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  • UNESCO WINGS Caribbean: Call for fellowship applications

    UNESCO WINGS Caribbean: Call for fellowship applications

    Against a backdrop of persistent gender gaps in scientific leadership and growing regional demand for context-specific solutions to urgent development challenges, UNESCO has launched a groundbreaking new fellowship initiative tailored for women researchers across the Caribbean. Named WINGS Caribbean, the program targets mid-career and advanced women innovators whose work directly addresses the Caribbean’s most pressing development priorities, with the dual goal of advancing impactful local solutions and closing the gender gap in STEM and social science research leadership.

    The Caribbean region currently faces a cascade of interconnected challenges, from building climate resilience and reducing disaster risk to advancing inclusive, sustainable socioeconomic growth. Local researchers and innovators are uniquely positioned to develop solutions that are rooted in regional culture, aligned with national needs, and capable of delivering long-term tangible benefits to Caribbean communities. Yet despite their substantial contributions to scientific and social progress, women remain drastically underrepresented in senior and leadership roles across research and innovation sectors across the region.

    To address this gap, the UNESCO Regional Office for the Caribbean developed WINGS Caribbean in technical partnership with The University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS). The initiative will award two $10,000 USD fellowships, with a 12-month implementation timeline for selected projects. The program is structured around two distinct fellowship streams, designed to cover the full spectrum of development-focused work in the region.

    The first stream, the WINGS STEM Fellowship, supports projects focused on advancing scientific knowledge, technical innovation, and evidence-based solutions in priority areas including core STEM fields, climate and environmental resilience, disaster risk reduction, digital innovation, and emerging technologies, and applied scientific research. The second track, the WINGS Social Impact Fellowship, funds work focused on driving social transformation, inclusive development, and broad societal wellbeing, with eligible areas including social sciences, social entrepreneurship and innovation, governance and public policy, social development, and community-embedded research.

    Beyond direct financial support, selected fellows also gain access to technical and scientific mentorship from partner institutions, as well as expanded regional and global visibility through UNESCO’s global communications and outreach channels. Fellows also join a growing regional network of women leaders committed to advancing scientific excellence, innovation, and sustainable development across the Caribbean.

    To be eligible for the fellowship, applicants must identify as women, hold nationality of a UNESCO Member or Associate Member in the English- or Dutch-speaking Caribbean, hold an affiliation with a recognized academic institution, research center, public body, or accredited innovation or social enterprise, be currently working in a mid- or advanced-career role with demonstrated relevant experience, and propose an original, nationally relevant project that can be completed within 12 months with a clear path to measurable societal benefit. Each applicant may only submit one application, which must be filed under the stream that most closely aligns with the proposed project.

    Selected fellows are required to deliver a set of tangible outputs by the end of the 12-month term, including a research, policy, or innovation product with practical application and potential societal benefit, two dissemination activities targeted at relevant stakeholders, beneficiaries, or decision-makers, a concise policy brief, technical guidance note, or applied knowledge product designed for wide regional uptake, and both interim and final narrative and financial reports aligned with UNESCO’s standard reporting requirements.

    Applications are evaluated based on a weighted selection framework, with 20 percent of the score allocated to scientific or technical quality and rigor, 20 percent to innovation and originality, 20 percent to relevance to Caribbean development priorities, 10 percent to feasibility of completion within the 12-month timeline, 20 percent to practical societal benefit and impact (including scalability and replication potential), and 10 percent to the project’s contribution to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Eligible submissions will undergo a technical review coordinated by UNESCO alongside its partner institutions, with UNESCO making the final final award decisions based on assessment results and the program’s core objectives.

    All application materials must be submitted in English through the official online portal no later than midnight Jamaica time (UTC−5) on September 30, 2026. Submissions sent via email will not be accepted, and late or incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible. Selected fellows will enter into a formal agreement with UNESCO and are required to comply with all applicable ethical, regulatory, reporting, visibility, and financial requirements. UNESCO retains the right to decline awarding the fellowship if no submissions meet the program’s required quality standards.

    This initiative marks a key step forward in UNESCO’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality in science and supporting locally led development solutions across the Caribbean, with the long-term goal of inspiring the next generation of Caribbean women and girls to pursue careers in science, research, and innovation.

  • 2 Grenadians awarded prestigious UK Government scholarships

    2 Grenadians awarded prestigious UK Government scholarships

    The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has long upheld a core mission of investing in global talent development through its two flagship scholarship programs: the Chevening Scholarship and the Commonwealth Scholarship. As part of this ongoing commitment, two exceptional students from Grenada have been selected to receive full funding for postgraduate study at top-tier UK universities for the 2026 academic intake, joining hundreds of emerging leaders from across the Caribbean and the world in this opportunity.

    The official announcement of 2026 Chevening Scholars for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean region was finalized in late August, alongside the recent naming of recipients for the 2026 Commonwealth Scholarship Programme. From Grenada, Ravon Charles earned the Chevening Scholarship, which will enable him to pursue a Master of Science degree in Sport Rehabilitation at Loughborough University — a UK institution consistently ranked as a global leader in sports-related academic research and training. Separately, Akeyshur Bartholomew was selected for the competitive Commonwealth Scholarship, and will enroll in an MSc program in Medical Ultrasound with a specialization in Echocardiography at Imperial College London, one of the world’s top medical research universities.

    Victor Clark, the Resident British Commissioner to Grenada, expressed his enthusiasm for the new cohort of Grenadian scholars in an official statement following the announcement. “I am delighted that the UK continues to support outstanding Grenadians through the Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship programmes,” Clark said. “These scholarships invest in individuals who have demonstrated exceptional potential and are pursuing studies in areas that are important to Grenada’s future development and shared global challenges. I am proud and inspired by their dedication, ambition and commitment to making a positive impact on their return to Grenada.”

    Beyond recognizing the 2026 cohort, the FCDO has also opened applications for the 2027–2028 academic year Chevening Scholarships. Prospective candidates from eligible regions can submit their applications through the official Chevening website at www.chevening.org/apply, with a final application deadline set for 6 October 2026. For students seeking more details about the Commonwealth Scholarship programme, additional information is available on the official UK Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website at https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/, or applicants can reach out directly to the Human Resource Development Division of Grenada’s Ministry of Education via email at [email protected].

    Since their launch, the Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship programmes have supported thousands of emerging leaders from low- and middle-income countries to access world-class higher education, with a core focus on equipping scholars with skills that they can use to drive social and economic progress in their home countries after graduation.

  • AI Is Getting Smarter, But Can It Be Controlled?

    AI Is Getting Smarter, But Can It Be Controlled?

    As artificial intelligence continues its rapid evolution toward greater capability and complexity, a growing chorus of warnings has emerged that the technology may soon outpace the ability of governments and private industry to regulate it safely. This has sparked a sharp global debate over the pace of AI advancement, with the world’s two largest technology powers locked in differing approaches to balancing innovation and risk.

    Recent calls from top American AI leaders for a slowdown in cutting-edge AI development have drawn a clear pushback from China, where officials argue that halting or slowing progress is not the solution to managing AI risks. In an official response to open letters and statements from executives including Dario Amodei, CEO of leading AI firm Anthropic, and Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, China’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that fear-mongering and bloc-style confrontation would only hinder cross-border efforts to craft inclusive, effective global rules for AI governance.

    The ongoing debate unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying U.S.-China competition for global leadership in the artificial intelligence sector. Over the past five years, Chinese AI developers have closed the technological gap with their U.S. competitors, turning AI into a core arena of strategic rivalry between the two nations that shape more than 70 percent of global AI research output and market value.

    Notably, Chinese officials have not downplayed the genuine risks posed by unregulated advanced AI. Chen Yixin, China’s Minister of State Security, recently issued a public warning highlighting specific malicious uses of the technology: bad actors could leverage AI to generate convincing deepfake audio and video content, launch large-scale automated cyberattacks, exfiltrate sensitive national and corporate data, and undermine the stability of existing political and institutional systems. Chen’s warning mirrors growing concerns within Beijing about the potential for misuse of rapidly advancing AI tools.

    Even as it acknowledges these risks, Beijing maintains its position that development must not be paused. Instead, Chinese policy frames AI as a transformative driver of economic growth and global progress that should continue to advance, with layered safeguards embedded in development processes and coordinated international cooperation to address cross-border risks. For all their disagreements over pace and governance, both Washington and Beijing share one core consensus: artificial intelligence has become too strategically and economically important to ignore. The global debate now centers not on whether to advance AI, but on how fast to move forward and what degree of collective control the global community can exercise as the technology continues to outpace existing regulatory frameworks.

  • Belize River Fish Kill: What Happened, What Caused It and What Comes Next

    Belize River Fish Kill: What Happened, What Caused It and What Comes Next

    In August 2026, a major fish kill event struck a 17.5-mile stretch of Belize’s most essential waterbody, the Belize River, killing hundreds of fish across multiple species as well as a crocodile and a turtle. Weeks after the event, Belize’s Department of the Environment (DOE) has finalized its investigation into the cause of the disaster and outlined a 10-point corrective action plan to prevent future ecological catastrophes, confirming that the river has now returned to baseline ecological conditions.

    At a public information session held in Double Head Cabbage on September 12, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai presented the DOE’s full findings, walking attendees through the step-by-step investigation that ruled out multiple potential causes before reaching a definitive conclusion. Investigators examined every plausible trigger for the mass mortality event, from infectious disease and unregulated agricultural activity to chemical contamination, algal overgrowth and poor water quality, even conducting full postmortem necropsies on collected fish specimens.

    The first potential cause to be ruled out was infectious disease. Mai explained that in river ecosystems, disease outbreaks almost exclusively impact a single species, but this event killed multiple fish species alongside reptile species, making disease “highly unlikely” as a root cause. Satellite imagery analysis helped investigators timeline the progression of the event: imagery from May 22 showed the river in normal condition, but by July 23, visible water discoloration was detected near Labouring Creek, aligning with the period when water was released from a nearby rice field. A second discoloration event was spotted near Santander’s discharge outlet on August 2, and just one day later, the first reports of mass fish mortality reached the DOE.

    Isabella Bank was identified as the hardest-hit area, though ecological damage was also recorded in sections near Flowers Bank and Scotland Halfmoon. Initial aerial surveys showed three large dark patches on the river that resembled a crude oil spill, but on-the-ground inspections confirmed these patches were dense algal mats, not petroleum contamination.

    The investigation ultimately traced the mass mortality to nutrient overload from agricultural fertilizer runoff that triggered severe eutrophication. Mai explained the ecological mechanism in clear terms: fertilizers provide nutrients to help crops grow faster, but when excess fertilizer washes off farm fields and into the Belize River, those same nutrients feed explosive algal growth. As algae spreads across the water surface, it blocks sunlight from reaching submerged aquatic plants, which die off as a result. As algae continue to grow, they consume most of the dissolved oxygen in the water, creating hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions that cannot support aquatic life.

    Necropsies on deceased fish confirmed this conclusion: specimens showed excessive mucus production, anal bleeding, redness on fins, bodies and gill covers, and clouded eyes, all clinical signs of oxygen starvation. While trace amounts of agrochemicals were detected in water samples as far downstream as Flowers Bank, investigators confirmed these were not the direct cause of the kill. The official DOE conclusion is that a high volume of organic nutrients entered the river over a short period, triggering eutrophication that lowered dissolved oxygen levels enough to cause the mass fish kill.

    Today, the DOE confirms that the Belize River has returned to its normal ecological state, but officials are still urging caution for river users. While the water is considered safe for recreational activities such as swimming, the department says additional testing is needed before it can confirm that fish caught from the river are safe for human consumption.

    To prevent similar events from occurring in the future, the DOE has outlined 10 key corrective actions to protect the Belize River watershed. First, officials will meet with the 24 commercial farms located along or near the affected river sections to establish new environmental protection targets, including restoring the legally mandated 66-foot riparian buffer zone along the waterway. Other near-term actions include restoring riparian forest habitats, improving water, soil and nutrient management practices on nearby farms using climate-smart agricultural techniques, and establishing an early warning detection system to spot water quality changes before they become catastrophic.

    Longer-term measures include developing a permanent, comprehensive monitoring plan for the entire Belize River, continuing ongoing data analysis to share with relevant regulatory agencies, updating and strengthening environmental policies and legislation related to watershed protection, assigning a single lead government agency to oversee watershed management, reconvening the Belize River Watershed Committee, updating the official Belize River Watershed Management Plan, and ensuring all relevant agencies fulfill their mandated responsibilities under the updated plan.

    Mai emphasized that the 2026 fish kill event should serve as a wake-up call for all Belizeans who rely on the Belize River, which is one of the country’s most ecologically and economically important waterbodies. “This fish kill event is an eye-opener for me, as the chief environmental officer, and I hope that it is an eye opener for everyone, because Belize River is critical; it’s a very essential water body for this country. Collectively, we cannot allow this river to degrade,” Mai said. “The only way we could ensure that the river is protected is if we all play our part.”

  • RIISE begins operations to accelerate resilient infrastructure delivery in Eastern Caribbean

    RIISE begins operations to accelerate resilient infrastructure delivery in Eastern Caribbean

    Against a backdrop of escalating climate risks that disproportionately threaten low-lying island nations, a new regional support initiative has officially opened its doors to help Eastern Caribbean governments turn climate adaptation commitments into tangible infrastructure progress. The Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility is now available to governments of Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, providing targeted technical support to cut through implementation bottlenecks and speed up the delivery of climate-resilient public infrastructure projects.

    Funded by the Government of Canada and hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), RIISE operates from a regional secretariat based in Barbados. The initiative is governed by its participating Caribbean countries, with independent technical guidance provided by a panel of regional and international experts.

    Her Excellency Brenda Wills, Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, emphasized the critical role that resilient infrastructure plays in fostering long-term development across the region. “Resilient infrastructure is essential to economic development, climate adaptation, and the well-being of Caribbean communities,” Wills stated. “Canada is pleased to support RIISE as a regionally led facility that will help governments access the expertise and support needed to deliver priority infrastructure investments. By helping address implementation challenges and strengthening countries’ ability to move projects forward, RIISE has the potential to accelerate resilient infrastructure delivery and generate lasting benefits for Caribbean communities.”

    RIISE fills a critical gap for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Eastern Caribbean, where complex climate infrastructure projects often outpace the in-house technical capacity available to local government teams. Unlike existing funding and pre-construction preparation mechanisms, RIISE focuses specifically on providing on-demand, hands-on support during the implementation phase, helping bridge gaps to move projects from planning to completion.

    The facility supports a broad portfolio of climate-resilient infrastructure categories, including water and sanitation systems, transportation networks, renewable energy infrastructure, coastal protection barriers, public buildings, post-disaster recovery projects, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and affordable housing. Participating governments can access support through two tailored modalities: short-term technical advisory consultations to resolve specific project challenges, and temporary deployment of specialist personnel to reinforce local project teams. Support is delivered through a flexible mix of remote and in-country engagement, customized to the unique needs of each assignment.

    Across these two service types, RIISE connects government teams with expertise across a wide range of critical infrastructure disciplines, including project management, public procurement, contract administration, engineering technical reviews, and financial management. The facility also prioritizes inclusive and sustainable delivery, offering specialized support for environmental and social safeguards, climate resilience planning, gender equality, social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, communications, project monitoring and reporting, and risk management.

    For government entities seeking RIISE support, the application process is streamlined through national focal points in each of the four participating countries. Ministries and public institutions submit requests through their designated focal point, who completes an online request form detailing the project, specific implementation challenge, and desired outcomes. The RIISE secretariat then reviews eligibility for support and collaborates with the requesting institution to define the scope of assistance and match the required expertise. More information and guidance on the application process is available on the official RIISE website at riise-caribbean.org, or via email at info@riise-caribbean.org.

    Giuseppe Mancinelli, UNOPS Caribbean Director, framed the launch of RIISE as a milestone for regional climate action. “Today marks an important moment for the Caribbean,” Mancinelli said. “UNOPS is proud to provide the operational backbone for this Caribbean-led initiative. Governments across the region have set a bold vision for more resilient infrastructure; our role is to help turn that ambition into results by providing national institutions with the additional capacity, expertise and implementation support they need to deliver for their people.”

    Beyond its immediate goal of speeding up existing infrastructure projects, RIISE has a longer-term mandate to build and retain technical expertise within the Caribbean. As the facility matures, it will create opportunities for visiting international specialists to mentor local public sector teams, and facilitate cross-national knowledge sharing between participating governments. This capacity building component is designed to empower local teams to lead future infrastructure initiatives independently.

    RIISE was officially launched on 14 September during a side event at the Caribbean Infrastructure Forum (CARIF) held in Miami. Attendees at the launch included senior government representatives from each of the four participating nations: Honourable Shawn Edward, Minister of Infrastructure, Ports Services, and Energy of St Lucia; Honourable Andrew John, Minister of Housing, Land Management, Urban Development, and Informal Settlement Upgrading of St Vincent and the Grenadines; Honourable Dr Irving McIntyre, Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience and Social Security of Dominica; and Alva Browne, Permanent Secretary in Grenada’s Ministry of Infrastructure. Also in attendance were High Commissioner Brenda Wills and representatives from international financial institutions, multilateral organizations, and global infrastructure development partners.

    While RIISE’s initial focus is on the four Eastern Caribbean countries, the initiative is structured to allow for gradual expansion across the region in the future, contingent on expressed government needs and the mobilization of additional partnerships and funding.

  • Antigua Explores French Caribbean Partnership for Specialist Healthcare

    Antigua Explores French Caribbean Partnership for Specialist Healthcare

    The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is actively pursuing deeper collaborative healthcare partnerships with neighboring French Caribbean territories, aiming to address longstanding gaps in specialized medical access and professional development for its local clinical workforce. The strategic proposal was brought forward for formal discussion during a recent diplomatic meeting between Antigua and Barbuda’s Health Minister Michael Joseph and Marie-Noëlle Duris, France’s newly appointed ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean region.

    During the in-depth talks, the two sides mapped out several high-priority areas for potential partnership, spanning cancer care, neurology, and acute stroke treatment. A central focus of the proposed collaboration is advancing early cancer detection capabilities, expanding access to cutting-edge therapeutic interventions, and building capacity for the safe, effective use of radioisotopes in oncological care — an area where many small Caribbean nations currently face significant limitations.

    Minister Joseph also outlined a practical patient referral framework that would allow Antigua and Barbuda residents living with complex, hard-to-treat cancer cases to access diagnostic and treatment services at purpose-built specialist facilities located across French Caribbean territories. This arrangement would eliminate the need for many patients to travel much farther to North America or Europe for advanced care, reducing both financial burden and wait times for life-saving treatment.

    Following the productive discussions, Ambassador Duris expressed enthusiastic support for Antigua and Barbuda’s initiative, reaffirming France’s commitment to building tangible, mutually beneficial healthcare cooperation with the eastern Caribbean nation. The talks mark a key step forward in regional medical integration, with both sides expected to continue working out detailed implementation plans for the proposed partnership in the coming months.

  • 5 Caribbean countries launch US$12.5 million project

    5 Caribbean countries launch US$12.5 million project

    Five Eastern Caribbean nations are poised to deliver transformative support to more than 21,800 stakeholders across the regional fisheries industry, from small-scale fisherfolk and coastal community members to boat owners and seafood processors, thanks to a newly launched $12.55 million project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The multi-year initiative, named Climate Change Resilience in the Caribbean Fisheries Sector Project (CC4FISH-II), was officially launched at an inception meeting hosted in Dominica on September 15, 2026, led by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) in strategic partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), alongside a network of regional and national implementing partners. The project will run through 2030, expanding on the successful groundwork laid by the original CC4FISH program that operated across seven Eastern Caribbean countries between 2017 and 2022.

    The original CC4FISH initiative delivered critical early progress, including comprehensive vulnerability assessments of the regional fisheries sector, targeted capacity building for fisherfolk and aquaculture operators, and policy reforms that embedded climate adaptation into national and regional fisheries governance. The follow-up CC4FISH-II program was developed to address the accelerating climate-driven threats facing Caribbean fisheries: shrinking fish stocks, widespread marine biodiversity loss, and irreversible degradation of critical Caribbean Sea habitats that underpin the food security, household incomes, and overall economic stability of the region’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Unlike the first phase, the new project will focus direct engagement on five participating countries, with an explicit priority on advancing leadership opportunities and strengthening livelihood resilience for women and young people working across the fishing value chain.

    Speaking at the project’s inception workshop, Dominica’s Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, Honourable Lakeyia Joseph, emphasized the shared nature of climate challenges in the region. “No single country can address these climate change challenges alone,” Joseph noted. “We therefore welcome the opportunity provided by CC4FISH-II to deepen collaboration among countries of the Eastern Caribbean…We must ensure our fisherfolk, fisheries officers and other stakeholders have access to knowledge, tools, technology and training necessary to operate sustainably in an increasingly challenging climate.”

    Dr. Renata Clarke, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, framed CC4FISH-II as a generational investment in the Caribbean’s long-term future. “CC4FISH-II represents an investment in the future of the Caribbean. It demonstrates the power of regional collaboration in addressing shared challenges facing the Caribbean’s fisheries sector. Together, we can strengthen resilience, protect marine resources, and create lasting benefits for communities throughout the region,” Clarke said.

    The Caribbean fisheries sector is a foundational economic and social pillar for the region: it guarantees critical food security for hundreds of thousands of residents, supports widespread livelihoods, and drives growth in linked sectors including tourism. But it has also become one of the most climate-vulnerable industries in the Caribbean, facing growing risks from shifting ocean temperatures, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, widespread ecosystem collapse, and repeated damage to core fisheries infrastructure. CC4FISH-II responds to these threats with a portfolio of practical, on-the-ground investments and systemic interventions, ranging from the deployment of climate-smart fishing vessels and infrastructure to the restoration of critical coastal ecosystems that serve as natural fish habitats and storm buffers.

    CCCCC Executive Director Dr. Colin Young outlined the project’s core community-focused mission: “Through improved infrastructure, enhanced access to climate-smart fishing practices, and strengthened community-level capacity, we are working to protect and improve livelihoods. We are focused on ensuring that when climate events occur, our fishing communities are not only better protected but also possess the tools to recover faster and adapt more effectively.”

    CC4FISH-II is structured around four interconnected core workstreams, all aligned with a long-term, ecosystem-based approach to climate adaptation. The first workstream focuses on delivering climate-ready infrastructure and vessels: retrofitting or building safer, more fuel-efficient fishing boats, and upgrading fish landing sites, processing facilities, and market hubs to withstand extreme weather and long-term climate shifts. The second workstream centers on ecosystem restoration and monitoring, working hand-in-hand with local communities to restore damaged coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds—three critical habitats that support fish populations and protect coastal coastlines—while expanding regional capacity to track marine ecosystem health over time.

    The third workstream targets policy and financing reform, working with national and regional governments to embed climate adaptation and disaster risk management into formal fisheries policy, while expanding access to affordable insurance and financial services for small-scale fisherfolk who have historically been locked out of these risk management tools. The fourth and final workstream focuses on cross-regional knowledge sharing, establishing a regional Community of Practice to document and disseminate proven best practices and lessons learned, ensuring that successful solutions developed in one participating country can be scaled across the entire Caribbean.

    By blending cutting-edge climate technology with revamped traditional fishing and conservation practices passed down through coastal communities, CC4FISH-II is positioned to guide the Caribbean fisheries sector toward long-term resilience, protecting sustainable livelihoods and equipping coastal communities to better withstand accelerating climate shocks.

  • Grenada National Aquatic Centre: Major milestones achieved

    Grenada National Aquatic Centre: Major milestones achieved

    For decades, the growth of competitive and recreational aquatic sports in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada has been held back by a critical gap: the absence of a purpose-built, modern swimming facility to serve athletes, coaches, and communities across the country. Today, that long-held dream of a national aquatic hub is one significant step closer to completion, as construction of the Grenada Aquatic Centre has advanced to its critical pool installation phase, project organizers have announced.

    The initiative is being delivered through a collaborative partnership between the Grenada Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) and the Government of Grenada, with support from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Sport. Multiple key international and national stakeholders have provided financial, technical and institutional backing to bring the project to life, including global governing body World Aquatics, Panam Sports, the International Olympic Committee, and the Grenada National Lotteries Authority.

    All required construction containers, specialized equipment, and raw materials for the pool have already arrived on the island, clearing the way for on-site work to begin in earnest. The project has contracted globally recognized pool infrastructure specialist Myrtha Pools to lead the design and installation of the competition pool, a choice that underscores the commitment to delivering a facility meeting international competitive standards. A specialized technical team from Myrtha has already completed on-site work to install the full pool piping system ahead of the concrete slab pouring phase, wrapping the job up on schedule.

    In the final week of August to the first week of September, project teams completed one of the biggest construction milestones to date: pouring 300 cubic yards of reinforced concrete to form the pool’s foundational slab. The slab is currently undergoing a 20-day curing process, after which the Myrtha team will return to the site to begin final assembly and installation of the pool structure. Close coordination between Myrtha’s international specialists, a local project steering committee, and technical personnel deployed by the Government of Grenada ensures every step of construction aligns with global competitive specifications and international safety standards.

    Oversight of the entire project is managed by an appointed pool committee chaired by Veda Bruno, with members Gail Purcell, Peron Johnson, Reyan Neckles, and Paul Antoine. The committee has overseen every stage of development from the initial concept phase, working to align priorities and maintain collaboration across all partner groups.

    While progress has been substantial, GASA officials note that several critical components remain to be funded and completed to transform the facility into a fully functional, competition-ready aquatic center. Key outstanding needs include public washrooms and athlete changing facilities, a covered spectator seating pavilion, a professional electronic timing system for competitions, and a range of additional essential operational equipment. GASA emphasized that continued financial and institutional support from national, regional, and international partners will be critical to delivering these final components and unlocking the full potential of the new facility.

    In a statement released this week, GASA extended its gratitude to all contributing partners, singling out the Government of Grenada for its ongoing collaboration, and international bodies World Aquatics, Panam Sports, and the IOC, as well as the Grenada National Lotteries Authority for their backing. The organization also paid tribute to the foundational work of the 1990s GASA Executive Committee led by Derick Steele, whose early commitment to growing swimming in Grenada laid the critical groundwork for the progress being seen today.

    Beyond building a single competition pool, the project marks a transformative shift for aquatic sports across Grenada. For generations, local swimmers have trained in makeshift, inadequate facilities that limited their ability to develop and compete at regional and international levels. Once complete, the center will provide a safe, regulation-standard environment for training, competition, and skill development, giving local athletes the infrastructure needed to properly prepare for major global events and allowing coaches to run structured, long-term athlete development programmes.

    The facility will also create a clear development pathway for young talent, giving children and aspiring competitive swimmers access to high-quality training from an early age. Beyond elite competitive swimming, the aquatic center is designed to serve broad community needs across the island, hosting a range of programs including learn-to-swim classes for children and adults, lifesaving and water safety training, youth school swimming initiatives, community recreational programs, regional and international competitive events, high-performance training camps, coach and official professional development, and multi-sport training usage.

    Most critically, for an island nation surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the facility will help build a widespread culture of water safety and universal swimming proficiency, while creating a lasting platform for Grenadian athletes to compete for excellence on the world stage.

    As construction continues, all involved stakeholders remain focused on maintaining momentum to deliver the long-awaited facility. What once started as a distant vision for swimming in Grenada is now rapidly taking physical shape: the pool is progressing, the national vision for aquatic sports is becoming reality, and a new future for Grenadian swimmers is emerging alongside it.

  • Dominica among four Caribbean states to access new infrastructure support facility

    Dominica among four Caribbean states to access new infrastructure support facility

    Four Eastern Caribbean small island developing states have gained access to a groundbreaking new regional initiative that removes long-standing implementation barriers to delivering climate-resilient infrastructure, marking a major step forward for climate adaptation in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

    Officially opening operations this month, the Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility was launched on September 14 during a side event of the Caribbean Infrastructure Forum held in Miami. The initiative brings together four participating founding nations: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with high-level representation from each country joining international partners for the launch ceremony.

    Funded entirely by the Government of Canada and hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), RIISE is structured as a Caribbean-led initiative. Its operational secretariat is based in Barbados, governance is led by the participating member countries, and independent technical guidance is provided by a panel of global and regional experts. While the four Eastern Caribbean states serve as the initial focus, RIISE leadership has confirmed that expansion to other climate-vulnerable island nations will be possible in the future as additional funding, partnerships, and resources are mobilized to meet growing regional demand.

    The core mission of RIISE is to address the persistent delays that have kept many critical climate-resilient infrastructure projects from moving from planning and investment phases to on-the-ground completion. Small island developing states in the Caribbean frequently face gaps in technical capacity, specialized expertise, and implementation support that slow the delivery of infrastructure designed to withstand intensifying climate impacts like hurricanes, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion.

    Through RIISE, participating governments can access tailored support to meet their specific needs. This ranges from short-term technical advice to solve acute implementation bottlenecks to temporary deployments of specialized experts that strengthen local public sector teams. Eligible support covers a wide range of practice areas, including full-spectrum project management, public procurement, contract administration, engineering and technical design reviews, financial management, environmental and social safeguard development, climate resilience design, gender equality and social inclusion mainstreaming, stakeholder engagement, project communications, monitoring and evaluation, and climate risk management.

    The facility supports infrastructure projects across nearly every sector critical to community well-being and climate adaptation, including water and sanitation systems, transportation networks, energy infrastructure, coastal protection barriers, public government buildings, post-disaster recovery projects, health facilities, education campuses, and affordable housing.

    Beyond supporting immediate project delivery, RIISE also has a long-term capacity-building goal: to build and retain specialized technical expertise within the Caribbean region. By placing international and regional specialists alongside local public sector teams and creating structured opportunities for member countries to share knowledge, lessons learned, and implementation experience, the initiative aims to strengthen lasting institutional capacity across the region.

    Speaking at the launch, Her Excellency Brenda Wills, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, emphasized the central role of resilient infrastructure to sustainable development in the Caribbean. “Resilient infrastructure is essential to economic development, climate adaptation, and the well-being of Caribbean communities,” Wills said, noting that Canada’s funding support is designed to help governments access the critical expertise needed to overcome implementation hurdles and deliver high-priority climate investments.

    Giuseppe Mancinelli, UNOPS Caribbean Coordinator and Country Director for Barbados, added that the UN body is proud to anchor the Caribbean-led initiative. “UNOPS is proud to provide the operational backbone for this Caribbean-led initiative,” Mancinelli said. “We will help governments turn their infrastructure plans into tangible results by providing additional capacity, expertise and implementation support.”

    Public institutions and ministries in participating countries can request support through their designated national focal points. Requests are submitted via an online portal that requires basic information about the project, the specific implementation challenge, and expected outcomes. The RIISE secretariat then assesses request eligibility and works with the requesting institution to tailor the appropriate package of assistance and expertise. More details about the facility, its services, and the request process are available on the official RIISE website at riise-caribbean.org, or via email at info@riise-caribbean.org.

  • This Is What Police Know About the Double Homicide in Cayo

    This Is What Police Know About the Double Homicide in Cayo

    On a quiet residential block near Hillview Park in Santa Elena Town, a devastating double death has left two Belizean families reeling and launched a full police investigation into the unexplained killings of a young local couple. The bodies of 31-year-old Michael Williams and 21-year-old Delisha Estrada were discovered at their shared home earlier this week, after worried relatives raised the alarm when the pair failed to return to collect their young child as planned.

    Relatives’ growing concern prompted them to travel to the property early Monday morning to check on the couple, who had not been seen since Saturday morning. Upon arriving at the home, family members noticed a suspicious odor, and immediately contacted local law enforcement to launch a welfare check. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero confirmed that the couple was last spotted alive by witnesses Saturday morning, and preliminary investigations indicate the pair likely died sometime that same afternoon.

    A medical examiner was dispatched to the crime scene to conduct an initial assessment of the bodies, but authorities have so far been unable to confirm an official cause of death. The remains have been transferred to a forensic facility to undergo full postmortem examinations, the results of which will guide the next steps of the investigation. “We are carrying out a full investigation to determine the facts, but at this time, we will await the postmortem results to determine the cause of death,” Romero stated in a press briefing on the case.

    Initial crime scene analysis has yielded several key details for investigators: there were no visible signs of forced entry into the property, and the residence was found locked from the inside when officers arrived. Investigators have also recovered both of the victims’ cellphones, which will undergo forensic analysis for potential evidence related to the deaths.

    The tragedy has left two grieving families desperate for answers. Locett Vanega, Estrada’s mother, told reporters she refuses to believe speculation that her daughter died by suicide, noting that Estrada was deeply devoted to her young son and had recently re-enrolled in high school to pursue her education. “I just want find out what happened to my daughter,” Vanega said, echoing the family’s demand for transparency as the investigation moves forward.

    Neighbors and local leaders remembered Williams and Estrada as driven young people working to build a better future for their family. The couple had lived in their Santa Elena home for approximately four months, and had recently launched a small local business selling fresh fruits and vegetables from a small shed situated in front of their residence. Earl Trapp, mayor of the joint San Ignacio and Santa Elena municipality, said he had met with the couple just recently and described them as ambitious, forward-focused community members with big plans for their growing business.

    As of Thursday, no suspects have been named in the case, and police have urged anyone with information about the couple’s movements in the days before their deaths to contact local law enforcement to assist with the ongoing investigation.