Forging a Resilient Future: St. Kitts and Nevis's Journey to Climate Readiness

St. Kitts and Nevis, a small island developing state, faces significant climate change challenges including rising sea levels, droughts, and increased storm intensity. Despite being a net sink for global carbon emissions, the nation is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts that threaten its key sectors like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure. Since 2018, six Readiness grants with a value of USD 4.6 million have been approved by GCF strengthening Capacity Building and Strategic Framework.

At a glance

Number of Readiness Grants

St. Kitts and Nevis has received the readiness support in 12 grants since 2018.

Accredited entities network formation

The readiness grant KNA-RS-003 successfully led to the formation of a network of 15 concept notes

Concept Notes developed

The readiness grant KNA-RS-003 successfully led to the development of 2 concept notes

“The funding of the readiness program for the St Kitts Co-operative Credit Union as we prepare for application as a GCF accredited entity has been indispensable to our ability to access the assistance that we require to fill the gaps identified. Without this technical intervention I doubt that we would have been able to obtain this level of support on our own. In addition, the access and sharing of experiences through the Network of Accredited Entities have provided invaluable information which means that we do not have to “remake the wheel” but can benefit from the mistakes and successes of others. The SKCCU is extremely grateful for the support and funding received through the 5Cs.”

Janet Harris

Chief Executive Officer, St Kitts Co-operative Credit Union

Empowering Institutions, Fostering Collaboration, and Building a Pipeline for Climate Action

Capacity Building for Accreditation / The training of six national entities

Regional Network Formation / 5 Accredited entities and 10 potential accredited entities

Project Pipeline Development / 2 Concept Notes Developed

Strengthening Institutional Frameworks and Capacity

Building Institutional Capacity enhancing the National Environmental Unit

The readiness grant, KNA-RS-003, focused on building institutional capacity to access climate finance. It addressed critical weaknesses in St. Kitts and Nevis's climate change response. This included:

Enhancing the capacity of the national Environment Unit for climate change programming. Increasing climate change sensitivity within key governmental entities.
Developing mechanisms for stakeholder engagement and information exchange.
Establishing an institutional framework to access GCF funding.
Improving project development and implementation skills.

Furthermore, the grant supported the development of a new organisational structure for the St. Kitts and Nevis Meteorology Service, and established standard operating procedures for weather, water, and climate services.

Only with the RPSP

Regional Collaboration

Strengthened partnerships and peer-to-peer learning through the regional network of accredited and potential accredited entities.

Project Development

Development of strong, fundable project concepts.

Stakeholder Engagement

Increased participation of public, private, and civil society sectors.