Carib Scope

分类： environment

  • ‘Mogelijk’ US$ 1.693.800 betaald voor overname rechten op 9.410 hectare landbouwgrond

    ‘Mogelijk’ US$ 1.693.800 betaald voor overname rechten op 9.410 hectare landbouwgrond

    A leaked 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Braganza Marketing Group and a group of Mennonites from Belize has pulled back the curtain on opaque financial arrangements tied to thousands of hectares of earmarked land for large-scale agricultural development in Suriname, contradicting public statements made by Braganza’s leadership. Dated November 27, 2025, the document was shared with regional outlet Starnieuws by environmental activist John Goedschalk, who has long tracked controversial land development projects in the country. Its contents directly conflict with written claims Braganza Director Lionel Blokland provided to Starnieuws just last week.

    The core terms of the MoU outline a structured financial deal that would see the Mennonite group acquire 100% of the shares in a local Surinamese company called Agriculture New Surland N.V. Once the share acquisition is complete, land rights for roughly 9,410 hectares of territory would be transferred to the company. The total price tag for this transaction is listed as US$1.693 million, and the agreement names key representatives from both sides: Jacob Olfert Friesen and Heinrich Hamm for the Mennonites, and Christiaan Rudolf Souverein for Braganza. Additional signatories include Peter Schmidt alongside the named Mennonite representatives.

    Most notably, the MoU directly contradicts Blokland’s categorical denial to Starnieuws last week that Braganza was selling any land to the Mennonite group. When asked if Braganza or any affiliated party was receiving per-hectare payments for the land, Blokland avoided a direct answer, noting only that there were agreements in place regarding investments and mutual financial obligations, but that these details were not open to public scrutiny. The leaked MoU confirms that as of late November 2025, a concrete financial structure had already been finalized that explicitly links the share transfer to land rights for the 9,410-hectare plot.

    The payment schedule laid out in the document is equally revealing. According to the MoU, the Mennonites had already transferred US$250,000 to the bank account of Braganza Marketing Group N.V. by the time the agreement was signed. A second payment of US$596,900 would be made directly to Braganza next, bringing the total paid to 50% of the overall sum. A third installment of US$423,450 would follow one year after the transaction closes, with a fourth and final payment of the same amount due two years post-transaction. All installments are designated to be deposited into Braganza’s accounts, adding up to the total sum of US$1.693 million. Notably, the US$250,000 down payment and the overall US$1.69 million total were first reported earlier this year by the international environmental news platform Mongabay, which also reviewed a copy of the MoU related to the Mennonites’ relocation and development plans in Suriname.

    When broken down by the total acreage, the per-hectare price works out to roughly US$180. This figure conflicts with the US$150 per hectare figure recently cited to journalists by Belizean Mennonite representative Peter Petersen. The MoU does not clarify where Petersen’s US$150 figure originated, but it does confirm that a large sum of money is directly tied to the land rights deal for the 9,410-hectare plot.

    Blokland’s response last week attempted to distance Braganza from the Mennonites’ internal financial arrangements, claiming that any internal accounting within the Mennonite communities was a private matter. He did acknowledge that Braganza and Mennonite-owned entities had agreements for investments and mutual financial obligations, but refused to disclose any specific dollar amounts. The leaked MoU, however, includes concrete figures, explicit payment deadlines, and names Braganza as the direct recipient of all payments. At the same time, Starnieuws cautions that it cannot confirm based on this single document whether all the terms laid out in the November 2025 MoU have been implemented unchanged, or whether subsequent agreements have altered the original terms.

    The phrasing surrounding the 9,410 hectares of land also raises new questions about compliance with existing public land regulations. A separate January 13, 2026 agreement between Braganza and Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) states that the Surinamese government retains full ownership of the state land in question, and Braganza only holds a functional, non-transferable right of use. Any transfer of rights to third parties requires prior written approval from the LVV. This creates a clear conflict with the November 2025 MoU’s plan to transfer land rights via a share sale to the Mennonite group, raising questions about how the two agreements align.

    For Goedschalk, the contradictions between Braganza’s public statements and the terms laid out in the leaked MoU demand full transparency. The activist has monitored large-scale agricultural development and the Mennonites’ planned expansion in Suriname critically for several years. Back in 2023, he released public documents detailing land applications tied to Terra Invest and Ruud Souverein, noting at the time that he was not claiming the land had already been allocated, only that applications had been submitted. Now, with this new leaked document in hand, Goedschalk is renewing his call for complete public disclosure of all financial and legal structures behind the current wave of agricultural development projects in Suriname.

  • Millions to Defend Belize’s Natural Frontiers

    Millions to Defend Belize’s Natural Frontiers

    In a landmark move to protect Belize’s ecologically critical border regions and rich natural heritage, a multi-partner initiative has committed over one million Belize dollars to expand frontline conservation work across some of the country’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

    The funding, a collaborative effort between the Government of Belize, the European Union, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will be distributed directly to three local conservation organizations working to strengthen forest protection, scale up Indigenous-led stewardship, and expand enforcement patrols in Chiquibul National Park and southern Belize’s Maya landscape.

    Lawrence Thompson, Director of Border Management for Belize, emphasized that the investment will also upgrade the country’s border management infrastructure, particularly the Midas border monitoring system. “This is supporting the continuous strengthening of border management system and its capabilities,” Thompson noted, adding that he extended sincere gratitude to the EU and IOM for their targeted support to improve Belize’s border governance capacity.

    Among the grantees is the Foundation for Conservation and Development (FCD), whose executive director Rafael Manzanero highlighted the program’s focus on empowering local civil society conservation groups. FCD’s specific project, *Strengthening the Natural and Cultural Protection of Chiquibul National Park Through Improved Capability and Operational Support*, will target on-the-ground needs for protecting the park’s unique biodiversity and cultural sites.

    A second major initiative, led by Ya’axché Conservation Trust with a total budget of €139,689, focuses on strengthening transboundary conservation efforts across southern Belize’s biologically diverse Maya landscape. Ya’axché Executive Director Christina Garcia explained that the project will fill longstanding gaps in conservation enforcement by boosting operational capacity and upgrading frontline field skills for local conservation teams.

    Unlike many large-scale conservation grants that allocate resources to national-level administrative bodies, this initiative channels all funding directly to frontline organizations and local communities that work daily to defend Belize’s forests from illegal incursion, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Officials involved in the partnership note that this direct resourcing model will maximize impact, allowing teams on the ground to address immediate threats to Belize’s territory, unique ecosystems, and irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage.

    Chiquibul National Park, Belize’s largest protected area, spans over 400,000 hectares of old-growth tropical forest along the country’s western border, and is home to dozens of threatened species and important Maya cultural sites. The region has long faced challenges from illegal activity crossing adjacent borders, making increased patrols and community-led conservation a high priority for both environmental protection and national territorial management.

  • Nearly $1 Million to Strengthen Belize’s Conservation

    Nearly $1 Million to Strengthen Belize’s Conservation

    In a major push to safeguard ecologically critical border landscapes, three leading Belizean conservation groups will split a combined $980,617 in grant funding to scale up forest protection, regulatory enforcement, and community-centered conservation work across some of the country’s most at-risk border regions.

    The multi-donor initiative draws support from the Government of Belize, the European Union, and the International Organization for Migration, with the full amount allocated directly to the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), and the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) – three organizations with long track records of on-the-ground conservation work in Belize.

    Each grantee will target a distinct high-priority landscape aligned with its core expertise. For Ya’axché Conservation Trust, the funding will support a targeted transboundary conservation project in the Maya Golden Landscape of southern Belize. The initiative’s key priorities include expanding skills training for park rangers to improve operational effectiveness, streamlining cross-agency coordination for conservation enforcement, and removing barriers to deeper local community engagement in long-term landscape protection.

    FCD, meanwhile, will center its work on the ecologically rich Chiquibul National Park, where the grant will enable the organization to strengthen patrol operations, biodiversity monitoring, digital surveillance, and enforcement activity along a 43.5-kilometer section of the park’s western border. In a statement following the grant announcement, FCD Executive Director Rafael Manzanero expressed gratitude for the funding partnership, noting that the targeted program fills a critical gap by supporting civil society-led conservation action. “This unique programme seeks to empower conservation and environmental civil society like FCD. We are grateful for that,” Manzanero said.

    The third project, led entirely by SATIIM, takes an Indigenous-centered approach to border conservation and security. The organization will train local community members to serve as biocultural guardians, an innovative model that integrates generations of traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge with modern biodiversity conservation practices to protect both natural ecosystems and cultural heritage along the border.

    Beyond the individual projects, this new round of grants fits into a broader regional strategy led by the EU and IOM to boost institutional and community capacity across Belize’s southern and western border zones. Unlike many top-down conservation initiatives, the program channels funding and decision-making power directly to local organizations and community groups that work daily to defend Belize’s irreplaceable forest ecosystems, natural heritage, and Indigenous cultural landscapes against encroachment and environmental degradation.

  • Rainfall will decrease across the country starting this Saturday

    Rainfall will decrease across the country starting this Saturday

    SANTO DOMINGO – After days of widespread rainfall across the Dominican Republic driven by a tropical wave and upper-level trough, the primary weather systems that brought heavy precipitation have moved out of direct influence over the Caribbean nation, leaving only residual moisture to trigger isolated downpours in inland regions. According to Cristopher Lorian, a leading meteorologist with the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), ongoing residual rain activity is currently concentrated in specific zones, including Santiago Rodríguez, the southern districts of the Santiago province, and the elevated mountainous regions of La Vega. Lorian notes that these scattered rain events, which can come paired with sudden thunderstorms and strong wind gusts, are projected to shift across other parts of the Cibao region through Saturday afternoon, covering Puerto Plata, Valverde, Dajabón, and their adjacent surrounding areas. Moving into the weekend, three overlapping atmospheric conditions will reshape the country’s weather pattern. A lingering humid air mass will remain in place, while moderate concentrations of Saharan dust will drift into the region, all under the stabilizing influence of an upper-level anticyclonic system. This combination will drastically restrict rainfall across the nation, limiting both the total volume of precipitation and the geographic area that will see any rain at all. “Rain will be restricted to far fewer provinces, and any showers that do develop will be light in intensity,” Lorian explained. “Most of the country will experience mostly sunny skies, though a hazy gray tint will hang over the atmosphere due to the incoming Saharan dust, which begins arriving tomorrow.” The combination of residual humidity, Saharan dust, and limited cloud cover will push perceived temperatures higher across the entire Dominican Republic, driving the heat index to uncomfortable levels in most areas. Weather projections indicate this warm, dry, hazy pattern will hold through the entire extended weekend into early next week. Conditions on Sunday will mirror those on Saturday, with the same warm, limited-rain profile expected to continue through Monday and Tuesday. While a weak trough is forecast to move near the nation during this period, atmospheric moisture levels will remain far too low to trigger widespread significant rainfall.

  • Launch of the National Community Reforestation Strategy in Haiti

    Launch of the National Community Reforestation Strategy in Haiti

    On September 17, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Environment, led by Minister Valéry Fils-Aimé and implemented through the country’s Directorate of Forests and Renewable Energy (DFER), officially inaugurated the National Community Reforestation Strategy – a landmark national initiative designed to reverse decades of landscape degradation while tying ecological restoration to inclusive local economic development. The launch ceremony brought together multiple cabinet ministers, senior representatives from public agencies, private sector stakeholders, environmental nonprofits, and international development partners, with Haiti’s Minister of Agriculture Marcelin Aubourg addressing attendees remotely via pre-recorded video. At the core of the new strategy is a paradigm shift: moving beyond short-term, cost-centered environmental action to build a long-term, productive “restoration economy” that directly benefits marginalized groups including young people, women, and rural smallholder producers. Minister Fils-Aimé emphasized this shift in opening remarks, noting that natural resource protection should not be treated as a purely charitable expenditure, but as an investment that generates shared, sustainable economic opportunity for the local communities that steward these resources. In addition to outlining the strategy’s core vision, Minister Fils-Aimé also announced an upcoming collaborative initiative with the Ministry of Interior to develop a network of new communal forests across underutilized state-owned land. Speaking from his remote address, Minister Aubourg stressed that successful reforestation cannot be reduced to a one-off tree-planting exercise. Instead, he argued, it requires a holistic territorial approach that integrates watershed management, soil regeneration, expanded vegetation cover, and the scaling of climate-smart agroforestry practices. This approach, he added, depends on far stronger coordination between national public institutions, local municipal governments, rural communities, and development partners to avoid fragmented, ineffective interventions. Aubourg also highlighted the critical need to center smallholder farmers in decision-making, including their input on selecting which landscapes to prioritize and which tree and crop species to plant, to align projects with local ecological conditions, agricultural needs, and economic goals. DFER Director Agr. Eder Audate followed with a detailed presentation of the strategy’s full framework, laying out its overarching vision, core objectives, strategic priority areas, expected outcomes, and on-the-ground implementation mechanisms. Audate outlined the guiding principles that will shape the strategy’s rollout: local community ownership and governance, selection of ecologically appropriate native and useful species, integration of agroforestry to support local livelihoods, delivery of direct economic benefits to participating communities, and ongoing rigorous monitoring and evaluation of all interventions. The strategy sets out bold, measurable targets to be achieved by 2031: restore more than 50,000 hectares of severely degraded landscapes across Haiti, establish or strengthen 100 community-run tree nurseries distributed across all 10 of the country’s departments, directly engage more than 50,000 rural households in implementation, and create or support more than 10,000 full-time green jobs. Beyond landscape and economic goals, the strategy also includes provisions to strengthen long-term monitoring of all restored areas. This monitoring work will improve outcome tracking, increase transparency around intervention activities, and document the strategy’s contributions to Haiti’s national climate change and environmental protection commitments made under international agreements. Joseph Emmanuel Philippe, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, closed the ceremony by issuing a call to action, urging technical and financial partners, environmental organizations, private sector businesses, academic and scientific institutions, and all relevant stakeholders to join in supporting the strategy’s national rollout. The initiative already receives core support from three major international development actors: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Heifer International. For Haiti’s Ministry of Environment, the strategy represents a unified effort to align public, community-led, and partner interventions around a shared national ambition: restore degraded ecosystems, strengthen the climate and economic resilience of rural communities, and position large-scale ecological restoration as a sustained driver of inclusive economic opportunity across the country.

  • Farmers feel the heat as drought threat grows

    Farmers feel the heat as drought threat grows

    A groundbreaking UNICEF-commissioned climate report has delivered a stark warning for the Caribbean nation of Barbados, projecting that by the middle of this century, the island could face extended stretches of moderate to severe drought lasting up to four months every year. This looming climate shift threatens to intensify the mounting pressure on local food production, compounding the water scarcity, extreme heat damage, and declining harvests that Barbadian farmers already grapple with on a daily basis. What is more alarming is that on-the-ground conditions reported by local producers already align with the study’s dire mid-century forecasts, signaling climate change is progressing faster than many anticipated.

    The analysis, officially titled *Child-Centred Climate Analysis for Building Resilience*, was commissioned by the UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area Office and carried out by independent sustainability research firm Meru Labs. The study covered Barbados and five other neighboring Eastern Caribbean island nations, with researchers identifying Barbados and Grenada as the two most vulnerable to worsening drought patterns. Current baseline data shows moderate to severe drought occurs 21% of the time annually, but the report projects that by 2050, that figure will rise enough to bring three to four months of such dry conditions each year on average.

    The ramifications of this shift for Barbados’ agricultural sector and overall national climate resilience are severe. The study cites existing research showing major, repeated drought events can cut total national food production by between 20% and 40%, a drop that would directly compromise the Caribbean region’s already precarious food security. Beyond agricultural and economic impacts, the report also warns that recurring climate shocks carry unique long-term risks for children, including higher rates of malnutrition and widespread disruptions to education caused by failing school water and sanitation systems.

    Local farming leaders have already confirmed that the negative impacts outlined in the report are no longer a distant future threat. Ronald Moore, secretary of the St George Farmers Cooperative, explained that member producers have already seen dramatic production declines driven by unrelenting heat stress and inconsistent, scattered rainfall. “Production has clearly reduced,” Moore explained in an interview. “There’s a big difference between groundwater and rainwater. From the time the rain falls, you see the plants perform way better, the growth is faster, and you get a more solid structured fruit or vegetable. We are seeing smaller yields for sure, and in some cases, you are getting a lot of heat damage.” Moore added that even with consistent groundwater irrigation, extreme atmospheric heat negates any benefits, saying: “No matter how you water, it is just the humidity that you’re experiencing that causes the plants to wither and sometimes cook.” He recounted the story of one local grower who lost an entire two-acre tomato crop to heat stress: the plants reached maturity without producing any flowers at all, a total failure directly tied to above-ground temperatures that are too high for reproductive growth.

    These worsening growing conditions have forced many small-scale producers to completely overhaul their planting strategies, with many abandoning water-intensive vegetable crops entirely. “Root crops are definitely down, tremendously down,” Moore noted. “Things like beets and carrots are, to some extent, almost non-existent because carrots especially need a lot of water. A lot of people are not planting carrots at all.” Smallholders that rely entirely on rainfall for irrigation are being pushed to the edge of financial viability, with scattered short downpours offering only temporary relief that is not enough to sustain steady crop growth. “The downpours we’re getting don’t last for very long and aren’t consistent,” Moore said. “Even if you get a heavy downpour for a few hours and then get periods of days afterwards with little to no rain, it puts the plant in a lot of stress, and you’re not getting the yield that you want.”

    Other producers say operational cost increases have compounded the challenges of adapting to harsher weather patterns. Hamilton Corbin, a small-scale producer operating as Samuel Corbin by His Precious Hands, noted that irrigation costs naturally spike during extended dry periods, and argued that long-term proactive moisture conservation strategies are needed to adapt to increasingly unpredictable rainfall. “When temperatures increase, we have to try to look at doing a bit more mulching,” Corbin said. He expressed frustration with the nation’s reactive approach to recurring dry seasons: “We usually wait till we have these drier conditions to try to put things in place to mitigate it. When we have good rains, we usually forget about droughts. I think we’ve got to be a little bit more proactive and show more urgency about this matter.” Corbin is calling on local authorities to speed up development of long-discussed agricultural water catchment infrastructure, warning that without reliable water storage systems, producers will remain completely vulnerable to the whims of a changing climate.

    Peter Alleyne, president of the Fruit and Vegetable Division at the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), echoed this call, noting that consistent access to irrigation water remains the top priority for producers in major farming districts including St Lucy, St Philip, and Gibbons in Christ Church. “The farmers are crying out for more water,” Alleyne said. “The government is doing what it has to do to help farmers, but the wells can only give so much water at present. If they have a desalination plant, they could be pumping water from the sea, or using brackish water for irrigation.” Alleyne also recommended that farmers immediately adopt protective practices such as mulching with organic grass and leaf matter to cool soil and support healthy germination and growth, noting that even recent scattered rains that replenish underground aquifers are quickly evaporated by extreme post-storm sunshine. “The sun comes out double hot afterwards and dries out the earth really, really fast,” he explained.

    Right now, the Barbados Water Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture are exploring long-term recycled water initiatives for agricultural use, but farmers still face a highly uncertain future. As Moore observed, if water supplies tighten further under prolonged climate stress, national water priorities will inevitably prioritize domestic human consumption over agricultural use. “Domestic use is going to be looked after first because it’s all about people’s survival,” Moore reflected. “Something will have to give, and we have to wait and see how it plays out.”

  • St Brice: Give young people real say in climate decisions

    St Brice: Give young people real say in climate decisions

    On a Wednesday morning at Rodney Bay’s Bay Gardens Hotel, a prominent young climate leader from Saint Lucia made a forceful call to redefine how young people are included in global and regional climate action, arguing that token representation at decision-making tables is no longer acceptable. Kezia St Brice, president of the regional youth organization Climate and Health Action for the Rising Generation (CHARGE), delivered her remarks during the official launch of a new UNICEF-commissioned report, the *Child-Centered Climate Analysis for Building Resilience*, which focuses on climate vulnerability across six Eastern Caribbean nations: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

    St Brice pushed back against the common practice of inviting young stakeholders to climate discussions only after major policy decisions have already been finalized, emphasizing that young people are already navigating the daily harms of climate change and actively developing community-level solutions. “They must be part of the conversations from the start. Our responsibility is to ensure that the participation is meaningful, not just a seat at the table, but a voice at the table, not just a voice, but influence, and not just influence, but action,” she told attendees. Unlike older generations that have contributed most to greenhouse gas emissions but will not live with the long-term impacts, young people are already bearing the brunt of climate breakdown today, she noted.

    Across Eastern Caribbean communities, St Brice pointed out, young people are already leading the way: organizing local climate action campaigns, educating their peers about climate risks, designing context-appropriate solutions, and holding decision-makers accountable by asking tough questions that older leaders often avoid.

    The youth advocate also highlighted that children and young people experience climate disasters differently than adults, with impacts that extend far beyond the immediate event itself. A single flood, for example, can force students to miss days or even weeks of school; a hurricane-damaged home can leave families displaced; disrupted local livelihoods can push households into food insecurity; and repeated climate shocks erode children’s long-term sense of safety, harm their educational progress, limit future opportunities, and shape the trajectory of their entire lives. These disparities, she argued, mean climate action cannot be separated from conversations about global development, equitable opportunity, and intergenerational justice. “The child who has the least ability to influence a climate crisis can often be amongst those who experience its greatest consequences,” she said.

    The landmark UNICEF report underscores this vulnerability: its analysis finds that more than one-third of all children, schools, and healthcare facilities across the six study countries are already located in zones exposed to at least three separate climate hazards, including hurricanes, flooding, and sea-level rise. By the middle of the 21st century, that share is projected to grow dramatically as climate change accelerates. To address this growing risk, the report outlines a framework for action across four core priority areas: anticipatory pre-disaster action, shock-responsive social protection systems to support vulnerable families after disasters, structural investments in long-term community resilience, and systemic fiscal transformation to fund climate adaptation.

    For small island developing states like those in the Eastern Caribbean, which are on the frontlines of climate change despite contributing almost nothing to global emissions, resilience cannot be an afterthought added to policy plans at the last minute, St Brice stressed. Instead, it must be embedded into every level of governance, community planning, public investment, education systems, and national development strategy. She also pushed back against the misconception that proactive climate preparedness is a form of defeatism. “Preparedness is not pessimism,” she said. “Preparing our young people for climate-related challenges does not mean we are giving up on their future. It means we believe their future is worth protecting.”

    With the report now published, St Brice emphasized that tangible action must follow, warning that data and recommendations on a page cannot deliver real change on their own. “A report cannot strengthen a school. A statistic cannot feed a family after a disaster. A recommendation cannot protect a child unless it is translated into action,” she said. She went on to challenge regional governments and global stakeholders to turn the report’s findings into policy, rather than letting it collect dust on a shelf. “Will this study sit on a shelf? Or will it sit at the table when policies are developed, budgets are prepared, programmes are designed, and decisions are being made?” she asked. “The greatest value of this work will not be measured by the number of pages in the reports. It will be measured by what we do with what we have learned.”

    Shifting focus to long-term impact, St Brice noted that climate action must center on empowering the next generation, not just preparing for the next storm. “What can we teach today that will empower a young person to become part of the solution tomorrow?” she asked. Following the official launch of the report, UNICEF and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) hosted a two-day workshop for regional journalists, designed to strengthen media coverage of climate change, disaster risk, and the specific impacts of these crises on children.

  • NEMO director urges rethink of school uniform policies as heat rises

    NEMO director urges rethink of school uniform policies as heat rises

    As record-breaking high temperatures continue to grip the Caribbean, climate and emergency management leaders are calling for a long-overdue reevaluation of traditional school uniform policies, arguing that simple, low-cost adjustments can bring critical relief to students without the massive price tag of universal air conditioning across school campuses.

    Princess Khodra, director of Saint Lucia’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and a former educator, laid out this proposal during stakeholder discussions held to mark the launch of a new climate impact report commissioned by UNICEF. Khodra argues that the region’s deep-rooted attachment to long-held cultural traditions has become a barrier to turning climate research into actionable, people-centered policy—even when those changes require little to no upfront investment.

    She points to mandatory school uniforms as a clear, accessible example of how policy adaptation can address worsening heat conditions. For generations, Caribbean students have worn uniforms rooted in regional tradition, many of which include heavy garments like formal ties, thick overalls, and requirements for dark black socks and leather shoes. Despite the growing intensity of seasonal heatwaves, Khodra notes that many schools across the region (outside of Saint Lucia) still enforce these strict uniform rules with no exceptions for extreme weather.

    “A simple revision on a governmental level of uniform policy can help to translate climate data into a tangible action that immediately impacts a child, because it costs enormous sums of money to air condition every school across the region,” Khodra explained. “Just a slight adjustment to uniform requirements may deliver immediate, meaningful benefits to students without placing an unsustainable financial burden on public budgets.”

    Khodra’s call for change aligns with already ongoing shifts at schools across Saint Lucia, where administrators have rolled out small, heat-focused adjustments to support student well-being. Saint Mary’s College now permits students to take water breaks whenever they need relief, and some educators have moved outdoor lessons to shaded areas under trees. At Aux Lyons Combined School, a teacher has set up a dedicated “hydration corner” for students, while Ave Maria Girls’ Primary has added extra water breaks to the daily schedule and occasionally shortened physical education classes held during peak heat.

    Uniform changes are already under discussion at these local institutions. Neal Fontenelle, principal of Saint Mary’s College, noted that the school would consider adopting lighter uniform designs if extreme heat conditions continue. Valerie St Helene-Henry, principal of Ave Maria Girls’ Primary, pointed to lightweight breathable fabrics and lighter garment colors as accessible, low-cost alternatives to traditional uniform designs.

    This shift toward heat-adapted uniforms is already gaining traction elsewhere across the Caribbean. In Barbados, first-form students at Princess Margaret Secondary School began the 2024 academic year in newly redesigned uniforms that Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman described as “fit for purpose in a hot climate.” The policy change was implemented after regional temperatures climbed to 33 degrees Celsius, pushing education authorities to prioritize student protection from heat-related risks. Early feedback from the change has been positive: students told local outlet Barbados TODAY that the new designs are noticeably more comfortable, and one parent praised the lighter, more breathable material as a welcome adjustment amid rising temperatures.

    Khodra’s concerns about child vulnerability to extreme heat were echoed by UNICEF specialists during a post-launch media workshop focused on climate impacts. Dr. Lisa McClean-Trotman, UNICEF’s Social and Behaviour Change Specialist for the Eastern Caribbean Area, identified restrictive, heavy traditional uniforms as one of multiple key hazards facing children during periods of drought and extreme heat. She also highlighted other systemic risks, including poorly ventilated classroom infrastructure, school closures triggered by water service outages, and scheduled recess and sports activities held during the hottest hours of the day. These conditions not only disrupt learning but also put children at heightened risk of dehydration, heat stress, and water-borne illness when handwashing water supplies run low.

    For Khodra, adapting to the region’s changing climate does not need to start with multi-million dollar infrastructure overhauls. Instead, she argues that Caribbean nations can leverage creativity and flexible policy thinking to deliver immediate gains for vulnerable communities.

    “We also have to be creative in how we think and in how we apply that data and translate it into policy that can affect action,” Khodra said. “Because we know we’re not rich. But we are creative.”

  • NEMO deputy director urges rethink of school uniform policies as heat rises

    NEMO deputy director urges rethink of school uniform policies as heat rises

    As climate change drives more frequent and intense extreme heat events across the Caribbean, a top disaster management official is calling for a long-overdue reevaluation of the region’s long-standing traditional school uniform policies, arguing that low-cost adjustments can deliver much-needed relief to students without the massive price tag of universal school air conditioning.

    Princess Khodra, Deputy Director of Saint Lucia’s National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and a former educator, laid out this proposal during discussions marking the launch of a new climate change impact study commissioned by UNICEF. Khodra says that outmoded traditionalism has held the region back from turning climate data into actionable, low-cost policy changes that can immediately improve children’s daily lives, even when large budgets are not available.

    Pointing to uniform policy as a clear, accessible example of systemic adaptation, Khodra explained that for generations, Caribbean schools have required students to wear heavy, formal uniforms including long overalls, thick black socks, dark leather shoes, and neckties — garments rooted in cultural tradition that have become dangerous amid record-breaking heat. She noted that even today, some Caribbean schools (outside of Saint Lucia) still enforce these rigid requirements, refusing to relax rules even when temperatures soar.

    “Because air conditioning every school building across the region would require massive public investment that many small island nations simply cannot afford, a minor policy adjustment to allow lighter, cooler uniforms creates an immediate, tangible benefit for students at almost no cost,” Khodra explained. “Adaptation doesn’t have to start with expensive overhauls; small, creative changes can deliver life-changing relief.”

    Already, schools across Saint Lucia have begun rolling out low-cost adaptations to help students cope with rising heat. Saint Mary’s College now permits students to take water breaks as needed, and some teachers hold outdoor classes in the shade of large trees when temperatures peak. At Aux Lyons Combined School, a teacher has set up a dedicated “hydration corner” to keep students hydrated, while Ave Maria Girls’ Primary has added extra water breaks to daily schedules and shortened physical education classes during heat waves.

    Uniform changes are already under discussion at these local institutions. Saint Mary’s Principal Neal Fontenelle said the school is prepared to adopt lighter uniform options if high heat persists, and Ave Maria Girls’ Primary Principal Valerie St Helene-Henry highlighted lightweight, breathable fabrics and lighter color palettes as simple, effective adjustments.

    The push for change is not isolated to Saint Lucia: across the Caribbean, education systems are already moving to implement heat-friendly uniforms. At Princess Margaret Secondary School in Barbados, first-year students started the 2026 academic year in newly redesigned heat-adapted uniforms, which Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman described as purpose-built for the region’s consistently hot climate. The reform was implemented after regional temperatures hit 33 degrees Celsius last year, prompting authorities to seek low-cost student protection measures. Early feedback has been positive: students told local outlet Barbados TODAY they find the new garments far more comfortable, and one parent praised the lighter, breathable material as a welcome change amid rising temperatures.

    Khodra’s concerns were echoed by UNICEF specialists during a media workshop held after the launch of the climate study. Dr. Lisa McClean-Trotman, UNICEF’s Social and Behaviour Change Specialist for the Eastern Caribbean Area, named restrictive, heavy uniforms as one of multiple key hazards children face during periods of extreme heat and drought, alongside poorly ventilated classrooms, school closures caused by water service disruptions, and physical education held during the hottest hours of the day. These conditions do not just cause discomfort: they increase risks of dehydration (which impairs learning ability), heat stress, and water-borne illnesses when schools do not have enough clean water for regular handwashing.

    For small island developing states like those across the Caribbean, which bear a disproportionate share of climate change impacts despite contributing very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, Khodra emphasized that creative, low-cost solutions are the most accessible path to immediate adaptation. “We don’t have large national coffers to fund massive infrastructure overhauls, but we do have the creativity to reimagine long-standing policies to protect our children,” she said. “It’s time to move past tradition for tradition’s sake and turn climate data into action that works for everyone.”

  • Climate plans fail to track investment in children – study

    Climate plans fail to track investment in children – study

    A landmark new analysis from UNICEF has uncovered a major oversight in national climate strategies across six Eastern Caribbean nations: current frameworks lack the targeted monitoring tools needed to confirm that climate-focused investments are delivering tangible benefits to children. The assessment, titled *Child-Centred Climate Analysis for Building Resilience*, examines climate plans in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. While all six countries reference child-relevant sectors including education, healthcare, clean water access, agriculture, and social protection in their official national climate blueprints, researchers found no nation has integrated child-specific performance indicators, measurable outcome goals, or result-tied adaptation commitments into their planning. This absence of targeted tracking mechanisms creates significant barriers: it becomes impossible to verify whether climate funding is reaching child-centric programs, and governments cannot prove measurable returns to international climate finance providers that fund much of the region’s climate action. Beyond missing child-focused metrics, the study also documented widespread gaps across multiple core areas: climate monitoring infrastructure, disaggregated data that breaks down climate impacts by age, systematic tracking of policy rollout, transparent monitoring of climate finance flows, comprehensive insurance coverage data, and concrete evidence of meaningful youth engagement in climate policy design. Researchers emphasize these are not mere gaps in academic research – insufficient data undermines governments’ ability to build evidence-based cases to secure additional international climate financing, creating a vicious cycle of under-resourcing for child-sensitive action. In response to these findings, the study puts forward 49 targeted recommendations to strengthen child protection against escalating climate shocks and hazards. The proposed actions cover four broad priority areas: anticipatory pre-disaster action, shock-responsive social protection systems, structural resilience building, and reformed climate and disaster financing. Specific proposals range from climate-smart agricultural systems and drought-tolerant crop production paired with farmer peer learning networks, to psychological first aid training for teachers and community leaders, and explicit dedicated provisions for children in disaster risk financing frameworks. Following consultations with government officials, regional bodies, and local youth networks, three of the 49 actions have been selected for urgent implementation over the next 18 to 24 months, chosen for their high potential impact on child well-being and their feasibility to fund and execute. Clive Murray, climate change and disaster risk reduction programme specialist at UNICEF’s Eastern Caribbean Area Office, explained the prioritization process in an interview with Barbados TODAY. “All 49 proposed actions were presented and discussed, and the prioritization process focused on identifying the actions that offer the most practical, financeable, and child-protective entry points for regional governments in the short to medium term,” Murray said. The first top priority mandates setting aside a defined, guaranteed share of national disaster risk financing for child-critical services, including primary education infrastructure, primary healthcare facilities, nutrition programs, and social protection schemes. While most regional countries already use disaster risk management tools such as contingency funds and parametric weather insurance, none currently include explicit carve-outs for child-focused needs. The second priority calls for pre-negotiated, pre-approved continuity protocols for education and heat-related public health that activate automatically when hurricane warnings are issued or regional temperature thresholds hit. Proposed measures under this framework include pre-positioning learning materials in secure locations, rolling out remote learning capacity, adjusting school schedules to avoid extreme heat, mandatory hydration protocols, and alternative child-friendly shelter arrangements when existing facilities are unsafe. The third priority focuses on building youth-led peer support networks to address the psychosocial trauma that follows climate disasters, including rolling out psychological first aid training for teachers, healthcare workers, community and religious leaders, and youth advocates, plus implementing trauma-informed support programs when schools reopen after extreme weather events. Researchers note that all three priority initiatives are intentionally designed to integrate child-focused protections into existing national climate and disaster systems, rather than requiring governments to build new frameworks from scratch. Despite the clear design of the proposals, Murray warned that advancing implementation will require overcoming two key barriers: persistent fiscal constraints and fragmented inter-agency coordination. “The biggest obstacle is financing, given the persistent fiscal constraints faced by regional governments,” Murray said. He outlined several existing financing avenues that governments can leverage to fund the priorities, including parametric catastrophe coverage from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, catastrophic risk drawdown facilities offered by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, and dedicated climate action funding from the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund. Beyond funding, Murray noted that disjointed coordination across government agencies creates operational hurdles, adding that unified national climate plans that explicitly embed child-sensitive measures into sector-level strategies and align them with overarching national climate policy can resolve this gap. The study was officially launched in Saint Lucia on a Wednesday this week, and the launch was followed by a two-day capacity-building workshop hosted by UNICEF and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency for regional media professionals, aimed at improving reporting on child and climate issues across the Eastern Caribbean.