BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 – The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), in collaboration with the Government of Barbados, hosted a regional capacity-building workshop aimed at preparing the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS) for the 2026 reporting cycle under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Performance Review and Assessment of the Implementation System (PRAIS).
The workshop brought together UNCCD national focal points from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, and Suriname. The focus was on presenting the new reporting methodologies introduced in this cycle, as well as SIDS-specific high-resolution geospatial data generated through collaboration between PISLM’s Research, Advisory and Capacity-Building Facility on New Adaptation Technologies (RAC/NAT Facility) and Apacheta. The workshop also served as a platform to present the regional work plan guiding coordinated reporting efforts across the Caribbean.
According to PISLM Executive Director, Dr. Ronen Francis, “PRAIS reporting is how Parties to the UNCCD share their progress, challenges, and stories with land degradation, showing how our efforts and initiatives help us cope, combat, restore lands, and improve the livelihoods of our people.”
He emphasized that “PRAIS reporting serves as the foundation for better policies, stronger partnerships, and more effective action both nationally and globally.”
For Caribbean SIDS, PRAIS provides an opportunity to showcase resilience while highlighting the urgency of support needed in the face of climate change, hurricanes, and coastal erosion—all of which exacerbate land degradation.
Mr. Steve Devonish, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy of Barbados, underscored the value of the workshop, noting that “The sessions introduced new tools and approaches, strengthened technical capacity, and deepened regional cooperation, ensuring countries are well-prepared to meet international obligations under the UNCCD.”
The participation of SOILCARE Phase 1 National Focal Points and Technical Officers—the heart of the efforts to restore degraded lands within Caribbean SIDS—ensured that the new methodologies, data products, and regional workplan were directly aligned with national needs and capacities.
The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Cesar Garcia of Apacheta, who presented advanced geospatial applications designed to support decision-making for sustainable land management across the Caribbean.
This PRAIS Reporting Workshop is the first of many events PISLM will execute to advance geospatial applications in sustainable land management and strengthen regional collaboration. Initiatives over the two days also included a PISLM Executive Committee Meeting and a Preparatory Geographic Information System (GIS) Technical Workshop with technical staff from across various institutions in Barbados.
PISLM extends gratitude to The Honourable Adrian Forde, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, the Government of Barbados, and the Natural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, along with international partners such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), for their dedication and contribution, underscoring their commitment to leading and supporting regional environmental action and land degradation neutrality.
About PISLM
The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) is the only independent intergovernmental organization (IGO) with a mandate to help Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS) meet their obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and address land and soil priorities outlined in the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA).
About the CSIDS SOILCARE Project
The Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Multi-Country Soil Management Initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and Sustainable Food Systems – Phase 1 (SOILCARE) is a flagship soil project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed by PISLM, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the implementing agency. SOILCARE empowers eight Caribbean countries—Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and St. Lucia—to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and advance their climate change agenda through improved soil knowledge and sustainable land management.
About RAC/NAT
The Regional Research, Advisory and Capacity Building Facility on New Adaptation Technologies (RAC/NAT), established by PISLM, is designed to promote climate-smart and climate-resilient agricultural systems in CSIDS. It develops and tests new adaptation technologies that support Sustainable Soil Management (SSM), Sustainable Land Management (SLM), and the attainment of LDN. The RAC/NAT Facility also provides scientific advice for policy development, helping to mainstream innovative agricultural technologies for LDN into national and regional decision-making processes.
