A historic date like March 8, 1908, commemorates the thousands of female textile workers who marched the streets of New York to demand a dignified life, including the fight against child labor, under the slogan "Bread and Roses." The tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in the same city tragically claimed the lives of hundreds of marginalized women, many of them immigrant workers, all in precarious conditions, lacking rights and safety in their work.
Extreme heat, wildfires, floods, droughts, and unusual rainfall affect millions of men and women around the globe, but their impacts vary by gender. Evidence shows that women and girls experience the greatest impacts of climate change, which amplifies existing gender inequalities and poses unique threats to their education, health, safety, and social and economic opportunities.
Care is a fundamental job for sustaining human life. Throughout our life cycle, we will all have been or will be caring for others.
Latin America and the Caribbean is the second most disaster-prone region associated to natural events in the world. In fact, one in four disasters recorded in the last 10 years occurred in our region (UNDRR, 2021), and studies predict that the frequency and intensity of natural hazards will continue to increase due to climate change.
Climate change is part of our daily lives, and its impacts become more evident each year. So, what can we do? How do we respond to this challenge?
Climate Change in the Dominican Republic: How do we adapt to the obvious?
Adapting to the impacts of climate change, strengthening the resilience of the population, its economy, infrastructure, and territory is complex and costly.
Picture this. Maria watches the gathering clouds uneasily as she hurries home, hoping to beat the coming storm. As a single mother living in a hillside slum community outside San Salvador, she knows her flimsy tin-roofed shack offers little protection against heavy rains.
Three years ago, when tropical storm Amanda hit, she and her two young children huddled together on their bed with water streaming down the walls, terrified the whole structure would collapse and wash them away.
We live in a constantly changing world, making it essential to prepare for facing challenges in contemporary life. Tourism is a sector that has been affected by various crises and disasters over the years, ranging from extreme weather events to economic and political crises. In the past three years alone, the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale forest fires, and international conflicts have significantly impacted the sector. In this context, resilience is crucial.
The Caribbean countries are highly exposed to climate events, and buildings, especially housing, are particularly vulnerable. Those countries with a higher use of resilient materials perform better against climate impact and have smaller overall economic losses.
"To be Peruvian is to celebrate the greatness of ceviche," Gastón Acurio (Cebiche Power, 2015).
In the realm of development interventions, where efforts aim towards addressing multifaceted challenges such as poverty alleviation and infrastructure development, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) plays a pivotal role.
Recently, the IDB updated its Environmental and Social Policy Framework, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive and prosperous societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), highlighting the intricate connection between economic development and environmental and social sustainability.