Climate Risk and Adaptation: Tracing Impacts from Communities to National Economies

On 28 May 2026, Prof. Rosalind Cornforth, Director of The Pearl, and Dr Heidi Llanwarne, Interdisciplinary Research Fellow, shared insights during a webinar on climate risk in the Caribbean.

Drawing on interdisciplinary research and field experience, the session explored how climate change is already shaping livelihoods, economies, and recovery from shocks across the region. From storms such as Melissa to slower-building pressures on agriculture, income, and public finance, the discussion highlighted how risks accumulate and why they are often misunderstood.

The webinar presented The Pearl’s bottom‑up, context-driven approach to climate risk assessment, developed through the My Climate Risk (MCR) programme under the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). Rather than starting with global model outputs, this approach begins with lived realities, linking climate uncertainty directly to the decisions faced by communities, planners, and finance practitioners.

The session provided an opportunity to reflect on emerging evidence, identify knowledge gaps, and consider how more integrated approaches to adaptation and risk financing can better support resilience in the Caribbean.