CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Seoul-based Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has signed a grant agreement with the Agence française de développement (AFD) to advance further a regional programme supporting resilient, green, and affordable housing solutions in the Eastern Caribbean.
The accord complements ongoing work by GGGI in collaboration with the government of Ireland and other regional partners.
Resilient, green, and affordable housing (RG-AH) integrates climate-adaptive design, sustainability, and low-cost construction to provide safe, eco-friendly homes for low- to middle-income earners. Key features include solar power, energy-efficient appliances, and durable, low-carbon materials that reduce maintenance and utility costs.
Under the agreement, GGGI will support ongoing regional efforts to enhance existing guidelines for resilient, green, and affordable housing. The guidelines will align with global best practices and standards in the housing sector, considering the region’s unique geographical and socio-economic context.
The grant will also co-finance the ongoing work in St. Lucia, currently funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to design a comprehensive community master plan and an environmental and social impact assessment for a pilot project site in Balata, in the capital, Castries.
The government of St. Lucia’s Balata pilot project, once completed, will increase the housing stock for low- to middle-income families, support home ownership, and enhance resilience to the increasing intensity and frequency of the climate hazards that the region faces.
“I am delighted that we can continue and build on the work already underway in St. Lucia, while also scaling up this initiative at the regional level to help foster a more resilient Caribbean,” said Marc Dubernet, the AFD’s Atlantic Ocean Regional Director.
“This collaboration demonstrates the strong value of partnership. I am particularly pleased with the constructive work carried out alongside GGGI and the Government of Ireland through DFA Ireland. Together, we are laying the groundwork for forward-looking, practical solutions that will support sustainable and resilient housing for the future of the Eastern Caribbean,” Dubernet added.
GGGI’s Caribbean Representative, Daniel Muñoz-Smith, said the agreement builds on GGGI’s strong partnership with AFD to scale up resilient, green, and affordable housing.
“It will support the development of policy instruments that address those unique, but common challenges facing the small islands states of the Eastern Caribbean and present opportunities for regional partners, including the OECS, to develop practical approaches to strengthen the region’s resilience, improve affordability, and promote sustainability for the communities that are most vulnerable to climate change.”
The AFD and GGGI say that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean continue to face significant climate-related vulnerabilities, compounded by natural and economic constraints.
They also note that the limited availability of flat land has pushed many families to build houses along steep hillsides, thereby increasing their vulnerability and highlighting the need for adaptation measures tailored to enhance the resilience of homes built within these areas, to natural hazards and the intensifying impacts of climate change.
Since 2021, with the financial and technical support of AFD, the GGGI has been implementing projects tailored to deliver investment plans and enhance Eastern Caribbean SIDS capacities for the design and development of affordable, eco-friendly housing units that can withstand climate-related hazards.
“This latest initiative in the sector builds on this partnership and collaboration by integrating sustainable building practices and technologies and creating financial models for affordability, to ensure a sustainable and resilient approach to housing in the Eastern Caribbean.”
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