About Us

Welcome to the website of The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) at The University of the West Indies. We fulfil the University’s commitment to build capacity and competence in multidisciplinary areas to ensure a resilient and Sustainable Caribbean region.

The Caribbean region is affected by global environmental, developmental and technological impacts which represent important new opportunities, but also existential challenges for the region’s nations, which have had to recover from recurring natural disasters and negative environmental impact (increasing pressure on water, energy, land and natural resources, rising sea-levels and environmental degradation). The region also faces market liberalization; the loss of preferential terms of trade and rapidly increasing competition from emerging economies, while simultaneously contending with climate change, increasing rates of violence and homicide, human trafficking, illegal narcotics and weapons trading.

At the Institute, we prioritize transitioning Science and Data into Policy, to provide practical solutions to attain resilience and sustainability within the region. We provide teaching and support to ensure the success of students to secure the transformation of the Caribbean to sustainable societies for present and future generations; implement projects and conduct high-impact research that integrate priorities in security, energy, environmental management, economics and disaster risk management, to chart a viable course for the development of resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The ISD is fully committed to engaging, engendering and supporting policies that strengthen sustainable development strategies and resilience for SIDS. To nurture and sustain these strategies it partners, collaborates and cooperates with civil society, international agencies, regional governments, the private sector, colleagues of academe and other agencies.