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The document evaluates the application of a training module focused on integrating Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) into development priorities in the Caribbean. Using the Driving Forces–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework, the approach helps policy-makers identify synergies between environmental obligations and economic sectors such as tourism and agriculture. Findings from three case studies in Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia highlight that while the tool improves the ability of policy-makers to articulate MEA relevance, significant barriers remain, including limited cross-sectoral collaboration, insufficient data for target setting, and a lack of political will to alter high-level development priorities.

The government of St. Maarten established the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, protecting 1,500 hectares of coral reefs and sea grasses, after the St. Maarten Nature Foundation used a WRI tool to demonstrate that these ecosystems contribute US$58 million annually to the economy through tourism and fisheries.

The solar water heater (SWH) industry in Barbados has achieved significant market penetration through a combination of early entrepreneurial leadership, consistent government fiscal incentives, and strategies to ensure consumer confidence. Since the 1970s, over 50,000 installations have saved consumers approximately US$137 million. Key drivers included the Fiscal Incentives Act of 1974, the Homeowner Tax Benefit, and government mandates for SWHs in public housing. The document argues that this success provides a foundation for broader acceptance of other renewable energy technologies and can be replicated in other sun-rich, oil-dependent countries if implemented as a coordinated system.

The solar water heater (SWH) industry in Barbados has achieved significant market penetration through a combination of early entrepreneurial leadership, consistent government fiscal incentives, and strategies to ensure consumer confidence. By 2009, approximately two in five households had installed SWH systems, resulting in substantial energy savings and consumer financial benefits. The document argues that this success provides a foundation for the broader adoption of other renewable energy technologies and can be replicated in other sun-rich countries with high fossil fuel dependence, provided there is long-term regulatory certainty and local sensitivity in implementation.

The document examines Grenada's transition from fragmented, project-by-project climate actions to a comprehensive national strategy called the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR). Funded by the Pilot Program for Climate Change Resilience (PPCR) and Climate Investment Funds (CIFs), the SPCR prioritizes climate resilience over emission reductions due to Grenada's high vulnerability and low global emissions. Key initiatives include the Disaster Vulnerability and Climate Risk Reduction Project and the Forest Rehabilitation Project, alongside technical assistance for water and coastal management. The brief highlights the importance of participatory design, regional synergies within the Caribbean, and the necessity of multilateral finance to address projected sea-level rise costs that could reach $801 million by 2050.

The report highlights that disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean is increasing due to heightened exposure and vulnerability, even independent of climate change. It details observed and projected trends in temperature and precipitation extremes across the region and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) to build long-term resilience.

The Second National Communication for Saint Lucia details the country's climate profile, reporting a 2% increase in total CO2e emissions between 1994 and 2000, totaling 579 Gg. The report identifies high vulnerability in tourism, agriculture, and water resources due to projected temperature increases (up to 3.6C by the 2090s) and rainfall decreases (up to 57% by the end of the century). It proposes two mitigation scenarios to reduce emissions by 19.6% and 25.7% by 2020, respectively, and outlines a series of adaptation measures including revised building codes, coastal setbacks, and integrated watershed management. The document emphasizes significant gaps in financial, human, and technical resources, calling for the mainstreaming of climate resilience into national development planning.

The document describes the creation of an Implementation Plan (IP) to operationalize the CARICOM Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change. It emphasizes a 'three-ones' approach to resource mobilization and the necessity of transformational change in policy-setting to avoid severe economic costs of inaction. The IP focuses on mainstreaming climate adaptation and mitigation into national development, targeting sectors such as agriculture, energy, and tourism, while promoting a risk-management ethic in decision-making.

This report by the World Resources Institute establishes a tiered methodology to estimate the economic value of coral reefs in the Caribbean, focusing on three key services: tourism and recreation, fisheries, and shoreline protection. Applying this tool to Tobago and St. Lucia, the study finds that coral reef-associated tourism provides the highest economic impact, contributing approximately 15% of GDP in Tobago and 11% in St. Lucia. Shoreline protection is also highly valued, with annual potentially avoided damages estimated between US$18–33 million for Tobago and US$28–50 million for St. Lucia. While reef-associated fisheries have a smaller direct financial impact, they provide critical social safety nets and cultural value. The report argues that quantifying these benefits is essential for informed coastal management and policy decisions, particularly in the face of threats from overfishing, pollution, and climate change.

The report investigates stewardship planning for the Saskatchewan government, focusing on two modes of influence: internal operations (e.g., green procurement, energy use) and external influence (e.g., legislation and policy). It analyzes case studies from the United Kingdom, Canada, Manitoba, and Oregon, as well as corporate reporting frameworks like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and PotashCorp. Key findings emphasize the need to integrate stewardship planning with existing budgeting and accountability frameworks to ensure effectiveness and organizational capacity.

The report evaluates the sustainability of St. Lucia's tourism sector under trade liberalization. While tourism is a primary driver of GDP and employment, the sector suffers from high foreign exchange leakage due to foreign ownership and package tours. Environmental concerns include rising energy consumption and wastewater mismanagement, while GATS obligations are identified as potential barriers to domestic regulatory autonomy.

The document outlines the ongoing negotiations within the WTO's Negotiating Group on Market Access to reduce industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers. It details various proposed 'modalities'—including formula-based, sectoral, and request-offer approaches—and highlights the tension between developed nations seeking broad liberalization and developing nations concerned about revenue loss, de-industrialization, and the impact of tariff peaks and escalation. Specific focus is given to the EU's flexible approach, the US's zero-tariff proposal, and the emerging discussions on environmental goods.

The document reviews the status of 'implementation issues' following the Doha Ministerial Declaration, noting a fundamental disagreement over whether these issues are subject to negotiation or mere discussion. It details a pattern of missed deadlines and a lack of consensus across several key areas, including textiles, anti-dumping measures, and subsidies, where developing countries seek to rectify perceived imbalances from the Uruguay Round without making further trade-offs.

This policy brief describes the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation Policy and Development (GIVRAPD) Project, an interdisciplinary research initiative focused on understanding the socioeconomic, governance, and environmental factors that influence the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of small and medium-sized coastal communities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

This policy brief from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network argues that climate change adaptation in the Caribbean is fundamentally a governance challenge requiring a multi-level approach. It advocates for the creation of networks and hybrid partnerships between state and non-state actors to bridge jurisdictional scales and sectors, using case studies from St. Lucia and Jamaica to illustrate how community-based organizations and public-private partnerships can enhance adaptive capacity.

The document outlines the high cost of natural disasters in the Caribbean, noting $33bn in damages from 2000-2009. It identifies sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and changing rainfall patterns as primary threats to the tourism and agriculture sectors, while suggesting micro-insurance, irrigation, and spatial planning as adaptation strategies.

The document describes Community Based Vulnerability Assessments (CBVA) as a collaborative process using semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops to identify climate hazards and barriers to adaptation. It highlights the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) approach, which assesses resilience across five areas: physical, social, information and knowledge, innovation, and governance. In the Soufriére region of Saint Lucia, the LAC framework found that natural resources provided some resilience, but this was undermined by a 42.9% poverty rate, a 23.8% unemployment rate (2012), and over-reliance on tourism. The text emphasizes that local networks are most effective when they maintain strong links between community, regional, and national organizations to share information and lobby for action.

The study uses the Kestrel-Integrated Hydrological Model and CARIWIG climate data to project river flows in Saint Lucia's Font D’Or catchment. Results from two climate models, Echam5 and HADCM3Q0, generally predict a decrease in surface water availability, with the most severe reductions occurring in the HADCM3Q0 scenarios. These decreases, particularly during the rainy season, threaten water supplies for the tourism and agriculture sectors.

The paper examines how multilevel governance can facilitate climate change adaptation in Jamaica's coastal-marine environments. Using a case study approach and Social Network Analysis (SNA), the authors identify the roles of various state and non-state actors. Preliminary findings highlight the importance of bridging organizations, such as the Department of Fisheries (DoFish), and the potential of the newly established Climate Change Focal Point Network to strengthen horizontal coordination among government agencies. The study argues for the need to strengthen vertical ties between national and local levels and to leverage public-private partnerships to enhance adaptive capacity.

The document synthesizes the work of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) in addressing climate change, specifically focusing on Concluding Observations issued to States. It highlights that while climate change is not explicitly in key human rights treaties, HRTBs increasingly use their monitoring roles to argue that protecting human rights requires specific climate action. The report details recommendations across several themes, including the disproportionate impacts on women, children, and indigenous peoples, the need for gender-sensitive and child-sensitive climate strategies, and the obligation of some States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel extraction to meet human rights standards. It provides detailed analysis of the three most active bodies: CEDAW, CESCR, and CRC.