The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

(Part III)

Climate change is no longer an issue of the future. It is here and is staring at us as we witnessed the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Harvey that descended upon Houston, Texas, causing damage estimated at US$90 billion and a death toll of at least 70. The cost of rebuilding is estimated at double this amount. In the Caribbean islands of Barbuda, St. Martin, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, the extent of devastation is beyond belief, as Hurricane Irma is about to make landfall in Miami. The estimated damage so far is US$10 billion (excluding the Dominican Republic and Cuba) and the death toll so far is at least 22. A third major hurricane Jose is also currently making its way towards the Caribbean while the effects of Hurricane Katia are already being experienced in the Gulf of Mexico. To compound matters in the region, Mexico has recently experienced its worst earthquake in a century with a magnitude of 8.1 on the Richter scale. So far, 65 persons have been reported killed.