The  Caribbean  region  is  highly  prone  to  global  climate  change  and  the  risks  posed  by  natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, floods, volcanic and seismic activities, droughts and forest fires. The  past  decade  has  been  marked  by an  intensification  of  the  impacts  from  natural  disasters,  with  increasing  loss  of  life  and  destruction of livelihoods and communities. While natural disasters cannot be avoided, risk management can be integrated into development planning and practices to reduce and prevent loss and damage. 

The Caribbean Risk Management Initiative, launched in 2004 by the UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, serves as a knowledge network designed to promote best practices and develop capacity in the region in the fields of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

One of the pillars of CRMI’s work is to facilitate south-south cooperation in disaster risk management. This publication outlines the experiences of the six Caribbean countries which participated in a process to adapt and implement the Cuban Risk Reduction Management Centre model. The publication shares the stories and lessons learned by a diverse set of stakeholders as they engaged in south-south cooperation as a tool for strengthening their disaster risk reduction systems.