BRIEFMay 1, 2025

On the Frontlines: Championing Caribbean Biodiversity

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From the Dominican Republic in the north, to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean in the East, the Caribbean is a globally celebrated biodiversity hotspot. Its coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and tropical rainforests support unique fauna and protect communities from tropical storms and coastal erosion. These ecosystems are not just natural wonders—they are lifelines, sustaining local economies, providing food, and creating jobs.

However, the Caribbean’s extraordinary biodiversity is under siege. Threatened by unsustainable land use, deforestation, and the accelerating impacts of climate change, the region faces an urgent crisis of biodiversity loss. Addressing these challenges requires local solutions and collective action, as highlighted by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund - Caribbean Hotspot Project (CEPF).

The CEPF is a US$ 13.9 million recipient executed trust-funded intervention, through which the Bank supports civil society organizations active in biodiversity conservation. Through grants and capacity-building programs, these organizations are tackling biodiversity loss head-on, demonstrating the power of community-led conservation efforts. Grants are issued based on a call for proposals from CSOs working in 32 key biodiversity areas covering 7 Caribbean countries - Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent and Grenadines. 

The project is implemented through CEPF Secretariat, housed in Conservation International, with strong support from Caribbean Natural Resources Institute which acts as Regional Implementing Entity. The initiative’s regional approach to conservation efforts delivers scalable projects replicable across the Caribbean, which provides a much higher impact.

The project exemplifies the power of community-led conservation, demonstrating that with collective action and local solutions, the region can combat biodiversity loss and ensure a sustainable future for its unique ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

500 - Ridgway's Hawks Remaining

With support from the World Bank and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, The Peregrine Fund and Fondo Peregrino launched a 10-year conservation plan, now managing 125–150 pairs in Los Haitises National Park.
From 50 to 1200: Rewilding the Antiguan Racer

The Bank supports the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda which has significantly increased the critically endangered Antiguan Racer population from 50 to over 1200 through rewilding efforts.

40 Women in the Dominica Republic Trained in Sustainable Beekeeping Practices

40 women were trained in beekeeping and preservation of key flora species, resulting in the planting of 10 hectares of native trees. They aim to scale up production and implement a "payments for ecosystem services."
34,725 Coffee Tree Seedlings Planted on Over 30 Hectares in Dominican Republic

SOH Conservación in the Dominican Republic trains 56+ farmers in organic, shade-grown coffee, earning Bird Friendly® certification. 34,700+ trees were planted on 30+ hectares, boosting exports to Japan, the EU, and USA.

6 Caribbean Communities Embrace Conservation Risk Mapping

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, six communities have adopted climate and conservation risk mapping to protect their ecosystems to build resilience.
Conservation Action Plans Developed for 9 Priority Species

This includes for priority species including the Jamaican Blackbird, Antiguan Racer, Bahamian Oriole, Saint Lucia Whiptail, Bahamian Rock Iguana and The Whistling Frog in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Protecting Jamaica’s Cockpit Country - A Key Biodiversity Area:

The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) is working to improve the management of the Cockpit Country Key Biodiversity Area, home to Jamaica’s largest rainforest. To address the lack of localized climate impact studies, JET partnered with the University of West Indies to assess climate change effects on biodiversity and agriculture. They translated scientific data into accessible materials for community education and, with local groups, developed a vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan. A locally driven, contextual and practical vulnerability assessment plan was developed in collaboration with the Southeast Cockpit Country Local Forest Management to help communities improve livelihoods and maintain biodiversity.

Biodiversity loss is a complex, global challenge that requires collective effort, a unified vision, and a strong commitment from all of us. This is not something that any single institution or set of institutions can address. Biodiversity conservation is everybody’s business. It is everybody’s business because it underpins the health of ecosystems that provide essential services such as clean water, food, climate regulation, and pollination. Our livelihoods, economies, and well-being are deeply connected to thriving natural environments, making it vital to protect and sustain the biodiversity that supports life on Earth.

Natalia Magradze

Senior Environmental Specialist - World Bank

The Critical Hotspot project remains an essential feature in the Bank's efforts for mainatining the ecological balance of Caribbean biodiversity and ensuring the well-being of both the environment and the communities that rely on it. The World Bank acknowledges the crucial role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in this endeavor which have provided localized and sustainable interventions in particular areas. This collaboration between the World Bank and regional CSOs highlights the importance of partnerships in achieving long-term conservation goals and underscores the collective responsibility in safeguarding the planet's biodiversity.

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