News Releases

UWI academics advocate for regional sustainability at Global Sustainable Islands Summit

For Release Upon Receipt - June 18, 2025

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. 18 June, 2025 – From May 27 to 29, UWI Senior Lecturer Dr Ronald Roopnarine and Senior Fellow Dr Preeya Mohan represented The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St Augustine Campus at the 2025 Global Sustainable Islands Summit (GSIS) in St Kitts and Nevis.

 Hosted by Island Innovation in collaboration with the Government of St Kitts and Nevis, the summit addressed issues affecting island communities like sustainable water management, energy security, climate adaptation, food security and climate-resilient agriculture.

 (Second from left) Dr Preeya Mohan joins the plenary panel at the 2025 Global Sustainable Islands Summit.

  A senior lecturer in Agri-Environmental Disaster Risk Management and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Dr Roopnarine said the summit attracted hundreds of stakeholders from island communities across the world, which presented an opportunity to highlight The UWI's sustainability efforts and build networks.

 He explained, "As a Caribbean educator, participating in the Summit offered a vital platform to highlight The UWI’s contributions to sustainable development, particularly in water resource management and agricultural resilience across the region.

 "The experience fostered meaningful connections, opening pathways for future collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange with global island partners."

 Dr Ronald Roopnarine, UWI Senior Lecturer in Agri-Environmental Disaster Risk Management and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, contributes to a Day 2 panel on the topic "Ripple Effect: Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water on Islands.”

On day one of the summit, Dr Roopnarine spoke on a panel titled 'Every Drop Counts: Water Conservation and Management in the Face of Climate Change'.

 He described the panel as a thought-provoking discussion on ways the Caribbean can navigate its shifting water landscape as climate change reshapes regional rainfall patterns, temperatures and natural disasters.

 On the summit's second day, Dr Roopnarine moderated a panel titled 'Ripple Effect: Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water on Islands' and spoke on a panel titled 'Nurturing the Roots: Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Production for the Future.'

 He said, "Hosting the Global Sustainable Island Summit in the Caribbean was both symbolic and strategic as it elevated the voices of frontline communities within the global sustainability discourse.

 "Sustainable transformation demands solidarity among islands, where shared histories become the foundation for collective innovation, adaptation, and hope."

 Shortly before attending GSIS, Dr. Roopnarine held a special one-hour lecture on May 21 on the topic of disaster risk resilience and resilience.

 The session focused on the region's vulnerabilities, especially in the face of climate change.

 When coupled with the discussions and networking at GSIS, Dr Roopnarine said it forms part of a larger push to expand awareness of disaster resilience and create spaces to come up with innovative solutions.

 He is calling on all Caribbean citizens to embrace sustainability not just as a project but as a way of life.

 He also said more should be done to integrate principles of sustainability into the region's education systems, economies, and everyday choices.

 Also attending the summit was Dr Preeya Mohan, a Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES).

 On the summit's second day, Dr Mohan participated in a side event exploring the topic of 'Building Knowledge Economies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)'.

 

 Dr Ronald Roopnarine, UWI Senior Lecturer, and Dr Preeya Mohan, Senior Fellow, represent The UWI St Augustine Campus at the 2025 Global Sustainable Islands Summit in St Kitts and Nevis.

  The discussions at the side event and plenary explored practical strategies for building knowledge economies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These economies are crucial for driving sustainable development, climate resilience, and economic growth through innovation and Industry 4.0. The insights shared were significantly informed by the ODI working paper, "Engines of Growth: Building Knowledge Economies in SIDS," co-authored by Dr. Mohan and Dr. Courtney Lindsay. Key takeaways from these discussions will contribute to a forthcoming RESI working paper, also led by Dr. Mohan, which will focus on investing in education and fostering a robust regional collaboration and innovation ecosystem.

 Reflecting on the experience, Dr Mohan said, "I was truly honoured to participate in a plenary and a side event focused on building knowledge economies in SIDS.

 "It was fantastic to highlight the joint work we've done with Dr  Lindsay and ODI Global.

 "The connections made and the energy throughout the summit were truly inspiring."

 Dr Mohan also commended the presence and contributions of young people at the Summit.

 She was particularly impressed with the contributions of Anguillan youth activist Tyeisha Emmanuel (Miss Youth Everything), who has chaired the United Nations Youth Advisory Group (YAG) for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

 She added, "Tyeisha Emmanuel (Miss Youth Everything) gave me immense hope.

 "By harnessing emerging technologies and by fostering robust climate resilience, we can unlock incredible opportunities for these nations."

 Chief Executive Officer of Island Innovation, James Ellsmoor, applauded the strong presence of UWI academics at the Summit.

 Ellsmoor said the presence of these academics fostered productive conversations which reinforced the need to bridge the gaps between the government, private sector, civil society and academia for islands to make progress on sustainability.

 

 Dr Preeya Mohan, Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, attends the 2025 Global Sustainable Islands Summit.

  Additionally, he said the summit provided opportunities to build partnerships between regional academic institutions and international development organisations, which has the potential to expand research initiatives, joint capacity-building programmes, and innovative funding mechanisms for climate adaptation projects across the Caribbean.

 Ellsmore added, "Caribbean academics had a visible presence during the Global Sustainable Islands Summit, showing the important leadership of the region’s institutions like UWI in the field of sustainable development.

 "The presence of scholars like Dr Roopnarine at such high-level forums demonstrates the region’s intellectual leadership in addressing global challenges while offering a foundation for future academic collaborations that could enhance the impact of sustainable development initiatives throughout the Caribbean."

 With the 2026 GSIS scheduled to be held in Gran Canaria, Spain, Ellsmoor is welcoming the UWI and its academics to ensure there is a continued notable presence of Caribbean academics at the summit.

 

END

 About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability, and development.

 As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics, and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

 Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

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