Strengthening forecast-based early action in the Caribbean Recommendations for the Eastern Caribbean

The Caribbean is highly exposed to extreme weather and climate events including drought, tropical cyclones and flooding. When an extreme event is forecast, action taken before the event occurs can significantly reduce losses, damages and human suffering. Caribbean governments and their partners are already taking early action; however, there is significant potential to strengthen these interventions. Under a two-part proposal presented here: (i) national governments and donors together ringfence dedicated contingency funds for early action; and (ii) donors increase the capitalisation of the regional Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF) managed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and national governments raise their contributions. Modifications would make it easier to deploy funds before extreme events happen, based on defined trigger points. These are intended to be mutually reinforcing but countries will need to do adequate risk assessments to make them fully viable.