KINGSTON, Jamaica, Nov 9, CMC -The Cayman Islands-based Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC) is supporting nine Caribbean students pursuing climate resilience and related studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
The Caribbean and Central America Parametric Insurance Facility and Development Insurer says it has invested US$112,000 in providing scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic year, and that the awards reinforce a longstanding partnership with the UWI aimed at strengthening the Caribbean’s capacity in climate resilience, disaster risk management and sustainable development.
The nine UWI awardees will pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in climate adaptation and disaster preparedness, including climate science, meteorology, natural resource management, geoinformatics, geology and engineering.
CCRIF SPC said that their studies at the university’s campuses at Cave Hill in Barbados, Mona in Jamaica and St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago will contribute to strengthening the region’s resilience capacity and sustainable development goals.
Since 2010, CCRIF said it has provided more than 200 scholarships valued at over US$2.2 million to Caribbean students studying at universities across the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States.
CCRIF SPC chief executive officer, Isaac Anthony, said that “every scholarship we award is an investment in the region’s ability to understand, prepare for and recover from natural hazards and climate change. These young people will become the scientists, engineers and natural resource managers whose expertise our member countries will depend on in the years ahead.
“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnerships with The UWI and CIMH, (Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology) and we look forward to seeing this new cohort contribute to a more resilient Caribbean,” he added.
This year’s awards include five postgraduate scholarships, each valued at up to US$11,000, supporting Master’s-level studies and the students have come from Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
“For more than a decade, CCRIF’s investment in our students has helped build a critical cadre of Caribbean professionals equipped to tackle the complex challenges of climate change and disaster risk,” said Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs at the UWI.
“Through this enduring partnership, we are not only supporting individual achievement but strengthening the region’s resilience capacity for generations to come.”
The scholarships are awarded through CCRIF’s Technical Assistance Programme and form part of the organisation’s broader commitment to building regional capacity in disaster risk management, disaster risk financing, climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
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