WILLEMSTAD – Weak institutional coordination, limited technical expertise, financial constraints, and poor communication between government agencies are among the biggest threats to effective climate adaptation efforts in Curaçao and Sint Maarten, according to a new policy note from the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS).
The report examines climate adaptation planning in small island states and warns that many Caribbean countries struggle to move from climate planning into actual implementation.
According to the CBCS, one of the main weaknesses in Caribbean climate governance is the absence of proper communication frameworks between coordinating agencies and the institutions involved in climate adaptation.
The report says countries often focus heavily on preparing adaptation plans but place less attention on implementation, monitoring, and evaluating whether adaptation measures actually work over time.
Researchers cited in the report also identified a shortage of climate specialists and skilled personnel as a major barrier to adaptation planning in Caribbean islands. Other challenges include weak policy coordination between ministries, high staff turnover, limited data collection, and dependence on international donor funding.
The CBCS warns that adaptation projects often become fragmented because ministries work in isolation rather than through coordinated cross-sector collaboration.
To address these issues, the report recommends updating legislation to clearly define institutional responsibilities, creating cross-sector climate committees, integrating climate adaptation into government budgets, and establishing central data-sharing systems to preserve institutional knowledge.
The report also recommends the use of tools such as the Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaptation Tool (CCORAL), which helps governments assess climate risks and identify adaptation pathways.
According to the CBCS, building a fully coherent climate adaptation framework could take up to 10 to 12 years in many Caribbean countries.