BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Caribbean countries are now better equipped to access millions in climate grant financing to help strengthen national resilience and drive locally-led responses to economic and non-economic losses and damages from climate-induced extreme and slow-onset events. This follows a recent workshop co-hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) and the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD). 

Held in Bridgetown, Barbados from 12 to 13 May, 2026, the workshop brought together National Focal Points and government representatives from 15 Caribbean countries eligible to draw on the FRLD's Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM), which is a pilot phase US$ 250 million grant facility, with a submission deadline of 15 June 2026.  

Mr. Daniel M. Best, President, CDB, highlighted the importance of the training for regional resilience explaining, "The damages and losses from major hurricanes - Maria, Irma, Dorian, Beryl, and Melissa - have caused severe development setbacks, with impacts, in many cases, that amount to several times the GDP of the countries affected. However, the real lesson extends beyond the disaster itself; our response must evolve into bankable and scalable investment pipelines that reduce future losses." 

With the Caribbean facing an estimated US$14 billion annually in climate-related financing needs, the workshop delivered practical, hands-on guidance to help the region prepare high quality funding requests ahead of the deadline. 

Participating countries included Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, as well as the Dominican Republic and Cuba. 

Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasised the importance of the engagement saying, “The Caribbean has long borne a disproportionate burden of climate impacts relative to its contribution to global emissions. The FRLD was created precisely to address the critical gap in responding to loss and damage, and the Barbados Implementation Modalities opens a clear pathway to finance. We are committed to ensuring that Caribbean countries have the knowledge and support they need to access this fund. Workshops like this one, co-designed with CDB, are central to that mission." 

Regional partners including the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility Segregated Portfolio Company (CCRIF SPC), and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) also participated in the workshop, strengthening the potential for regional and cross-border funding proposals. 

CDB alongside CCCCC is one of only two Caribbean regional entities accredited to both the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund, positioning it as a key access partner for the region to engage with the FRLD. 

The workshop directly advances the Bank's Strategic Plan 2026–2035: Transforming the Caribbean for Resilience which identifies accelerating climate action and increasing access to climate finance as central priorities for the decade ahead. By building the capacity of Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) to access and deploy dedicated loss and damage funding, CDB is translating its regional resilience agenda into practical support for the communities that need it most. 

Eligible countries are encouraged to engage CDB and relevant national focal points to refine priority loss and damage interventions and submit high-quality funding requests under the FRLD’s Barbados Implementation Modalities by 15 June 2026. 

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Photo caption: Mr. Daniel M. Best, President, Caribbean Development Bank, and Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (both front row centre), are joined by experts and participants attending the Caribbean Training Workshop for National Focal Points and Alternates on Accessing the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.