The NBS-ENGROSSED project team, led by Dr. Deborah Villarroel-Lamb of UWI’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, recently convened stakeholders from across the Caribbean to advance the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the region. The team hosted a two-day workshop aimed at identifying strategic intervention areas to facilitate the wider uptake of NbS throughout the Caribbean. Funding for the workshop was granted by Future Earth and Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC). Future Earth is the funder of the broader NBS-ENGROSSED project which is part of the Program for Early-stage Grants Advancing Sustainability Science funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Science Program and facilitated through the UWI’s Office of Global Affairs.  

The two-day workshop was held on October 8th and 9th 2024 at the Hilton Hotel in Trinidad and Tobago, and welcomed over 70 participants from diverse sectors, including government, academia, civil society, the private sector, and international and multilateral agencies. Attendees represented countries from across the region, such as Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Belize, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Panama, Suriname, Saint Lucia, USA, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others. 

Building on Foundational Insights 

This workshop followed an initial convening held in Panama in June 2023 during the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI) which was also supported by Future Earth. At the June 2023 event, the team focused on identifying barriers to the uptake of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Caribbean. This year’s gathering was designed to deepen these discussions, bringing together experts and practitioners to collaboratively map out actionable strategies for enhancing NbS adoption. 

Research Assistant, Simone, presenting on the Causal Loop Diagram and reasons for the low uptake of NbS in the Caribbean

A Cohesive Regional Effort 

The workshop commenced with welcome remarks provided by Ms. Lois St Brice on behalf of PVC Sandrea Maynard of the Office of Global Affairs, Ms. Gina Sanguinetti Phillips who is a Consultant with the Technical Assistance Manager and Corporate Communications Manager teams for CCRIF SPC and Dr. Erica Key who is the Global Hub Director, USA Hub, Future Earth.

The workshop brought together prominent regional organizations such as The University of the West Indies (Mona and Cave Hill campuses), University of Guyana, University of Suriname, National Environment and Planning Agency (Jamaica), Saint Lucia National Trust, Environmental Awareness Group (Antigua and Barbuda), Smith Warner International, Association of Protected Area Management Organizations (Belize), Conservation International Guyana, The Nature Conservancy, Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, Sustainable Grenadines, and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, among others. 

Locally-based stakeholders included The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Environmental Management Authority, Nature Seekers, Ministry of Planning and Development, Coastal Protection Unit, Water Resources Agency, Coastal Dynamics, Ansa Merchant Bank’s Natural Capital Hub, and the Institute of Marine Affairs, among others.  

 Towards a Sustainable Future 

Some key takeaways include the need for improved transdisciplinary, trans-sectoral and multi-level engagements to enhance the understanding of what is needed and where to intervene to promote NbS. The project team looks forward to continued collaboration with stakeholders in furthering the development and implementation of Nature-based Solutions across the wider Caribbean, and also to safeguard and enhance lives, economies and ecosystems across the region.

The workshop’s summary can be viewed right here.

 

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