News of effective vaccines give us hope that soon, the pandemic will be behind us. Global leaders are now asking: how can we prepare for a better future?
The pandemic and the climate crisis: rooted in the same social vulnerabilities, leading to similar social impacts
With almost 95% of its territory covered by tropical green forest, Suriname is considered as one of the greenest countries in the world. But this title comes with the responsibility to care for the environment. The sustainable management of resources and waste is fundamental to protect and preserve the forests and landscapes of Suriname. However, waste management in the country is inadequate and needs improvement. We felt this in a very real way during a cleanup event by a popular trail near the local zoo.
Jason Christie remembers the sound of his mother crying at night. She dreaded returning to her job as a domestic worker the next day. The pay was bad and the treatment she received on the job was worse. But with a family to feed, she never stopped working, even when her health was failing.
Many countries have used natural resources extraction to realize energy independence, as well as strong economic and social outcomes. However, for every success story there are sobering lessons for new producers, such as Guyana. Lessons premised on the principles of proactive and coherent petroleum sector governance, inclusive policy formulation, and social accountability.
The Pandemic has produced the deepest economic shock on record for most countries in the Caribbean region, and the pace and degree to which countries recover will depend crucially on policy choices and actions of governments in the near term.
Government services should be efficient, cost effective and put the customer first. This is good for Jamaicans who interact with public officials or entities on everything from getting a medical appointment to paying taxes. It is also good for the economy. Less red tape spurs more investment and growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on Barbadians and has highlighted important traits about financial vulnerability and resilience. The restrictions in movement across and within national borders in response to the public health crisis have struck a hard blow to economic activity in Barbados. Because Barbados’s economy is small and based on tourism, this has translated into a severe income shock on households.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some important issues for Suriname’s private sector, such as the lack of digitalization, financial inclusion, and infrastructure. Suriname’s private sector was already challenged by an unfavorable business climate before COVID-19. There was hope that 2020 would bring some positive changes. Indeed, 2020 brought change, but not the change that was expected: the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated what was an already precarious socioeconomic situation.
De COVID-19 pandemie heeft enkele belangrijke aandachtspunten voor de private sector van Suriname naar voren gebracht, aandachtspunten zoals onvoldoende digitalisering, financiële inclusie en infrastructuur. De private sector van Suriname had al te kampen met een ongunstig ondernemingsklimaat voordat COVID-19 het land trof en er was hoop dat het jaar 2020 enkele positieve veranderingen met zich mee zou brengen.
“I am not closing anything. This is the start. This is the beginning. This is the point from which we move.” These were the words of Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator CEO Racquel Moses as she closed the curtain on the first Pivot Event. The two week-long event ended in October with the presentation of nine moonshots for the Caribbean by 2040.