What would you do if you knew part of the place you call home will be lost to sea level rise by 2050?
Residents from the Caribbean island of Bonaire are currently facing such a question, as rising seas caused by climate change threaten to permanently submerge parts of their homeland.
So here’s what they’re doing about it. Last year, eight residents teamed up with Greenpeace Netherlands to sue the Dutch government for violating human rights due to their insufficient climate action.
And we have a BIG update: The court has just agreed that the case can proceed — which is an incredible step forward for climate justice!
Bonaire, an island in the southern Caribbean — which became a Dutch State in 1636 as a result of colonial struggles — is being heavily impacted by the climate crisis.
A study commissioned by Greenpeace has shown that the island’s residents are facing serious risks due to rising sea levels, increased heat, and coral degradation. If global carbon emissions are not significantly lowered, a fifth of Bonaire could be lost to the sea by the end of this century.
“The Caribbean Netherlands has been forgotten for too long,” says Danique Martis, a social worker and one of the plaintiffs. There are plans in place to protect the European Netherlands against sea-level rise and other consequences of the climate crisis, but for Bonaire this is not yet the case. It saddens me to see how, despite knowing their responsibility, the Dutch government has chosen to push our right to safety aside. For this reason, we are going to the court, so they have no choice but to act.”
Residents of the Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire launched a legal case with Greenpeace Netherlands against the Dutch government to protect Bonaire against climate change.
Only a few weeks ago, several dozen people — including representatives of the Caribbean diaspora and the climate movement — held a symbolic protest in The Hague, the capital of the Netherlands. The group marched from the Prime Minister’s office to the District Court, where the summons were delivered, amplifying the voices of the Bonaire residents who are calling for action. [1]
We’re excited for what’s to come in this case, and will keep you updated as it progresses. But for now, you can learn more about it by following this link (article in Dutch).
Source:
[1] Research by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; The impact of climate change on Bonaire: an analysis of different scenarios and their impact on the Dutch Caribbean municipality.
