Hurricane Dorian’s impact on The Bahamas is a reminder that natural disasters can cause devastating loss of life and property, and impacted countries could have urgent financing needs for emergency response following a catastrophic event. The Inter-American Development Bank’s Contingent Credit Facility for Natural Disaster Emergencies (CCF) is designed to provide a financial … [Read more...] about What is the Contingent Credit Facility?
Climate Change & Environment
When it hits home
Through an airplane window, it’s easy to see why the world calls this place Paradise. I travel often for work and from my seat in the sky I have come to know the beautiful topography of the Caribbean: Guyana’s lush green, Barbados’ turquoise shores, Trinidad’s northern range. Each landscape is unique; all different members of the same family. And while I am proud to be part of … [Read more...] about When it hits home
Avoiding A Debt Disaster
Preservation of life and property is the most pressing instinct when faced with the threat of a natural disaster. But after survival, the next phase – recovery – can be the more arduous and complex feat. Since 2010, the Caribbean region[1] incurred an estimated US$3.2 billion in damage to housing, crops, and infrastructure while total deaths amounted to nearly 180 persons. At … [Read more...] about Avoiding A Debt Disaster
Caribbean Cities and the Sustainable Development Goals
Throughout most of urban history, humanity has used nature’s resources to build cities and to release carbon dioxide at a rate that was well within Earth’s budget. However, beginning in the early 1970s, unsustainable growth accelerated and today, humans are now using 1.7 times the amount of Earth’s resources. This means that by July 29th each year, we will have consumed more … [Read more...] about Caribbean Cities and the Sustainable Development Goals
Resilience Starts At Home: How can Barbadians take the fight to climate change?
We are often reminded that climate change is not a phenomenon to be taken lightly. However, too often we only come to grips with this important issue when an event has severely wounded an island-neighbor for the fear that our island may be the next to suffer similar consequences. And there is no telling just when that might be. In recent years, Barbados has experienced more … [Read more...] about Resilience Starts At Home: How can Barbadians take the fight to climate change?