Dominica observes 34th Local Government Month 2023, know deets

Dominica kicked off the celebrations for 34th Local Government Month 2023 with the church services under the theme- A more resilient local government that delivers Quality Service.”

Dominica observes 34th Local Government Month 2023, know deets
Dominica observes 34th Local Government Month 2023, know deets Image Credits: Facebook

Roseau, Dominica: Dominica kicked off the celebrations for 34th Local Government Month 2023 with the church services under the theme- A more resilient local government that delivers Quality Service.” Minister with responsibility for local government Gretta Roberts has recognized the importance and contribution of local government to Dominica’s development.

She stated that every aspect of community life is the business of local government and while the council may have specific tasks and services they provide. The community leaders must make it their business to know what is going on in their jurisdiction and ensure that systems are in place to keep people safe.

Minister Roberts further said that the role of local government is changing and those involved must become familiar with the new demands made by local authorities. She added that councils must focus on the impact of climate change and successive weather events which have caused widespread damage in Dominica.

“Over the last decade it has become more obvious that communities around Dominica are confronting the effects of climate change in various forms. The impact of Hurricane Maria and more recently the trough system which impacted the East and southeast of the island impressed on us all an urgency to identify gaps and vulnerabilities in our respective villages around Dominica and take steps to build resilience against existential threats and Hazards, “said the minister.

Minister Roberts called on community leaders to pay close attention to the vision and strategic partnerships outlined in the climate resilient recovery plan. She said that three key pillars in the plan are robust economy, strong communities and collective consciousness which are all within the scope of the local government authorities to enhance resilience at the community level. She said that as Dominica is on a path to become the first climate resilient country in the world intervention at the individual family and community levels will be the building blocks to attain in National resilience

“Our development trust has certainly changed and each decision made about a development intervention must be informed by environmental risk assessment and careful analysis for limiting risks and vulnerabilities,” said the minister.

She said that local government bodies will have to play lead roles in ensuring that community needs assessments are done and priority interventions are identified. The climate resilience recovery plan places heavy emphasis on establishing well-trained and managed disaster management committees.

Local government month is observed annually in the month of May. A number of activities have been planned as part of celebrations for this year’s observance including Church services, Radio programmes, Hikes on the community-based cleanup and Beautification projects.