A $105.8m coastal resilience programme, mostly financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, is expected to begin construction later this year as Barbados responds to worsening erosion along parts of its coastline, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Santia Bradshaw has announced.

Against the backdrop of increasing coastal erosion, particularly after Hurricane Beryl in 2024, which caused significant damage along the island’s coast, Bradshaw said construction is expected to begin later this year under the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme.

“This is a significant investment in the future of our coastline, with a total programme cost of approximately US$52.9m [$105.8m], including US$50m [$100m] in financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and US$2.9m [$5.8m] in counterpart financing from Barbados,” she said.