must act now, because time is not our ally.”
