Barbuda's Resurgence: Back And Better Than Ever

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma hit the island of Barbuda, causing catastrophic damage to its infrastructure and forcing the evacuation of its entire population. Since then, the island has been struggling to recover, with efforts complicated by subsequent hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic. The storm also exacerbated existing tensions between the Barbudan people and their national government, particularly regarding land ownership and development. While the government has argued that privatisation will aid in the island's economic recovery, many Barbudans fear that it will lead to the loss of their traditional way of life and communal land ownership rights.

The impact of Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that hit the islands of Barbuda and Antigua on 6 September 2017. The storm's eye passed directly over Barbuda, resulting in wall winds, storm surges, and flooding. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage to the island, destroying 90-95% of its buildings and infrastructure, including its hospital, schools, and hotels. The storm also claimed three lives on the island.

The hurricane left the entire island uninhabitable, and the Barbudan population of around 1,500-1,600 was evacuated to Antigua. The destruction of infrastructure, including the island's sole airport, hampered relief efforts. The damage caused by Hurricane Irma on Barbuda was estimated to range from $150 million to $300 million, with the total losses for Antigua and Barbuda amounting to approximately $18.9 million.

Barbuda has been committed to recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The Barbudan Council has played a crucial role in administering public utilities, managing roadwork, and improving building and marine facilities. The council has also had the power to make local by-laws, which has been essential in the recovery process. Additionally, international organisations such as UNICEF and the World Bank Group have provided vital support and assistance to the island.

Today, Barbuda is a strong and independent community, welcoming visitors to experience its unique charm. The island boasts pristine beaches, a rich ecosystem, and a peaceful way of life. While the trauma of Hurricane Irma has left its mark, Barbuda remains a resilient and captivating destination, firmly in the future of independent Caribbean tourism.

The future of tourism

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage to the island of Barbuda, affecting 90-95% of its infrastructure. The storm left the island in a state of devastation, with piles of rubble, tarpaulins covering gaping holes in buildings, and palm trees uprooted. The island's hospital remains unusable, and many residents were evacuated to the neighbouring island of Antigua.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, the future of tourism in Barbuda is uncertain. While some small hotels and guest houses remain, as well as eco-tourism businesses, the island's tourism industry has been impacted by the destruction caused by the hurricane. The focus of the Antiguan government and international investors has been on large-scale tourism development, rather than local recovery, threatening the cultural heritage and traditional way of life of the Barbudan people.

The government's decision to privatise land on the island has been met with opposition from some Barbudans, who argue that it will lead to the enclosure of the village by hotels and rich homes. They worry that it will push local people out and benefit only a few wealthy individuals. The privatisation of land has been challenged in court, with the outcome still pending.

The construction of a large airport to service high-end tourist resorts has also caused controversy, with concerns about its environmental and cultural impact. The airport project has already faced setbacks due to the discovery of historical and ecological sites, and it has destroyed prime hunting and farming areas.

The Barbudan governing council has traditionally been selective about which development projects are allowed on the island, prioritising the preservation of the island's pristine landscape, forests, beaches, and coral reefs. However, in the wake of Hurricane Irma, the council has relied on the Antiguan government and international funding for recovery, reducing its autonomy.

The island's unique history

Barbuda is an island with a unique and fascinating history. It is one of the most sparsely populated islands in the Caribbean, with a population of around 1,634 people and an area of 62 square miles (160 km2). The island has a rich cultural and natural heritage that sets it apart from other Caribbean islands.

The first inhabitants of Barbuda were canoe-driving hunter-gatherers who arrived around 3,000-4,000 years ago. These early settlers were followed by the Arawak and Kalinago peoples. The island was first sighted by Europeans when Christopher Columbus sailed through the region in 1493, although it is unclear if he actually sighted Barbuda. Early Spanish settlements were followed by French and English colonists who formed a colony in 1666. In 1685, Barbuda was leased to brothers John and Christopher Codrington, and the island was given to the Codrington family by the crown in 1685.

The Codrington family held Barbuda from 1685 to 1870 and used the island for slave labour. The slave population in Barbuda grew naturally, and by 1831 there were 503 slaves on the island. In 1834, slavery was abolished in Barbuda, and the Barbudans continued to cultivate the land autonomously on communal property. In 1859, Barbuda was annexed as a dependency of Antigua, becoming subject to the laws of the Antigua colony.

Throughout its history, Barbuda has maintained a degree of autonomy, with the Barbuda Council established in 1976 granting the island the power to regulate its own public works, finance, and agriculture. The island gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1981 as part of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda, and it remains a constitutional monarchy with Charles III as its King.

Barbuda's unique laws, which allow for communal land ownership, have helped to preserve its pristine landscape. The island has extensive forests, beaches, and coral reefs that have not been transformed by large-scale tourism or sugar plantations. This sets Barbuda apart from many other Caribbean islands and makes it a sought-after destination for those seeking a more natural and untouched experience.

However, in recent years, there have been moves to privatise land on Barbuda, particularly after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The hurricane destroyed much of the island's infrastructure, and the subsequent evacuation of the Barbudan population to Antigua further strained relations between Barbudans and the national government. There is a history of tension between the larger, more developed island of Antigua and the people of Barbuda, who value their land rights and autonomy.

The future of Barbuda's unique cultural and natural heritage now hangs in the balance, with privatisation and development plans threatening to irrevocably alter the island's character.

The threat of disaster capitalism

Hurricane Irma, which struck in September 2017, left the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda flattened, with 90-95% of its buildings destroyed. The island's 1,600 residents were evacuated, and while many have since returned, they have been subjected to a cripplingly slow disaster recovery process.

The impact of the hurricane

The physical destruction caused by the hurricane was widely publicised, but the impact on the people of Barbuda has been largely ignored by mainstream media. The short attention span of the media means that the long-term recovery efforts of the people of Barbuda have been overlooked. The vulnerability of the island to hurricanes is in part due to colonial wealth extraction, which has left a legacy of inadequate economic resources and physical infrastructure.

Disaster capitalism

Post-disaster contexts are often vulnerable to exploitation by elites looking to profit from the crisis – a process known as 'disaster capitalism'. In the case of Barbuda, multinational developers and the central government in Antigua have focused on tourist ventures rather than local recovery, threatening to erode the island's culture, identity, and traditional land relations in the name of "development".

Land ownership

Since emancipation from slavery in 1834, Barbudans have practised communal land ownership, with residents and their descendants confirming their claim to parcels of land with the democratically elected, 11-member Barbuda Council. However, in the wake of the hurricane, there have been efforts to dismantle this system of land ownership and open up the island for privatisation and development.

The role of the Antiguan government

The Antiguan government has been accused of purposefully stalling the recovery process to wear down the Barbudans and encourage them to leave the island. Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, has accused Barbudans of illegally 'squatting' on the land and has sought to revoke the communal land rights. Barbudans view these actions as an underhand attempt to profit from their land and undermine their way of life, and have mounted a fierce and sustained collective resistance.

The future of Barbuda

The majority of Barbudans have alternative visions for the future of the island, including better health facilities, small hotels, restaurants, and shops that cater to the local community. They also want to see new industries where people can learn skills, rather than always being cleaners in the hotels. There are also calls to amend trade regulations to allow Barbuda's seaport to trade directly with neighbouring islands, rather than having to go through Antigua, which currently takes a cut of the profits from trade tariffs.

The relationship with Antigua

Barbuda is part of a three-island state with Antigua and uninhabited Redonda in the north-eastern Caribbean. It is often described as Antigua's "sister" island, but years of conflict with successive Antiguan governments have threatened this relationship.

The relationship between Antigua and Barbuda is tense. While Barbuda is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Antigua's economy, like most of the Caribbean, is fuelled by large-scale tourism, whereas Barbuda's governing council sets itself apart by being very selective about which development projects it allows on the island.

In 2017, Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma, which destroyed 90-95% of its buildings and infrastructure. In the aftermath, the government of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda, led by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, resolved to introduce a system of private property on Barbuda. This decision kick-started old tensions between the two islands. Barbudans have long lobbied for autonomy from Antigua, especially to protect their land rights.

Following Hurricane Irma, the entire population of Barbuda was evacuated to Antigua, as another hurricane, Hurricane Jose, was approaching. However, even after Hurricane Jose passed, the government did not immediately enable people to return to Barbuda, leading to complaints about greater losses as belongings were left to rot in the open air.

The construction of a new international airport on Barbuda, which began soon after the hurricane, further exacerbated tensions. John Mussington, the principal of Barbuda's secondary school, initiated a legal challenge against the airport, arguing that it destroyed forest and caused other ecological and cultural damage. This challenge temporarily suspended the airport's construction, but it has since been dismissed.

The privatisation of land on Barbuda, which has been held in common since the emancipation of the island's slave population in the 19th century, has been a particularly contentious issue. In 2018, there was an effort to dismantle the Barbuda Land Act of 2007, which guaranteed communal land ownership rights, entirely, in order to open the door for privatisation and development. This move was opposed by Barbudans, and a legal challenge on constitutional grounds has prevented it from taking effect so far.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has denied accusations of a "land grab", arguing that the land is being sold to Barbudans and that a land registry is being set up. However, critics argue that the privatisation of land will lead to the construction of hotels and large houses along the coast, enclosing the Barbudan community in the village and threatening their traditional way of life.

The focus on tourism development on Barbuda, including the construction of high-end resorts, is also a source of tension. While some Barbudans welcome the potential economic benefits, others worry that it will lead to increased inequality and threaten their culture, identity, and traditional land relations.

The relationship between Antigua and Barbuda is further complicated by their political structure. While they are a unitary parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, with Charles III as their monarch, the island of Barbuda maintains much autonomy, while the island of Antigua is directly governed by the national government. This autonomy has allowed Barbuda to regulate its own public works, finance, and agriculture, among other activities, and to elect its own chairperson and vice chairperson.

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