The document summarizes the projects and initiatives approved and supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in 2021 and 2022 to promote growth, development, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic across Caribbean Member Countries (CMCs). In 2021, the CDB approved USD 122.6 million worth of projects and partnered with other organizations to provide over USD 50 million in COVID-19 relief funding. Looking ahead, key CDB focus areas in 2022 include supporting digital transformation of education, expanding private sector engagement, mobilizing climate finance, launching resilience and gender programs, and continuing COVID-19 recovery efforts across CMCs.

1. 2022
PROPELLING
GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Daniel Best,
Director, Projects Department

2. USD
122.6
million
Worth of projects
approved in 2021

3. The second year of the Covid-19
pandemic saw our response
underpinned by flexibility and
dexterity.
“
“

4. Building
Partnerships to
build our BMCs

5. Our
COVID-19 Response
Together with IADB, made
USD 50 million in funding
available for eligible health,
education, social protection
and economic projects.

6. Our
COVID-19 Response
Partnering with the EIB to
provide EUR 30mn to BMCs
for health-related emergency
expenditure, including the
purchase of vaccines, and
efforts to limit the spread of
the virus.

7. COVID-19 Response &
BUSINESS
Together with the Caribbean Export
Development Agency, awarded USD 887,380 in
grants to 61 MSMEs affected by COVID 19.

8. COVID-19 Response
& EDUCATION
Let’s REAP: Regional Learning
Recovery and Enhancement
Programme –
a roadmap outlining the
optimal approach to address
COVID-19 learning losses.

9. Our
Emergency Response
Provided USD300,000 and a
further USD5 million as an
Immediate Response Loan to
support St Vincent and the
Grenadines’ recovery
Following the explosion of La
Soufriere,

10. We recognise that we must deliver long-
term solutions to reducing systemic and
multi-faceted risks posed by the
vulnerabilities that characterise our
Region.
“
“

11. PRIVATE
SECTOR
Approved 12 grants valued at over
USD 3mn aimed at enhancing the
trading environment.
USD 204,655 to the Caribbean
Climate Change Innovation Centre to
help entrepreneurs develop cleantech ideas.
USD 10.3 million line of credit provided
to Dominica Aid Bank to offer MSMEs working
capital and production-oriented finance.
USD 10 million provided to Trinidad and
Tobago’s Development Finance Ltd (DFL)
for onlending to SMEs
Beyond COVID-19

12. EDUCATION
Construction of Science and Technology Block at Dr. JP
Eustace Memorial Secondary School, St. Vincent,
benefiting 500 students.
Ongoing: Construction of Automotive Workshop at Campden
Park Technical Institute in St. Vincent, will allow over 40
students to pursue CVQ Level I and 2 automotive programmes.
30 Science and TVET workshops upgraded and equipped
in six of eight secondary schools in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Beyond COVID-19

13. Success
Story
Greater diversification of CVQ programmes
has allowed schools in St. Kitts and Nevis to
bring drop-out rates down - from 37% for
boys and 23% for girls at start to 6% and 4%
respectively currently.

14. CITIZEN
SECURITY
14,501 at-risk youth directly reached by
Youth and Community Transformation
(YCT) project and Youth Resilience and
Inclusive Social Empowerment (RISE)
projects in Belize.
Lake Independence Resource
opened in Southside, Belize, supporting ongoing
programmes in self-esteem, conflict resolution,
anger management and independent life skills
for at-risk youth.
Beyond COVID-19

15. 2000 households in Dennery North, Saint
Lucia benefiting from safe water supply
supply through project funded with
USD11.3 million loan and grant.
USD40.3 million for Grantley Adams
International Airport Pavement
Rehabilitation and Expansion Project in
Barbados
298 persons trained in photovoltaic installation
and electrical inspection
GAIA project upgraded and expanded 300,000 m2
of pavements. Reduced energy consumption by
12MWh per month with the installation of
energy-efficient lighting.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Beyond COVID-19

16. USD 20 million
550
Small farmers benefitting from an
agriculture project providing improved
irrigation and drainage infrastructure on
approximately 225 hectares of land
Disbursed in 2021 by CDB
90,000
health kits provided to students
Quality Enhancement in Public
Education Project HAITI

17. Looking ahead to 2022
Supporting digital transformation of education systems
Training 600 educators in gender-responsive teaching skills
required to support student learning in a distributed
environment.
Significantly expand our engagement with the private sector
focusing on the development of innovative and responsive
financing solutions

18. Looking ahead to 2022
Mobilise up to USD150 million in concessional climate finance
through programmes and projects financed from the Green
Climate Fund.
Launch of Caribbean Action for Resilience Enhancement (CARE)
Programme, a EUR 14 million, five-year initiative providing grant
financing to reduce impacts of climate change and disasters
Launch another round of Country Gender Assessments and
continue to support prevalence studies on gender-based violence
in the Caribbean.