Ministry of Health & The Environment, Antigua and Barbuda: The Department of Environment (DOE) recently welcomed officials from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment of St. Kitts and Nevis for a two-day South-South Cooperation workshop.
The event was designed to strengthen regional collaboration on climate financing and support St. Kitts and Nevis in its journey toward accreditation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Adaptation Fund (AF).
As one of the few accredited entities to both the GCF and AF in the Caribbean, the DOE facilitated a peer-to-peer exchange focused on accreditation processes, project development, institutional oversight, and strategies for leveraging climate financing opportunities.
The discussions also emphasized the importance of maximizing the impact of infrastructural projects and implementing robust environmental, social, and gender safeguards.
As part of the knowledge-sharing experience, the delegation visited several project sites across Antigua and Barbuda.
These included a DOE building undergoing retrofitting with green materials as part of the GCF Build Project, as well as nature-based interventions such as the Woods Pond ecosystem restoration under the SCCF Project.
The team also toured the McKinnons culvert adaptation site and wind turbines at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium implemented under the GEF SPPARE Project.
A visit to St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, a community beneficiary of the AF McKinnons Project, highlighted the tangible impacts of grant-funded climate resilience efforts.
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to ongoing collaboration between the two countries. Specific outcomes included the transfer of technical knowledge on accreditation, the introduction of tools for implementation and oversight, and the reinforcement of institutional capacity-building strategies.
The initiative underscored the vital role of regional solidarity in advancing access to climate finance and enhancing resilience across the Caribbean.
Participants from St. Kitts and Nevis included Hon. Senator Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment; Colinica Lavine, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry; and Sharon Rattan, Consultant.
Representing Antigua and Barbuda’s Department of Environment were Diann Black-Layne, Director of the Department of Environment; Gita Gardner, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and GCF Focal Point; Garth Simon, M&E Associate and Project Technical Officer; Jaabari Reynolds, Technical Officer responsible for Watershed Management, Protected Areas, and Grants; and Cathy Thomas, Procurement Technical Officer.