Sostenibilidad

The term ‘resiliency’ has become increasingly popular in a post-COVID context especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean, which continue to grapple with the compounded challenges of climate change, global economic instability and increasing societal problems such as crime and violence. For these territories, resilience is of greater concern compared to more developed countries given their heavy dependence on tourism as a main economic earner.

As climate-related hazards intensify globally, strengthening early warning systems (EWS) has become crucial for protecting lives and building resilient communities. The United Nations' Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative exemplifies this urgent priority. The IDB actively supports this mission through loans and strategic technical cooperation projects across member states.

Following the Debt for Nature Conversion in 2022, the IDB continues to support the Marine Spatial Planning Process of Barbados; one key milestone and fundamental pillar is Ocean Literacy.

As Barbados faces the pressing challenges of climate change, composting could be a powerful tool in preserving the island’s precious soil and securing a sustainable future.

The island's history of soil degradation is deeply intertwined with its colonial past. Beginning in the 17th century, much of the natural forest cover was destroyed to make way for plantations that mainly practiced monoculture agriculture. This removal not only eradicated much of the biodiversity that existed on the island but paved the way for soil erosion and degradation since:

The tourism workforce in most regions of the world is made up of women. According to UN Tourism, they represent up to 54% globally and, in many cases, exceed the average of other productive sectors. It is true that there are still challenges to face in tourism to achieve gender equity: women tend to concentrate in the worst-paid, least recognized, and often informal jobs.

Xapurí is a small town in Acre, in the northern region of Brazil, with a population of 18 thousand, and located 180 km from the state capital, Rio Branco. Its economy and the livelihood of most residents have always depended on extraction and Amazon forest management activities, from production to product processing, particularly of rubber and chestnuts, which have been extracted in the region for generations.

La diversidad cultural a nivel mundial incluye más de 250 millones de comunidades indígenas y locales. La mayoría de esas comunidades son pueblos indígenas que dependen de sus recursos naturales y del reconocimiento de sus derechos colectivos para mantener sus gobernanza y medios de vida.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and addressing it requires not only political will but also proper alignment of action planning with public finance and fiscal policy instruments to catalyze the necessary investments.

Partnerships are pivotal in advancing the climate, biodiversity, and natural capital agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). They foster cooperation among diverse stakeholders to address complex development challenges while unlocking the region’s full potential. By forging alliances between governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector, these partnerships leverage synergies to drive impactful solutions.

Did you know that peace and tourism are intertwined? According to UN Tourism, this sector plays a vital role as a catalyst for fostering peace and understanding between nations and cultures. Tourism is not only a socioeconomic powerhouse for developing countries, it can also bring people together in non-adversarial circumstances. This is why the theme for this year’s celebration is Tourism and Peace.