Caribbean Outlook 3: Economic recovery and repositioning in the era of COVID-19. Policy Brief

The economies of the subregion were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those dependent on tourism. As a result, the Caribbean has seen a reversal of the hard-won gains achieved in growing their economies and reducing unemployment and inequality. The inflation stemming from pandemic supply chain disruption, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has made the sustained uptick in economic performance beyond pre-pandemic levels unlikely, notwithstanding strong growth estimates for 2021 and 2022. The last two years have taught the region that continued ‘business as usual’ is…

Economic impact of disasters: evidence from DALA assessments by ECLAC in Latin America and the Caribbean

Over the last 35 years the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has assessed major disasters in the Latin American region. Based on those exercises, which that have been conducted in a systematic manner using an evolving but comparable methodology over the years1, there is now historical evidence of the economic consequences these events have on the region's economies. This evidence-based approach sheds light on the link between economic performance, development dynamics and how disasters, as external shocks, generate lingering…

The Caribbean and the post-2015 development agenda

This paper will contend that the post-2015 development agenda presents a major opportunity for Caribbean countries to reverse decades of lagging economic performance and make the transition to balanced, holistic, and people-centred growth and development. The MDGs, while valuable in promoting gains in poverty reduction, health, education, nutrition, and maternal well-being were not tailored to the growth and development needs of the region. This can now be changed by a post-2015 development agenda which goes beyond improving the welfare of citizens by meeting basic needs and enhancing access t…

Piden brindar apoyo urgente a los países del Caribe para que puedan avanzar en el cumplimiento de los ODS en el contexto de la pandemia

Autoridades, funcionarios de las Naciones Unidas y representantes de la sociedad civil pidieron brindar apoyo urgente a los países del Caribe para que puedan avanzar en el cumplimiento de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de la Agenda 2030 en un contexto de gran debilidad financiera producto de la pandemia del COVID-19 y de los impactos de los desastres naturales, entre otros factores, durante una sesión de la cuarta reunión del Foro de los Países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible. El panel titulado Construir un futuro mejor en el Caribe: temas clave para…

CEPAL destaca políticas para lograr economías bajas en carbono

(9 de abril, 2010) La Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), Alicia Bárcena, destacó las políticas y estrategias que podrían implementarse para superar los déficits en materia de servicios sanitarios y vivienda en la región y para la promoción de economías bajas en carbono que ayuden a un desarrollo sostenible de los países. La alta funcionaria de las Naciones Unidas participó en dos sesiones del Foro Económico Mundial para América Latina 2010, que se realizó en Cartagena, Colombia, tituladas "Erradicando los déficits de vivienda" y "Hacia una pr…

The impact of hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands

Introduction and Summary The advent of Hurricane Ivan and its tragic and devastating consequences in the Cayman Islands and particularly in the Grand Cayman puts a strain on the economy and fiscal pressures on Government. The consequences of Ivan pose the need beyond the humanitarian response, for a rapid assessment of the damage (impact on assets); and losses (effects on economic and social flows); to determine its macroeconomic, social and environmental consequences and its implications for the country's fiscal stance. At the request of the Cayman Islands Government and with the support…

ECLAC Executive Secretary opens High Level Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago

“There is no question that the Caribbean is shouldering an unsustainable debt burden which compromises the capacity of the economies for sustained growth and restricts the options available to governments to introduce important social and welfare programmes” the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, said via video conference in opening the 17th meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) on 26 June, during which Ministers and high-level Government representatives from the…

Socio-economic impacts of natural disasters: a gender analysis

This document was prepared by Sarah Bradshaw, consultant for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), under the supervision of the Women and Development Unit, in close collaboration with the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division and the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters in Mexico City, in the framework of the Project Improve damage assessment methodology to promote natural disaster mitigation and risk reduction awareness and preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean (ITA/99/130). The paper analyses the socio-economic effects of hurricane Mi…

Conceptualizing a circular economy in the Caribbean: perspectives and possibilities. Policy Brief

Although the notion of a circular economy (CE) has been conceived and debated for more than half a century (Henrysson and Nuur, 2021), it has gained considerable popularity in the lexicon of economists, ecologists and other development thinkers over the past two decades. The increasing evidence of the existential threat of human-induced climate change and the related imperatives of decarbonizing the global economy, have led to greater focus on strategies for a more sustainable use of the natural and environmental resource base.…

Potenciar la resiliencia de las sociedades latinoamericanas y caribeñas, clave para la implementación de la Agenda 2030

El Foro Político de Alto Nivel que se desarrolla en la sede de las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York, entre el 9 y el 18 de julio, invita a los países miembros a presentar sus avances en la implementación de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, adoptada en 2015, e intercambiar experiencias en la construcción de sociedades más resilientes. Con este objetivo, el Foro este año se enfoca principalmente en cinco de los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) cuya implementación contribuye a fortalecer la resiliencia económica, social y ambiental. Avanzar hacia sociedades más resilientes e…

Assessment of the socioeconomic and environmental impact of hurricane Ivan on Jamaica

The mission was made at the request of the Jamaican Government, undertaken with the UNDP with a group of multi-sectoral, inter-institutional group of experts and consultants that assessed the damage following ECLAC's methodology for the evaluation of the socio-economic and environmental impact of disasters 2 and prepared a report with the assistance of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. The report was presented on 19 October 2004 to the Minister of Finance for their consideration in organizing the reconstruction process, establish additional resources needed for the country and adopt miti…

Infographic What is a DaLA?

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is a pioneer in disaster assessment in the region and developed a methodology called DaLA to assess the damages and losses caused by disasters. Find out in this infographic what it is, how it works and what it is for countries.…

Report of the twenty-ninth session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Assessment of the damage caused by flood rains and landslides in association with hurricane Michelle, october 2001: implications for economic, social and environmental development

Preface This study was prepared for the Government of Jamaica following the significant physical damage and economic losses that the country sustained as a result of flood rains associated with the development of Hurricane Michelle. The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) submitted a request for assistance in undertaking a social, environmental and economic impact assessment to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on 14 November 2001. ECLAC responded with haste and modified its work plan to accommodate the request. A request for training in the use of th…

Belize: assessment of the damage caused by hurricane Keith, 2000: implications for economic, social and environmental development

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2006 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2006

En la presente edición del Anuario estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2006 se mantienen los cambios de contenido y de diseño introducidos en el año 2005. El propósito es responder a las nuevas exigencias de los investigadores que analizan la situación económica y social de la región e incorporar los avances tecnológicos que modifi can la difusión y el uso de la información estadística. El Anuario cuenta con cuatro capítulos. En el primer capítulo se presentan los indicadores demográfi cos y sociales, que refl ejan el esfuerzo especial realizado para incluir la dimensión de género en la…

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2003 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2003

La edición 2003 del Anuario estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe contiene una selección actualizada a comienzos de diciembre de las principales series estadísticas disponibles sobre la evolución económica y social de los países de la región. Representa un sistemático esfuerzo de la División de Estadística y Proyecciones de la CEPAL, orientado a homogeneizar las cifras y a hacerlas internacionalmente comparables. La primera parte comprende indicadores socioeconómicos derivados (tasas de crecimiento, proporciones o coeficientes), que representan una visión resumida de cada área de interés y…

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2013 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2013

En el Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe de la CEPAL se presenta un conjunto de estadísticas básicas que caracterizan la situación económica, sociodemográfica y ambiental de la región referidas a un período en particular. Esta información es parte del conjunto de estadísticas disponibles en CEPALSTAT, el portal de bases de datos y publicaciones estadísticas de la CEPAL. La presente edición del Anuario contiene datos que se encontraban disponibles hasta mediados de diciembre de 2013. Como novedad se han incluido perfiles regionales a modo de resumen para cada una de las áreas, a …

Policy Brief: Planning for resilience: an integrated approach to tackle climate change in the Caribbean

The Caribbean subregion is exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Vulnerability is a key multidimensional concept at the heart of resilience building, relating to each country’s multiple spatial and socioeconomic risks and conditions. In fact, due to its geographical location and concentration of population and activities in low-lying coastal areas, the Caribbean is the second most hazard-prone region in the world...Moreover, impacts of extreme weather events on Caribbean small economies are of national proportions. For example, in the hurricane s…

Caribbean in Brief: an information document for Caribbean Small Island Developing States

This brief is intended to provide general information on the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference on scaling up ocean actions based on science and innovation for the implementation of Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), with a view to stimulating more active, engaged participation of the Caribbean in the discussions. The United Nations Ocean Conference will be co-chaired by Kenya and Portugal, and hosted by the Government of Portugal in Lisbon, during 2021. The objective of this conference is consistent with the 2017 UN General Assembly proclamation on the Decade of Oce…