BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Caribbean countries are now better positioned to access millions of dollars in climate grant financing aimed at strengthening resilience and addressing losses and damages caused by climate-related disasters.
The development follows a regional workshop hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage in Barbados earlier this week.
The two-day workshop brought together government representatives and national focal points from 15 Caribbean countries eligible to access funding under the Barbados Implementation Modalities, a pilot US$250 million grant facility with a submission deadline of June 15.
President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Daniel Best, said the region continues to face severe setbacks from hurricanes, including Maria, Irma, Dorian, Beryl, and Melissa, with damages in some cases exceeding national gross domestic product (GDP).
Best stressed that the region must now focus on developing “bankable and scalable investment pipelines” to reduce future losses and strengthen resilience.
The Caribbean faces an estimated US$14 billion annually in climate financing needs. Organisers said the workshop provided countries with practical guidance to prepare high-quality funding proposals ahead of the June deadline.
Participating countries included Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
Executive Director of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, said the Caribbean continues to bear a disproportionate burden from climate change despite contributing minimally to global emissions.
He said the Barbados Implementation Modalities provide a direct pathway for countries to access climate financing and support recovery and resilience-building efforts.
Regional agencies, including the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, also participated in the workshop.
The Caribbean Development Bank said the initiative supports its Strategic Plan 2026–2035, which prioritises climate resilience and expanded access to climate financing across the region.