Barbados has received a US$54 million loan from the World Bank to repair critical infrastructure and protect vulnerable communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl last year. The multi-year project, supported by technical assistance from the European Union, will focus on restoring the fisheries sector, reinforcing coastal zones, and strengthening national disaster response systems.
At the official launch held Wednesday at Hilton Barbados, Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment Kay McConney highlighted the importance of the partnership.
“We are proud as a government of Barbados now to be joining with the World Bank to activate this $54 million loan,” she said. “This partnership represents resources to accelerate the recovery that has already started, and also to build our capacity in the sectors that are most affected.”
Minister McConney emphasised that while the hurricane’s destruction was beyond national control, Barbados’ response and recovery efforts are firmly within its power.
“Our response to bring about recovery – not only in the lives, but in the livelihoods of the people most affected – and our response to strengthen the infrastructure and the systems that enable resilience … that is where we take responsibility,” she said.
The loan, to be disbursed over six years, will support repairs and upgrades at key sites including the Barbados Fisheries Marina, Bridgetown Port, and two heavily damaged coastal areas — Payne’s Bay and Six Men’s.
“This project will fund some of the coastal reinforcement works … that will certainly make a difference more fundamentally to the lives and the livelihoods of those people who actually make a difference,” the minister added.
Dr. Naraya Carrasco, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank, explained the project’s implementation plan.
“The first component is really focusing on the immediate response and recovery from the hurricane,” she said. “We are providing financial assistance to fishery folks so that they can repair and replace the damaged boats.”
Dr. Carrasco noted that a local financial institution will soon manage loans for fisherfolk, and infrastructure rehabilitation is already underway. “Hopefully the breakwater could be finished, let’s say, around [the – Ed.] end of August,” she said. “Things have been rolling in the background, and you can already see progress on the ground.”
The initiative also includes a contingency emergency response mechanism and a “rapid response option” allowing Barbados quick access to unspent funds if future disasters strike. Dr. Carrasco highlighted a “climate resilient debt clause” — championed by Prime Minister Mia Mottley — which delays loan repayments, giving governments fiscal space to prioritise recovery.
“It allows the government to focus on the immediate recovery and not have the pressure on their finances,” she said.
The European Union is backing the project with a €500,000 grant for technical assistance, enabling smooth execution through the World Bank.
Luca Trinchieri, team leader for Green Deal Partnerships at the EU Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, described the initiative as critical for Barbados’ long-term sustainability.
“By supporting the financial recovery of fisherfolk, rehabilitating coastal infrastructure … and enhancing climate resilience and coastal protection, this initiative will help safeguard both the economic and environmental sustainability of Barbados’ fisheries,” Trinchieri said. “We are also very eager to support Barbados in its vision of diversifying financial protection mechanisms against disaster risks.”
The Ministry of Environment will lead implementation, supported by the newly established Project Execution and Coordination Unit. Key local partners include the Fisheries Division, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Barbados Port, Barbados Defence Force, and the Department of Emergency Management.
For Acting Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit Antonio Rowe, the funding is welcome news. Reflecting on the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, Rowe said, “It was very heartbreaking to see, in particular, the devastation that was occurring inside the fishing harbour … to watch [fishermen] trying to actually risk their own lives, trying to protect boats … your livelihood just gone before you in a matter of seconds.”
