Caribbean Leaders Sound Alarm on Rising Risks

From climate shocks to economic instability, Caribbean leaders are warning that the region is entering a period of unprecedented risk — and urgent action is needed.

That call rang out in Bridgetown at the Caribbean Regional Risk Conference, hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CRF). The gathering drew international partners including the World Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).

CAF’s Dr. Stacey Richards-Kennedy stressed that resilience is not just about seawalls and shelters. “It has to do much more with liquidity,” she said, pointing to new financial tools like a US$500 million contingent credit facility and clauses that allow governments to pause debt payments after disasters.

CDB President Daniel Best warned that each wave of global instability “crashes harder against the shores” of vulnerable island states, urging an integrated approach to development. He pledged that at least 35 percent of the bank’s resources will go toward climate action over the next five years.

CRF’s Isaac Anthony and ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine echoed the call for stronger partnerships, insisting that no country can face these threats alone.

As technical sessions continued over the three day conference held at the Wyndam Resort , one message was clear: the Caribbean must act collectively, creatively, and urgently to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s resilience.