Organization: The Nature Conservancy & Willis Tower Watson

Session Leads: Montserrat Acosta Morel, The Nature Conservatory & Simon Young, Willis Tower Watson

Time: 11:45-13:00

Summary: We will explore how individuals, communities, businesses, and governments must come together to invest in our coastal and ocean ecosystems, in order to maintain and enhance the benefits they provide as well as increasing their resilience to climate change and other human impacts. The Caribbean is as much a large ocean as it is a collection of small islands, and the region is largely dependent on that ocean, and its coastal margins, for economic wellbeing. From fisherfolk dependent on a reliable catch, through coastal communities made more resilient through the protective capacity of natural ecosystems, to tourism businesses generating GDP, all Caribbean peoples are touched by the ocean and all must contribute to its well-being. Through a high-level panel discussion, we will showcase examples of the sorts of actions and ideas which must form the foundations of a new, blue and climate-smart, paradigm for Caribbean prosperity.

See Presentation Below: