The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Real insights from the region’s sharpest minds.
Stream the latest episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Season 1 | Episode 84
In this episode on The LatinNews Podcast, we are joined by Marla Dukharan, economist and advisor on the Caribbean, who discusses the financial challenges Caribbean nations face due to increasing climate disasters, the role of international aid, and potential solutions like insurance and fiscal responsibility.
The conversation delves into the Bridgetown Initiative, which aims to improve access to concessional financing. While acknowledging the initiative's intent, Marla raises concerns about its reliance on debt as a primary solution. She argues that without addressing the underlying fiscal vulnerabilities, such initiatives may fall short in delivering meaningful change.
Marla reflects on the broader shifts in the global financial landscape regarding climate adaptation. She notes the growing recognition of climate issues among international financial institutions, yet stresses that progress is not happening quickly enough.
Listen and subscribe to The LatinNews Podcast on Apple, Spotify and other platforms
-
In this episode we discuss:
• Why Caribbean economies are particularly vulnerable to climate disasters
• Why debt cannot be the region's primary answer to climate financing
• The Bridgetown Initiative, catastrophe clauses and disaster insurance
-
Marla Dukharan
Marla Dukharan is a Caribbean economist and advisor whose work focuses on the region’s economies, fiscal policy, debt and development. She provides analysis on the economic challenges facing Caribbean states, including climate vulnerability and access to finance. In this episode, she examines how these existing financial pressures shape the region’s ability to prepare for and recover from climate-related disasters.
The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.
Political Analyst, Richard McColl