The Institute for Sustainable Development

Introduction

The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) works on Development Policy, Environmental Management and Disaster Risk Reduction. ISD works with UN Agencies and international networks. The ISD chairs the Caribbean UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and hosts the Violence Prevention Alliance. Teaching takes place at the postgraduate level only; students read for MSc, MPhil, or PhD degrees and ISD carries out research and teaching with other departments and universities. The ISD provides secretariat services for the Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development (GICSRD). ISD had three Honorary Research fellows in this period. With the close of the global pandemic, most staff routines and aspects of face-to-face teaching were resumed, though students universally indicated a strong preference for online lectures.

Access

Improved quality of teaching and learning and student development

During the period, one student was awarded a PhD, another submitted and is awaiting results. One MPhil student was examined and is addressing the examiners’ comments while another MPhil student successfully upgraded to PhD. Seventeen students from the MSc programme offered by the Centre for Environmental Management are due to graduate in 2023; the cohort for 2023–2024 will be of similar size and will graduate in 2025. Teaching took advantage of online and mixed methods, and laboratory and field work was conducted effectively. Students performed well; however, some aspects of field work were delayed by the pandemic and not all students were able to complete theses in the time expected.

Improved quality, quantity, and impact of research

ISD researchers attracted over US$500,000 in research grants during the period. The Jamaica’s Next City project (Professor Clayton, Principal Investigator) and the Connecting Communities for Climate and Disaster Risk Preparedness project (Dr. Smith, Principal Investigator) were recipients of the Mona Principal’s Awards. Dr. Smith and Dr. Inniss-Springer are Principal Investigators (PIs) for the Advancing Community Climate Resilience Planning by Leveraging the Caribbean Islands Higher Education Resilience Consortium project. This will be implemented with Northeastern University over two years and will benefit communities in Barbados and Dominica. The US$300,000 project will work with communities to help them develop and implement plans that increase their resilience to climate change, particularly to extreme weather and other climate-related hazards.

ISD staff supervise 12 research students; most MPhil students intend to upgrade to PhD. Students participate in the fortnightly online seminar series hosted by Professor Clayton.

The GICSRD Executive and Secretariat team approved the Operations Manual, the Marketing, Promotion and Resource Mobilisation Strategy and the Work Plan. Prof. Tannecia Stephenson, Prof. Michelle Mycoo and Dr. Legena Henry joined the Management Committee, and the GICSRD held a webinar with UWI staff in December. ISD is working with the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to support regional research on Sargassum, and GICSRD is discussing opportunities with SOS Carbon to collaborate on Sargassum research. The table indicates current research projects.

Alignment

Support to international and national public bodies

The ISD, Mona Climate Studies Group and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) hosted the Americas Conference on Solar Radiation Modification: Science, Governance and Implications for the Region at The UWI (report) in August. The event was attended by governments and science organisations from Latin America and the Caribbean and examined progress, research gaps, potential risks and possible benefits of this new technological approach to address climate change. Dr. Smith attended the Conference of the Parties of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a member of the Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC). The UWI has been invited to become an Observer to the Institute; several UWI staff members from different campuses are attached to this regional scientific organisation; GICSRD will be the UWI contact for this role.

Research Fellow Mr. Collymore and Dr. Inniss-Springer presented papers at the Science and Technology for Integrated Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change conference at the Americas+Caribbean VIII Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Uruguay in February. Dr. Smith chaired the opening session of the meeting. All three are members of the Regional Science and Technology Advisory Group (RSTAG) for United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)1. ISD and DRRC staff worked closely with the Organisation of American States (OAS) on disaster risk management over the period and participated in the OAS workshops held in Dominica on Building a Science and Data-based Agenda for Decision-making on Resilience in the Caribbean.

ISD staff also spoke at the Sixth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) in April and the UN Office for Sustainable Development 2022 Sustainable Development Transformation Forum held in Korea in October 2022.

The Inaugural meeting of GICSRD’s Advisory Board was held in December. Members are: Professor of Practice, Sterling Frost (Chair); Professor of Practice, Gerry Brooks; UWI St. Augustine Principal, Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine and UWI Cave Hill Principal, Prof. Clive Landis and representatives from: Caribbean Youth Environment Network , Caribbean Policy Development Centre, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Caribbean Development Bank, CARICOM Secretariat, CARICOM Private Sector Organization and Caribbean Chambers of Commerce. Since the hiring of the Project and Resource Mobilisation officer, the GICSRD was able to have meetings with donors, and project proposals are being assessed by donors. A press release by GICSRD and CIMH on El Nino was the subject of a Gleaner editorial: https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20230531/editorial-preparing-el-nino.

Under the National and Citizen Security Program, the ISD has active research and teaching collaboration programs with the US Naval War College, the University of Surrey, Florida International University, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force, coordinated by Professor Clayton. Dr. Smith chairs the Caribbean chapter of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and is a member of the SDSN’s Academic Committee. ISD staff lecture for the UWI-IGAA joint degree led by PVC Cobley.

Dr. Inniss-Springer is a Mentor in the International Association of Emergency Managers Featured Mentor Program and a member of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), the Network of International Policies and Cooperation in Education; the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Grant Approval Board for the Country Directed Fund and the Dubai Cares E-Cubed Research Envelope Advisory Panel.