Press Releases

The first Caribbean Regional workshop on Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad on July 11th and 12th, 2023. Organized by the UNDRR and UNFCCC, the workshop aimed to enhance understanding of the relationship between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Caribbean region. Government representatives and key stakeholders responsible for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation from 18 small island states in the region were invited to participate in the two-day event, including three participants from the ACS; Director Ana Leticia Ramírez Cuevas, Advisor Cherisse Braithwaite-Joseph and Christal Benjamin, Research Assistant-DRR.  

During the opening ceremony, the urgency of addressing climate change and adopting comprehensive risk management approaches was highlighted. Head of Office, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Animesh Kumar welcomed participants stressing the importance of joint action and collaboration. The Minister of Planning and Development of Trinidad and Tobago, The Honourable Ms. Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, further emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change regionally and stressed the importance of aligning regional and national strategies to achieve greater resilience. The Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Mr. Fitzgerald Hinds, further highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to protect vulnerable communities. Joanna Kazana, the newly installed United Nations Resident Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, underlined the significance of effective national plans and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to supporting such developmental initiatives in the region. 

The workshop involved a policy review, risk assessment, a review of financing mechanisms and the development of a roadmap for integrated approaches. Three representatives from the Directorate of Disaster Risk Resilience, Environment and the Caribbean Sea participated in the workshop which included a review of the policy landscape and the development of a roadmap for integrated approaches in the region. Director Ana Leticia Ramírez Cuevas, Director of DECS, led a presentation on the findings of the 6th IPCC Report, providing insights into climate change impacts in the Caribbean. Director Ramírez invited the participants to refer to the region as the Greater Caribbean, a region encompassing a diverse group of countries and territories located in and around the Caribbean Sea that includes the Caribbean islands, the countries along the Caribbean coast of Central and South America, parts of the Gulf of Mexico, and common problems.  

The workshop served as a significant step in collaboration and united action towards climate resilience and sustainable development in our region.