Last week, the court ruled that the Dutch state is not doing enough to protect Bonaire from climate change. The state has treated the inhabitants of Bonaire unfairly compared to people in the European Netherlands, thereby violating human rights. The reactions to the ruling were emotional, relieved, and cautiously hopeful. The ruling confirms what Bonaireans have been saying for years and touches on a history of colonisation; a past of looking away and not taking responsibility in several social areas. Climate change has also become a symbol of this problematic relationship: as one of the 10 largest historical emitters, the European Netherlands is jointly responsible for climate issues, but then fails to fulfil its own obligations.
Cynically enough, this even applies to Bonaire – a special municipality of the Netherlands – which, as a low-lying island, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, even though historically it has contributed very little to global emissions. On Bonaire, climate change is causing increasingly frequent flooding, extreme heat and precipitation, putting vulnerable ecosystems under increasing pressure and threatening to wipe out cultural heritage if no action is taken. From the perspective of climate justice, Bonaire therefore deserves not only equal support, but extra support to cope with the consequences of climate change. Climate justice also means that special attention must be paid to vulnerable groups in society. There is great inequality on Bonaire.
The court ruled that the State must set binding climate targets for the entire Dutch economy within 18 months. An adaptation plan for Bonaire must also be developed, to be implemented by 2030 at the latest. We hope that this ruling will lead to swift action, which is explicitly guided by and contributes to the resilience of the Bonairean population. We consider the preservation of cultural values and cooperation with the community to be crucial factors in this regard. An important first step has already been taken on Bonaire: over the past year and a half, the Climate Table has been working on the development of a climate plan that identifies the most important climate risks, programmes, and measures for Bonaire. Developing the plan requires close cooperation between different authorities, levels of government, and the local population – a complex challenge with an ocean in between.
Together with its partners, KIN supports this process by working on an action-oriented knowledge agenda for climate adaptation and mitigation on Bonaire. This will form a chapter in Bonaire’s climate plan. The agenda consists of fourteen knowledge projects, which offer concrete opportunities to fill local knowledge gaps and meet knowledge (implementation) needs. Given the broad scope of Bonaire’s climate plan, the knowledge agenda covers various areas such as water, nature, energy, food, welfare and culture. Implementing both the climate plan and the knowledge agenda therefore requires a joint transition in which all forms of knowledge are equal and where community and learning together are central. The KIN tries to contribute to this by listening carefully to local needs, providing support where requested, and working in a coordinated manner with knowledge partners.
KIN stands for a just social transition to a climate-proof future, emphatically including Bonaire and the five other Caribbean countries and territories. Climate adaptation and mitigation are not just technical challenges; they require cooperation on fundamental changes in how the local economy and society work. Do you have ideas for action-oriented knowledge collaboration? Please get in touch! Let’s work together on resilience, resistance and climate resilience in the Dutch Caribbean countries and islands!