Background

The passage of Hurricane Beryl on 1 July 2024 resulted in significant losses and damages to Barbados’ coastal assets and infrastructure. Some of the most significant impacts were concentrated at the Barbados Fisheries Complex, which comprises the primary harbour facility for the local fishing fleet, fish landing facilities, and a retail market. It is estimated that more than 200 vessels owned by local fishers suffered damage from the impact of Beryl. 

The Barbados Coastal Fisheries Resilience project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with US$2.93 million in funding from the Government of Japan. It aims to support tangible recovery by focusing on strategic upgrades of select physical infrastructures and assets - including equipment - to facilitate business continuity and resilient operations. This will be complemented and enabled by targeted capacity building and strategic partnerships.

This one-year initiative forms part of a wider Government of Barbados Fisheries Recovery Plan for the repair and replacement of vessels, rehabilitation of the marine-based components of the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex, rehabilitation of landing facilities and coastal protection along with capacity building in disaster management and is complementary to initiatives funded by other international partners. 

Expected Results

The Barbados Coastal Fisheries Resilience Project aims to support sustainable improvements in disaster resilience for the fishing community. The specific objectives are:

1. Reinstatement and increased resilience of select physical infrastructure and assets. 

2. Strategic and catalytic contribution to wider recovery and resilience building for the fisheries sector.

3. Contribution to the resumption and increased resilience of livelihoods for the affected persons

4. Increased capacity in the fishing community for disaster preparedness and resilience.

This intervention advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG5 (Gender Equality), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals).