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Pay increase for Mortgage Finance workers

Workers at St Lucia Mortgage Finance Company Limited (SMFC) are set to receive an 8% cumulative general wage increase spread across a three-year period, following successful collective bargaining between company leadership and the National Workers Union (NWU).

The wage adjustment will be rolled out in incremental, compounded instalments: a 3% raise in the first year, an additional 3% in the second year, and a final 2% increase in the third year. Beyond the scheduled wage gains, the negotiated agreement also grants workers one full year of retroactive back pay to compensate for prior wage freezes or delays. Additional improved benefits written into the new contract include a permanent cap on employee mortgage interest rates capped at 5% and extended paternity leave for eligible workers, bringing SMFC’s employee benefits in line with modern labor standards.

In an official press statement announcing the conclusion of talks, NWU Secretary General Johann Harewood expressed satisfaction with the final outcome of the negotiations, noting that the mutual agreement between the two sides prevents any further disruptions or delays to the labor bargaining process. Harewood also took the opportunity to highlight SMFC’s longstanding contribution to national development, pointing to the company’s extensive involvement in dozens of public social housing and land development initiatives across the island nation. Major projects SMFC has supported include developments in Sans Souci, Independence City, Entrepot, Ravine Chabot, Reduit Park, Reduit Orchard and Massade, among other communities across St. Lucia.

27 8 月, 2026
PM Looks to Expand Trade with Honduras

In a high-stakes diplomatic meeting held August 24 at the Presidential House in Tegucigalpa, Belizean Prime Minister John Briceño and Honduran President Nasry Asfura have opened a new chapter of cross-border collaboration, laying the groundwork for deeper economic, social and regional integration between the two Central American and Caribbean nations. The discussion, held during Briceño’s official working visit to Honduras, spanned a broad range of priority areas, from public health collaboration and cross-border security to bilateral trade, regional connectivity and climate change action.

At the top of the bilateral agenda is the potential for a formal trade agreement, a priority that aligns with Belize’s ongoing strategy to expand its economic footprint across Central America. Briceño noted that Belize already has established trade arrangements with neighboring Guatemala and recently finalized a Partial Scope Agreement with El Salvador, leaving Honduras as the next logical strategic partner to broaden regional economic ties. Beyond tariff reductions and market access, the leaders also explored avenues to increase mutual foreign direct investment that could benefit both economies.

Regional air connectivity emerged as another key talking point. The pair discussed Belize’s potential deeper participation in initiatives led by the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA), with a shared goal of streamlining travel and freight movement across the broader Central America and Caribbean region. Improving cross-border links for both people and goods was framed as a critical step to unlock regional economic growth and strengthen supply chain resilience.

Briceño also used the meeting to outline Belize’s policy agenda during its tenure as Pro Tempore President of the Central American Integration System (SICA) for the second half of 2026. He emphasized that Belize remains committed to advancing closer integration with its Central American neighbors, while preserving and leveraging its distinct Caribbean identity and deep existing ties to Caribbean regional bodies.

The Belizean delegation accompanying Prime Minister Briceño included senior government leaders across key portfolios: Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard, chief executive officers from the Prime Minister’s Office, the ministries of Investment and Civil Aviation, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Health and Wellness, as well as Belize’s Honorary Consul based in Tegucigalpa. Alongside the formal diplomatic talks, the visit also included a gesture of solidarity: Belizean citizens have publicly affirmed their support for displaced Garinagu communities residing in Honduras, adding a people-focused dimension to the high-level diplomatic engagement.

27 8 月, 2026
Death toll rises to 362, over 1 000 missing after Nepal-Tibet floods

A catastrophic natural disaster has unfolded across the Nepal-Tibet border region, where flash floods and landslides triggered by a glacial collapse have left at least 362 people dead and more than 1,400 unaccounted for, as rescue crews pressed through muddy wreckage on Thursday in a frantic search for survivors.

The disaster unleashed a surging cascade of water, mud and rocky debris that scoured entire communities from the landscape. In its wake, homes were swallowed, critical infrastructure including bridges and dams was reduced to rubble, and countless vehicles were destroyed, leaving the region cut off and devastated.

Among those missing are hundreds of foreign travelers, a large group of whom are Hindu pilgrims who had just completed a journey to the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet and were returning when the disaster struck. Official figures from Nepali police confirm 359 bodies have been recovered from the disaster zone, with 910 people still out of contact—including 517 foreign tourists. Chinese authorities have also confirmed that 100 Chinese citizens are among those missing in Nepali territory.

Across the border in Tibet’s Gyirong Port, Chinese state media reports three local fatalities, with an additional 558 people remaining missing, 260 of whom are foreign nationals.

Initial assessments briefly linked the event to a 4.4 magnitude earthquake, but the U.S. Geological Survey later clarified the disaster was initiated by a sudden glacial collapse, which sent a massive flow of ice and debris rushing down into populated valleys below.

Emergency response teams have deployed extensively across the affected areas. Nepali army units are working around the clock, using sniffer dogs to detect signs of life trapped beneath thick layers of mud and debris.

However, the threat of further catastrophe has not passed. Debris jamming the valley has created a natural dam, behind which water is steadily accumulating, raising urgent fears of additional flash floods downstream. Local authorities have issued urgent warnings to communities along the Bhote Koshi River urging extreme caution and preparedness for potential evacuation.

The disaster draws attention to a growing global risk tied to climate change. Rising global temperatures are accelerating glacial melt across the world’s mountain regions, steadily increasing the frequency and severity of glacial collapses and outburst floods from glacial lakes.

27 8 月, 2026
Agricultural Kits distributed to farmers in St Vincent and the Grenadines

Two months after the conclusion of a landmark regional climate adaptation project for Caribbean agriculture, two smallholder farmers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received specialized agricultural tool kits to extend the impact of the program’s work building climate-resilient farming systems. The handover marks a final phase of support for on-the-ground testing under the ADOPT Caribbean – Soil Health for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Project, an initiative focused on transforming regional farming practices through improved soil management.

The project, which ran across three Caribbean nations – Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – set out to address the growing vulnerability of regional agriculture to climate volatility by scaling climate-smart farming techniques. Through hands-on technical training, public field demonstrations, and cross-institutional partnerships, the program worked to expand farmer knowledge across critical areas including evidence-based soil health management, advanced agronomy, efficient irrigation systems, and a suite of other low-carbon, adaptive farming practices.

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the two beneficiary farmers, Hazzard Joseph and Vito Connell, partnered with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) to run on-farm trials of sustainable soil health techniques, including compost application and organic mulching to improve soil fertility and water retention. The recently delivered tool kits equip the farmers to continue and expand their work, with a comprehensive set of supplies ranging from crop protection inputs (fungicides and insecticides) and vegetable seeds to precision agricultural monitoring tools: rain gauges, tensiometers, pH meters, water meters, hand lenses, sticky traps, and thermometers. The handover also included large equipment: a gasoline-powered chaff cutter and silage machine to support forage management, alongside protective tarpaulins for crop and equipment storage.

The handover ceremony, held at the local office of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), was carried out by IICA’s St. Vincent and the Grenadines delegation in coordination with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation. IICA Representative Gregg Rawlins explained that the ongoing support forms part of a holistic, integrated strategy to boost climate resilience across every stage of agricultural production, from initial land preparation and soil restoration to water management, crop monitoring, pest and disease control, forage cultivation, and final crop output.

For the participating farmers, the project has already delivered transformative changes to their approach to farming. Joseph, who has been part of the program since its launch, noted that the training and resources have made her a more skilled and confident producer. “I can say that I am a better farmer today than I was when the project started,” she said. “I am grateful for the equipment and the other items. I am willing and will continue doing farming so that I can help with the food security of my country, so that we can make things better for all farmers.”

Connell echoed that sentiment, adding that the initiative reshaped his entire outlook on agricultural sustainability and profitability. “I am grateful to be part of this project. It has changed my perspective of agriculture,” he said. “Agriculture is very expensive, we cannot be spending money and not getting any returns, we have to chart the path for those behind, for productivity, food security and economic efficiency.”

Acting Chief Agricultural Officer Marcus Richards framed the handover as more than just a transfer of equipment – it is a long-term investment in the capacity of Caribbean farmers to withstand climate shocks, boost output, and strengthen national food security. The ADOPT Caribbean project is funded by the Government of New Zealand through its Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean (NZCSA-LAC), as part of New Zealand’s contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). The initiative is administered through the Ag Emissions Centre, with IICA leading on-the-ground implementation across participating Caribbean nations.

27 8 月, 2026
Respiratory illness cases rise

After two consecutive weeks of falling infection rates, public health authorities have recorded a sharp rebound in fever and respiratory disease cases among populations aged five and older, pushing overall activity above official alert thresholds in the week ending August 15. Data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness confirms that COVID-19 makes up the largest share of positive diagnostic tests from nasopharyngeal swab samples, with Influenza B and Rhinovirus ranking as the second and third most common pathogens detected, respectively. The upward trend has been corroborated by frontline medical providers: both the emergency department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and private practicing clinicians across the country have reported a noticeable jump in patient visits for respiratory symptoms over the past week. Public health officials have flagged three groups as facing disproportionately high risk of developing severe complications from these circulating viruses: adults over the age of 65, pregnant people, and individuals living with pre-existing chronic health conditions. To slow transmission and protect vulnerable communities, the ministry has issued a series of updated public health guidance. For people currently experiencing symptomatic illness, authorities recommend wearing a face mask when coughing or sneezing in proximity to others, avoiding close contact with high-risk individuals, maintaining consistent hand and respiratory hygiene practices, and seeking prompt medical care if symptoms become severe. For members of the high-risk groups specifically, the ministry further advises considering mandatory mask use in crowded indoor spaces and poorly ventilated public areas, alongside adopting other additional precautionary measures while respiratory virus circulation remains elevated. This update was released via official communication from the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Government Information Service.

27 8 月, 2026
Copa gecertificeerd voor snellere passagiersafhandeling te Zanderij

Paramaribo, Suriname – Copa Airlines has formally wrapped up certification for the new shared Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) developed by Ink Innovation at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (JAPIA), marking a key milestone in the airport’s ongoing digital overhaul of passenger services. The completion of the process now allows the Panamanian carrier to leverage the airport’s centralized check-in and boarding infrastructure, replacing the separate proprietary system the airline operated previously. The new shared platform is being rolled out in a partnership between Ink Innovation and local Surinamese information and communications technology firm Wintel N.V., which is handling on-site certification and technical support for all participating airlines.

Copa Airlines is the third carrier to go live on the system, joining Sky High Dominicana and FlyAllWays, which have already launched full operations on the CUPPS platform. Four additional airlines – GOL, Caribbean Airlines, KLM, and Surinam Airways – are currently in the final stages of the certification process, according to official project updates. The core advantage of the shared system is that it eliminates the need for individual airlines to maintain and rely on dedicated, separate hardware and software systems at their own check-in counters. All certified carriers can access the centralized terminal infrastructure while retaining secure connectivity to their own internal airline operating systems.

Gianni Klaiber, Ground Station Supervisor for Copa Airlines at JAPIA, highlighted the dramatic efficiency gains delivered by the new platform. Prior to the transition, Copa operated its own standalone processing installation at the airport. “With the common-use environment, we now process passengers roughly ten times faster than we could with our old system,” Klaiber explained. The shift to a shared infrastructure is a core strategic priority for Airport Management Ltd. (AML), the operator of Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, which aims to transition every airline serving the airport onto the unified CUPPS platform long-term.

AML director Vijay Chotkan called Copa’s certification the next critical step forward in the airport’s digital transformation. “Every airline operating at Johan Pengel Airport will transition to Ink CUPPS,” Chotkan stated, noting that Copa is one of the largest carriers serving the gateway, making its onboarding a particularly important milestone. Chotkan added that the shared infrastructure is designed to enable faster, more reliable passenger processing even as the airport serves growing numbers of travelers.

For airport operators, the CUPPS model delivers far greater flexibility in allocating check-in counters and boarding facilities, especially during peak travel periods when multiple departures are scheduled close together. By allowing counter spaces to be dynamically reassigned to different airlines based on demand, the system helps maximize the use of existing terminal capacity more efficiently than the outdated model of dedicated, airline-specific counters. With Copa now fully operational on the platform and the remaining major carriers in the certification pipeline, the transition to a unified passenger processing environment at JAPIA is progressing steadily as part of the airport’s broader digitalization push.

27 8 月, 2026
Jawahir among OECS acceptees into African Academy for women politicians

A historic step in cross-continental gender empowerment and diplomatic cooperation has been achieved, as two senior female politicians from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have gained formal admission to a prestigious pan-African political leadership development program, marking the first formal inclusion of Caribbean leaders in the initiative.

The OECS Commission confirmed this week that Lanien Blanchette, Speaker of the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Lisa Jawahir, Minister of Agriculture of Saint Lucia, have been officially welcomed into the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership. Both leaders traveled to Kigali, Rwanda to take part in the academy’s official launch event held between August 2 and 7.

Blanchette, a trained lawyer, has built a strong regional reputation for her consistent advocacy for youth political inclusion, unwavering defense of constitutional integrity, and tireless promotion of transparent democratic governance.

Founded through a collaborative partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), and the African School of Governance (ASG), the academy was created to equip emerging and established women political leaders with advanced, practical capabilities in strategic planning, policy design, and legislative drafting. Its core curriculum covers critical leadership competencies including electoral campaign strategy, cross-party coalition building, systemic legislative reform, ethical public governance, and effective implementation of public policy initiatives.

In an official statement, the OECS Commission framed the admission of the two Caribbean leaders as a landmark milestone, as it brings formally brings Caribbean political leaders into this major continental governance training program for the first time. The statement emphasized that this inclusion represents a tangible acknowledgment of the African diaspora by the African Union, recognizing the diaspora as the official sixth region of the African continent.

Credit for the breakthrough integration was given to Aisha Maina, OECS Strategic Advisor for Africa-Caribbean Cooperation, whose leadership and persistent outreach laid the groundwork for the historic achievement. Maina spearheaded efforts to expand the academy’s global outreach and successfully shepherded the nominations of Blanchette and Jawahir to represent the Eastern Caribbean region.

Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, called the inclusion of the two leaders a point of collective pride for the entire OECS community. “This milestone underscores the extraordinary calibre of female leadership within our Member States and signals a dynamic new era of transatlantic collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean,” Jules noted. He added that Maina’s work continues to prove that the deep historical and cultural bonds between Africa and the Caribbean are actively reshaping the future of inclusive global leadership.

27 8 月, 2026
Tropical storm could bring heavy rain to Caribbean

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has announced the formation of Tropical Storm Dolly in the central tropical Atlantic, which emerged early Thursday. The newly formed system is already on track to bring significant precipitation risks to multiple Caribbean islands over the coming weekend, even as forecasters predict it will weaken before reaching land.

As of the latest 11 a.m. advisory, the center of Tropical Storm Dolly sits roughly at 13.6 degrees north latitude and 38.7 degrees west longitude. The storm is currently tracking westward at a forward speed of 24 miles per hour, equal to 39 kilometers per hour. It carries maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), with gusts reaching higher speeds, and the storm’s minimum central pressure is recorded at 1007 millibars. Tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 60 miles (95 kilometers) outward from Dolly’s center.

Forecast projections from the NHC show that Dolly will maintain its westward trajectory over the next 48 hours. While little change in overall strength is expected in the short term, the system is predicted to degrade into a remnant tropical wave before it can approach the Leeward Islands, which it is expected to reach this weekend. Even though Dolly will no longer be classified as an organized tropical cyclone when it passes the island chain, the moisture carried by the system will still bring dangerous weather impacts.

The NHC warns that heavy rainfall will start impacting the Leeward Islands from late Saturday through Sunday. Precipitation will then spread to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola on Sunday and Monday. The greatest risk comes from potential flash flooding, which poses a particular hazard in elevated and mountainous areas across the affected region. Local authorities have advised all residents in the Leeward Islands to keep close track of updates on the storm’s progression as the weekend approaches.

An interesting side note has drawn public attention to the storm: Dolly formed just two days after the passing of legendary country music star Dolly Parton. However, the NHC clarified that the name Dolly was already pre-selected and added to the official 2026 Atlantic hurricane season naming roster long before the singer’s death, meaning the naming was purely coincidental.

27 8 月, 2026
Julien Alfred storms to national record, ends Jefferson-Wooden’s winning streak

The Letzigrund Stadium lights shone brightly on a historic women’s 100m showdown at Thursday’s Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League, where 2024 Paris Olympic champion Julien Alfred outdueled the sport’s most decorated recent sprinters to secure a nail-biting win, snapping Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s two-year undefeated streak and setting a new national record for Saint Lucia.

Starting from Lane 6, Alfred delivered a near-perfect race against challenging conditions, competing into a 0.7m/s headwind that slowed every competitor down. Her reaction time off the blocks was a blistering 0.139 seconds, and by the 30-meter mark, she had already surged to the front of the pack, clocking 4.04 seconds. She held the lead through every 10-meter interval all the way to the finish line, with sharp, efficient mid-race technique that saw her cover 50m to 70m in two consecutive 0.93-second segments to fend off closing challengers.

The finish was one of the closest in elite sprinting history. Reigning world champion Jefferson-Wooden pushed hard from Lane 4 and crossed the line in 10.70 seconds, but a photo finish confirmed Alfred had edged her out by just five thousandths of a second: Alfred officially clocked 10.693 seconds to the American’s 10.698.

2023 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson finished third with a time of 10.97 seconds, just one hundredth of a second ahead of Jamaica’s Tina Clayton (10.98), while European champion Amy Hunt rounded out the top five in 11.04 seconds.

Alfred’s historic win resets her own Saint Lucian national record and catapults her into 10th place on the all-time list of the world’s fastest female sprinters, a milestone that puts her small home nation firmly on the global track and field map. She currently sits with 23 qualification points in the Diamond League 100m standings, though she has confirmed she will only compete in the 200m event at the upcoming Brussels stop next month. More importantly, the dominant performance against one of the deepest fields assembled this season sends a clear signal that Alfred is in peak form heading into the World Athletics Ultimate Championships.

In a post-race interview, Alfred opened up about the challenges of competing at the top of the sport after her Olympic triumph. “Running this fast is never easy, especially because getting out the blocks is always a challenge for me – I could be sleeping in that box all year,” she joked. “But I trust what I can do, and what I can’t do.”

She added that retaining elite status requires far more work than reaching the top, noting: “Staying at the top is definitely a harder job than making it up there. I mean, going up the mountain, you are still hungry; you want more. It is not much fun when you’re not the one being hunted. When I became Olympic champion, it was a completely different state – mentally and emotionally. In the times that people have high expectations of what I should be doing, I have to turn to my team: my coach, my agent and my family in particular.”

Reflecting on her national record, she emphasized the impact for her home country: “We have a long way to go in Saint Lucia, but we are getting there. A national record puts Saint Lucia on the map.”

The 10.693-second time, posted into a headwind against the strongest sprint field of 2026, confirms the Ciceron-born sprinter is perfectly tuned for the final stretch of the 2026 track and field season, with her sights set on more global glory in the coming weeks.

27 8 月, 2026
Grenada to host 35th Annual CWWA Conference and Exhibition

Against a backdrop of growing climate vulnerability across small island nations, Grenada has announced it will welcome hundreds of global and regional stakeholders as the official host of the 35th Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Conference and Exhibition, scheduled to take place October 12–16, 2026 at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort. Positioned as a landmark gathering for advancing regional action on water security, climate adaptation, and circular waste management, the event will transform the Spice Isle into a central hub for cross-sector dialogue, innovative solution sharing, and collective action.

convened under the official theme *One Caribbean, Transitioning to a Value-Driven Future*, the conference will draw a diverse cohort of participants, ranging from cabinet ministers and senior policymakers to utility leaders, engineering specialists, technical researchers, development partners, private sector investors, and other key stakeholders from across the Caribbean and beyond. For the 2026 edition, the National Water and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) and the Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority (GSWMA) will serve as local co-hosts, working in close partnership with the CWWA regional body.

Founded via an act of parliament in Trinidad and Tobago in 1991, CWWA has grown over 30+ years to become one of the Caribbean’s most influential professional organizations focused on integrated water, wastewater, and solid waste management. For more than three decades, the association has maintained a critical regional platform that enables utilities, national governments, technical experts, regulators, development partners and private stakeholders to exchange cutting-edge knowledge, build institutional and technical capacity, shape evidence-based policy, and advance practical solutions that underpin public health and long-term sustainable development across the region.

Grenada last held the CWWA conference back in 2010, and its return 16 years later marks a key milestone for the island nation to contribute to regional progress on some of the Caribbean’s most urgent environmental and development challenges. The long-standing collaborative relationship between Nawasa and CWWA, paired with GSWMA’s established leadership in national environmental management, creates a robust foundation for the 2026 event. This co-hosting arrangement also highlights the inherent interconnectedness of water security, sanitation access, solid waste governance, and broad environmental sustainability that the conference will center.

As Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Caribbean nations including Grenada remain on the front lines of accelerating climate change, facing increasingly severe extreme weather events, extended drought periods, shifting rainfall patterns, rising average temperatures, and growing threats to critical public infrastructure and natural resources. The catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024 brought these systemic vulnerabilities into sharp relief for Grenada, especially in the island dependencies of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where critical water and public infrastructure suffered extensive damage. That devastating experience reinforced the urgent need to build more robust, adaptive systems that can withstand climate shocks and enable rapid recovery.

While water security is a core pillar of climate resilience, effective solid waste management is equally critical to protecting Grenada’s coastal communities, fragile ecosystems, and tourism-dependent economy. With national waste volumes growing steadily and existing landfill capacity reaching its limits, policymakers and utility leaders across the island are increasingly prioritizing sustainable waste practices including resource recovery, recycling, and waste diversion. These approaches not only reduce pressure on natural ecosystems but also unlock new opportunities for economic value creation. This re-framing of waste from a disposable burden to a reusable, valuable resource directly aligns with the conference’s focus on building a “Value-Driven Future”, while also supporting protection of Grenada’s iconic marine environments, tourism brand, community health, and livelihoods.

Hosting the 35th CWWA conference is projected to deliver wide-ranging benefits for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, while also strengthening cross-regional collaboration across the water, wastewater and solid waste sectors. Hundreds of delegates, exhibition partners, technical experts and development stakeholders are expected to travel to Grenada for the week-long event, generating tangible economic activity for local hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, tour operators, small businesses and other local service providers. Beyond immediate economic gains, the event will raise Grenada’s international profile as a capable destination for major regional and international conferences, while giving local professionals direct access to emerging green technologies, global expertise, development partnerships and potential financing for critical infrastructure projects.

For local engineers, technicians, policymakers, and emerging young professionals working across Nawasa, GSWMA and related sectors, the conference will create unique opportunities for cross-border knowledge exchange, professional upskilling, and exposure to proven sustainable solutions already implemented across Caribbean and global contexts.

Speaking at the official media launch for the conference, Grenada Prime Minister and Public Utilities Minister Honourable Dickon Mitchell reaffirmed the national government’s full commitment to delivering a successful event. “The Government stands fully behind Nawasa and GSWMA to deliver a world-class event that reflects Grenada’s warmth and technical professionalism,” Mitchell stated. “Investing in water security and solid waste management across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique remains central to our national resilience and regional leadership on climate adaptation.”

Candice Santana, President of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association, emphasized the strategic value of the 2026 gathering and CWWA’s decades-long role in enabling collaborative regional progress. “For decades, CWWA has provided a unique platform where Caribbean Water Ministers can share challenges, exchange solutions and speak collectively,” Santana noted. “We also bring together utilities, development partners, technical experts and financing opportunities — creating value and building capacity across our national water sectors.”

The 2026 conference will feature a full schedule of programming including technical research presentations, stakeholder panel discussions, industry exhibitions, professional networking sessions and high-level ministerial engagements, all focused on the pressing issues shaping the future of the Caribbean’s water, wastewater and solid waste sectors. More broadly, the event will serve as a critical catalyst to move regional climate and resource conversations beyond problem identification to the delivery of practical, sustainable, investment-ready solutions that strengthen community resilience and improve quality of life for all Caribbean people.

27 8 月, 2026