Rain not just in Spain

THE RAIN in Spain falls mainly on the plain. That innocent ditty used to be recited by schoolchildren all over the world. In a simpler time, such a rhyme had resonance.

Today, however, with the ongoing climate crisis, all patterns have been thrown to the wind. And whether in Valencia, Spain, or Penal, Trinidad, destructive weather events are escalating.

There’s an urgent need to respond. We can’t just leave it to the officials currently gathered at COP29 in Azerbaijan.

On November 13, the effects of three feet of water being dumped by showers the day before were still being felt in Penal.

Cars cruised slowly through muddy water. Some stalled. Rivers were at capacity. The Penal Debe Regional Corporation and its disaster management unit had to work in the early hours to evacuate people from homes and transport stranded commuters.

The Kubairsingh Penal Rock Hindu School was closed. Other schools that opened saw low attendance.

The lack of a uniform approach among school officials – and the lack of co-ordination by the Ministry of Education – underline the need for a nimbler approach to meteorological events.

These events are not going to go away. All indicators, at home and abroad, suggest things have changed.

Up to August, water remained beneath expected levels at three of the four WASA reservoirs. The wet season has been warmer than average. The dry season is fast approaching.

Globally, the year 2024 will go down as the hottest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The 1.5 degrees C heating limit – set in the 2015 Paris Agreement – will be surpassed, marking a perilous turning point.

“A masterclass in climate destruction,” is how UN secretary general António Guterres described the developments, or lack thereof, this year as he addressed COP29.

But we should not expect salvation from that conference. The exercise is unfolding in the shadow of the re-election of Donald Trump to the US presidency.

Mr Trump vows to withdraw his country from the Paris accord. He has earmarked Lee Zeldin for his cabinet to dismantle environmental regulations and to implement his “drill, baby, drill” oil agenda.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley wants a dialogue with Mr Trump to change his mind, but few are banking on it. Meanwhile, countries like the UK have pledged to step up their game. But its focus is on cutting emissions it should have cut long ago.

The floods in Valencia in October killed at least 222 people and left dozens missing. Angered by the failure of a red-alert warning system that could have prevented deaths, 130,000 people protested there.

If systems in Spain could fail so spectacularly, what hope does TT have? We must be better prepared.