Pond Island:--- The University of St. Martin (USM) proudly concluded a dynamic two-day seminar and workshop titled *“Climate Policy, Coastal Protection and Vulnerable Communities”*, held on April 10–11, 2025. This regional initiative, organized in the framework of the Island(-er)s at the Helm research programme, successfully brought together climate adaptation experts, community leaders, artists, scholars, and policymakers from across the Caribbean and beyond to explore sustainable, inclusive solutions to climate-related challenges in vulnerable communities.
With the participation of 24 participants in person and over 70 participants from Aruba, Barbuda, Cuba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Saba, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy and Spain, and other countries across Europe, the event marked a significant step in cross-border dialogue and regional cooperation.
Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Ofelia Pérez from the Universidad de Oriente in Santiago de Cuba and Ms. Pedzi Flores-Girigori, Head of the Meteorology Office of Curaçao. Both speakers set the tone for in-depth, interdisciplinary discussions across six key themes:
- Climate and Vulnerability
- Policy and Representation
- Voices of the Vulnerable
- Dutch Caribbean Climate Agendas
- Climate and the Arts and Human Expression
- Water, Food and Shelter
The opening ceremony featured remarks by the Honourable Prime Minister of Sint Maarten and Minister of General Affairs, Dr. Luc Mercelina, and Honourable Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Infrastructure and Environment (VROMI), Mr. Patrice Gumbs. Both dignitaries urged participants to move beyond sustainability rhetoric and work toward concrete, innovative, and regionally integrated climate solutions for the most vulnerable communities. Minister Gumbs emphasized the importance of breaking through silos to find integrated approaches, while Prime Minister Mercelina encouraged deeper Caribbean cooperation and inclusivity.
USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona Báez opened the event by reminding participants that climate change knows no borders and that it does not discriminate among independent countries ad dependent territories. The university remains committed to fostering dialogue that transcends insular perspectives in the Caribbean.
Highlights from the two-day event included:
- A thought-provoking first panel featuring Dr. Line Algoed who discussed the process of vulnerabilization, linking historical colonial inequalities to contemporary risks, and Drs. Raymond Jessurun, USM Research Coordinator and co-coordinator of the Sint Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform, who offered grassroots insights into current vulnerabilities on the island.
A compelling session titled Voices of the Vulnerable, spotlighting John Mussington, recently elected Chairman of the Barbuda Island Council, and Ashma Berkel of the local NGO Leaders for Change in Sint Maarten, both sharing community-based approaches to resilience building.
A powerful panel on Policy and Representation, which included Mari Villariny Marrero of the Association of Planners of Puerto Rico, VROMI Policy Officers Raitza Narain and Ildiko Gilders, and Ms. Bernadette Davis, Second Vice-President of the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, who stressed the need for inclusion of local voices in regional and international policy processes.
An engaging artistic and intellectual exploration during the Climate and the Arts and Human Expression panel, with contributions from Clara Reyes, Head of the Department of Culture, discussing the poetic work of Deborah Jack, alongside local artist Claudio Arnell and postdoc researcher and musicologist Dr. Charissa Granger, who offered a Caribbean cultural lens through the thought of Sylvia Wynter.
- The Dutch Caribbean Climate Agenda panel featured Dr. Timo Kelder of the Climate Adaptation Services (CAS), Delroy Delain and Colby Poerio of EPIC Sint Maarten, and highlighted the importance of community engagement in local environmental efforts.
- Discussions on water, food and shelter included Dr. George Felix** (University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez), Aga Kus, a PhD researcher at Delft Technical University specializing in sustainable housing for Sint Maarten, and Dr. Alejandro Torres-Abreu, who remarked upon the struggle for water justice in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The seminar was made possible through the collaboration of USM, the Ministry of VROMI, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, and various institutions and civil society organizations throughout the region. The presence of Vice-President Bernadette Davis of the Collectivité signalled a firm commitment to joint action across the island.
Day two of the seminar/workshop consisted of a series of exercises guided by Dr. Perez Monetero which led to the development of a tool to incorporate all stakeholders in community-born initiatives to influence climate policies. Participants included civil servants, representatives of NGOs, community leaders and USM students, who were equipped with the tools to engage the community in the process of policy making.
Through these two days of exchange, the University of St. Martin reaffirmed its role as a regional hub for education and research supporting policy in the face of the climate crisis. The event served as a launchpad for continued collaboration and innovation, centred on the lived realities and cultural strengths of Caribbean peoples.
