The Role of South-South Learnings in Disaster Resilience and the Role of CDEMA as a Catalyst

Abstract

This research compilation examines the critical role of South-South cooperation in building disaster resilience among developing nations, with particular emphasis on the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) as a model catalyst for regional learning and cooperation. The paper explores how horizontal knowledge exchange between nations of the Global South—particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—offers contextually appropriate solutions to shared disaster risks that North-South cooperation alone cannot provide. Through analysis of CDEMA’s institutional mechanisms, regional response frameworks, and knowledge-sharing platforms, this research demonstrates how regional cooperation transforms disaster experience into collective resilience gains.

The evidence reveals that CDEMA exemplifies what has been termed a “Caribbean solution to Caribbean problems”—a model of South-South cooperation that has been operational since 1991 and has evolved into a comprehensive disaster management framework serving 20 participating states. The research supports the thesis that effective disaster readiness depends upon systematic learning from relief, response, recovery, and research phases, with regional cooperation mechanisms like CDEMA serving as essential catalysts for translating experience into improved collective capacity.

1. Introduction: The Imperative for South-South Learning

1.1 Defining South-South Cooperation

South-South cooperation (SSC) is defined as “the process by which two or more developing countries initiate and pursue development through the cooperative exchange of multidimensional knowledge, resources, skills and technical know-how through different types of cooperation” (Delica-Willison, 2011). The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) emphasizes that SSC represents a collaboration modality that has emerged as a critical component of the global development architecture since the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action.

Triangular cooperation extends this framework by involving developed countries or multilateral organizations that provide funding, training, management, and technological systems to facilitate South-South initiatives. As articulated in SDG Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), South-South and triangular cooperation are explicitly recognized as crucial means for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

1.2 Rationale for South-South Learning in Disaster Management

The rationale for South-South cooperation in disaster management rests on several foundational principles:

1. Contextual Relevance: Solutions developed by countries facing similar hazards, economic constraints, and institutional capacities are inherently more applicable than technologies or approaches designed in vastly different contexts.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: South-South cooperation offers “a pragmatic approach to more resource-efficient solutions” (Asia Foundation, 2023), enabling developing countries to leverage cost-effective, context-specific innovations.

3. Mutual Understanding: Shared experiences of vulnerability create a foundation for genuine partnership and mutual respect that can be absent in traditional North-South aid relationships.

4. Ownership and Agency: South-South cooperation embodies the principle of “nothing for me without me,” ensuring that solutions are country-specific yet aligned with international frameworks.

5. Sustainability: Knowledge and capacity built through peer exchange tends to be more sustainable than externally imposed solutions.

1.3 The SIDS Context

Small Island Developing States occupy a unique position in disaster risk management. The UNDRR Global Assessment Report 2025 establishes that SIDS experience annual average disaster losses of 2.1% of GDP compared to 0.3% elsewhere. Eight of the ten countries most at risk from a one-in-250-year earthquake are SIDS. The 2024 Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) affirms that “SIDS remain a special case for sustainable development because of their unique challenges, from their small size and geographic remoteness to their narrow resource and export base.”

Between 2000 and 2022, Caribbean SIDS suffered 91% of economic losses from tropical storms among all SIDS globally, amounting to nearly $32 billion in damages. This shared vulnerability creates both the imperative and the opportunity for intensive South-South learning.

2. Theoretical Foundations of South-South Cooperation in DRR

2.1 International Framework Alignment

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 explicitly recognizes regional platforms as “critical mechanisms” for implementation and calls for enhanced “North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation.” Paragraph 28 specifically calls upon regional organizations to:

• Promote mutual learning and exchange of good practices and information through voluntary peer reviews
• Promote transboundary cooperation to enable policy and planning for ecosystem-based approaches
• Support the development and dissemination of science-based methodologies and tools
• Enhance the development of regional and global mechanisms for monitoring and assessment

The SAMOA Pathway (2014) and its successor, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (2024), both underscore South-South and triangular cooperation, including SIDS-to-SIDS cooperation, as development cooperation means to mobilize human, financial, technical, and technological resources.

2.2 Knowledge Exchange Modalities

South-South cooperation in disaster management operates through multiple modalities:

• Horizontal Knowledge Transfer: Direct exchange of technical expertise, best practices, and lessons learned between developing countries
• Joint Training Programs: Collaborative capacity building that draws on expertise from multiple southern nations
• Technology Co-Development: Mobile applications, digital platforms, and early warning systems developed through South-South collaboration
• Regional Response Mechanisms: Pooled resources and coordinated response systems that multiply collective capacity
• Policy Learning Networks: Platforms for sharing legislative, regulatory, and governance innovations

3. CDEMA: Institutional Architecture and Evolution

3.1 Historical Development

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency represents one of the world’s most established regional disaster management organizations. Its evolution reflects the maturation of South-South cooperation in the Caribbean:

3.2 Membership and Governance

CDEMA presently comprises twenty (20) Participating States:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of Dominica, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Turks & Caicos Islands, and Virgin Islands.

The governance structure includes:

• Council of Ministers (highest decision-making body)
• Technical Advisory Committee
• CDM Coordination and Harmonization Council
• Six Sector Sub-Committees
• Coordinating Unit (operational arm)

3.3 Core Functions

CDEMA’s mandated functions as the regional facilitator, driver, coordinator, and motivating force for Comprehensive Disaster Management include:

1. Providing immediate and coordinated response to any affected Participating State
2. Securing, coordinating, and providing reliable information on disasters
3. Encouraging adoption of disaster loss reduction policies and practices
4. Facilitating cooperative arrangements for disaster loss reduction culture
5. Coordinating establishment of emergency disaster response capabilities
6. Mobilizing and coordinating disaster relief from governmental and non-governmental organizations

4. CDEMA as Catalyst for South-South Learning

4.1 The Regional Response Mechanism (RRM)

The Regional Response Mechanism embodies the principle that SIDS must “first rely on and expand their own resources” before seeking external assistance. As Elizabeth Riley, Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA, stated:

“You are now part of a one-of-a-kind system…not seen anywhere else globally, as it was created as a ‘Caribbean Solution to Caribbean Problems’.”

The RRM is based on the collaboration and cooperation of key regional and international organizations supported by a collection of Agreements and Protocols. For the 8-year period 2010-2017, the RRM was activated on eight occasions, demonstrating its operational effectiveness.

Key RRM Components:

4.2 The CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU)

The CDRU represents a pioneering model of regional mutual assistance. Comprising military, fire, and police assets drawn from all 20 CDEMA Participating States, the Unit is deployed to provide humanitarian assistance in direct support to civil authorities affected by disasters. The CDRU’s mission includes management of relief supplies, emergency telecommunications, and provision of personnel for repairing critical infrastructure.

Annual CDRU training workshops, jointly hosted by CDEMA and the Regional Security System with funding from US Southern Command, orient participants on:

• Incident Management Systems
• Urban Search and Rescue operations
• Hazardous Materials response
• Psychosocial First Aid
• Civil-Military Coordination
• Damage Assessment methodologies

4.3 Regional Training Centre (RTC)

Established in 2015 with endorsement of the CDEMA Council of Ministers, the Regional Training Centre serves as the training and learning arm of CDEMA. The RTC’s mandate includes:

• Building capacity for Comprehensive Disaster Management within Participating States
• Setting standards for CDM capabilities
• Identifying capacity building needs among constituents
• Delivering standardized training programmes
• Maintaining a repository of resources for capacity building
• Promoting research and field studies within the Caribbean Risk Information System (CRIS)

5. Evidence of South-South Learning Impact

5.1 Pacific-Caribbean SIDS Cooperation

One of the most significant examples of inter-regional South-South cooperation is the “South-South Cooperation between Pacific and Caribbean SIDS on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management” project, coordinated by UNDP. This initiative demonstrates how similar geography, climate trends, and population characteristics create opportunities for meaningful peer learning.

Key exchanges have included:

• Caribbean delegation participation in Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management meetings
• Pacific delegation visits to Jamaica’s Rio Cobre flood early warning system
• Barbados sharing coastal protection and five natural lines of defense methodology
• Jamaica sharing community-level disaster preparedness including pre-positioning emergency supplies
• University of the West Indies adaptation of curriculum from University of the South Pacific for Master’s programme in climate change

Jeremy Collymore, former Executive Director of CDEMA, articulated a key principle during these exchanges:

“Starting at home, SIDS countries need to reduce the tendency to seek external assistance as the first point of departure in addressing disasters.”

5.2 CDEMA-Cuba Cooperation

Cuba has emerged as a significant South-South partner in Caribbean disaster management, recognized for its expertise in civil defense systems and disaster risk reduction. The May 2025 CDEMA-CARICOM mission to Cuba focused on:

• Operations of Cuba’s Civil Defense System
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Management approaches
• Spatial Data Infrastructure Platform for preparedness and information dissemination
• Methodologies for hazard, vulnerability, and risk studies
• Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) operations

Lt. Col. Kester Craig, Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA, emphasized:

“The shared experiences of the CDEMA Participating States demand a united response… the visit represented a pivotal opportunity to align technical expertise, resources, and disaster risk strategies across the Caribbean.”

5.3 Chile-Caribbean Triangular Cooperation

The project “Strengthening of CDEMA in the technical areas of earthquakes and tsunamis” exemplifies effective triangular cooperation. Partners included:

• Chilean International Cooperation Agency (AGCI)
• Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
• CDEMA
• Chile’s National Emergency Office (ONEMI)
• Universidad de Chile’s National Seismic Center
• Caribbean Tsunami Information Center

This cooperation respected “the principles of ownership, alignment, no conditionality and the comparative advantages of South-South cooperation,” providing technical assistance in tsunami inundation mapping, earthquake drills, and seismic technology while building on Chile’s hard-won experience from major earthquakes and tsunamis.

6. Complementary Regional Mechanisms

6.1 Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC)

CCRIF SPC represents a pioneering South-South innovation in disaster risk financing. Founded in 2007, it is the world’s first multi-country risk pool and the first insurance instrument to successfully develop parametric policies backed by both traditional and capital markets.

Key Features:

• 19 Caribbean government members plus 4 Central American governments
• Parametric insurance for tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and excess rainfall
• Rapid payouts (typically within 14 days) to maintain government functions post-disaster
• Extension to electric utilities, water utilities, and fisheries sector (COAST product)
• Model replicated by African Risk Capacity and Pacific disaster insurance initiatives

As former CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Edwin Carrington noted:

“CARICOM’s wisdom and foresight were evident in the creation of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) whose prompt payout to Haiti turned out to be one of the significant sources of financing in this, Haiti’s hour of need.”

6.2 Regional Early Warning Systems Consortium (REWSC)

With UNDRR support, CDEMA established and revitalized the Regional Early Warning Systems Consortium as a strategic and advisory body for advancing early warning system coordination in the Caribbean. The consortium supports the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All Initiative, which aims to have every person on Earth protected by early warning systems by 2027.

6.3 Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)

CIMH serves as a technical partner institution providing climate services and training to Caribbean nations. Recent collaboration with CDEMA and the EU’s CopernicusLAC Panama Centre brought 28 participants from 13 Caribbean countries together for training on Earth Observation data for disaster preparedness, demonstrating effective triangular cooperation between Caribbean, European, and Latin American partners.

7. Lessons Learned and Best Practices

7.1 Success Factors for Regional Cooperation

Analysis of CDEMA’s three decades of experience reveals critical success factors for effective South-South cooperation in disaster management:

7.2 Challenges and Gaps

Despite significant achievements, regional cooperation faces ongoing challenges:

1. Implementation Gap: CDEMA acknowledges “a significant implementation deficit exists” despite comprehensive plans and strategies

2. Financing Constraints: Sustainable financing mechanisms remain challenging for Caribbean SIDS with limited fiscal space

3. Capacity Variability: Uneven capacity across participating states creates implementation disparities

4. Knowledge Retention: Staff turnover leads to institutional memory loss and need for continuous capacity supplementation

5. Political Sustainability: Maintaining political commitment across changing governments requires ongoing advocacy

8. CDEMA’s Role in the Circular Resilience Model

CDEMA’s function as a regional catalyst can be understood through the lens of the circular resilience life cycle model comprising Relief, Response, Recovery, Research, and Readiness. As a regional coordinating body, CDEMA serves as the integration mechanism that translates experience from each phase into improved collective readiness:

This systematic approach ensures that regional experience—whether from Hurricane Irma and Maria (2017), Hurricane Beryl (2024), or Hurricane Melissa (2025)—is captured, analyzed, and translated into improved regional readiness.

9. Future Directions and Recommendations

9.1 Strengthening South-South Mechanisms

Based on this research, the following recommendations emerge for enhancing South-South cooperation in disaster resilience:

1. Institutionalize Knowledge Exchange: Establish permanent mechanisms for systematic sharing between SIDS regions (Caribbean-Pacific-Indian Ocean)

2. Scale Technology Transfer: Expand successful models like parametric insurance and early warning systems to other vulnerable regions

3. Strengthen Research Capacity: Invest in regional research institutions like UWI’s Disaster Risk Reduction Centre

4. Diversify Financing: Develop sustainable financing models that reduce dependence on project-based external funding

5. Mainstream CDM: Deepen integration of disaster risk reduction into national development planning and budgeting

9.2 Enhancing CDEMA’s Catalytic Role

CDEMA’s continued effectiveness as a catalyst for regional learning depends on:

• Securing sustainable core funding for the Coordinating Unit
• Expanding the Regional Training Centre’s reach and course offerings
• Strengthening knowledge management systems including CRIS
• Deepening partnerships with Cuba and other regional knowledge centers
• Implementing the EU-LAC MoU on integrated disaster risk management
• Operationalizing the SIDS Centre of Excellence established under ABAS

10. Conclusion

This research demonstrates that South-South cooperation, exemplified by CDEMA’s regional model, represents a critical pathway for building disaster resilience among vulnerable nations. The evidence shows that:

1. Regional mechanisms are essential: CDEMA’s 30+ year evolution demonstrates that sustained regional cooperation can transform disaster management capabilities

2. South-South learning is contextually appropriate: Solutions developed by SIDS for SIDS address shared vulnerabilities in ways that external assistance alone cannot

3. Triangular cooperation multiplies impact: Partnerships with development partners and international organizations enhance South-South exchange without supplanting it

4. Catalytic institutions are necessary: CDEMA’s role as facilitator, coordinator, and knowledge broker is indispensable for translating experience into improved readiness

5. Learning is circular: Each disaster event, properly documented and analyzed, contributes to an ascending spiral of regional resilience

The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (2024) reaffirms that South-South and triangular cooperation are essential means for SIDS development. As the Caribbean continues to face intensifying climate-related hazards, the CDEMA model offers a proven framework for collective action that other regions can learn from and adapt.

Ultimately, effective disaster readiness cannot be developed in isolation. It requires systematic learning from relief, response, recovery, and research phases—learning that is most effective when shared among nations facing similar challenges. CDEMA stands as testimony to what Caribbean nations can achieve when they choose to be, as Ronald Jackson articulated, a “Caribbean Solution to Caribbean Problems.”

References

• AOSIS. (2024). A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity – Adoption of General Assembly draft resolution A/78/L.80 on the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States.
• Asia Foundation. (2023). Disaster Resilience Unlocks Economic Potential: South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
• CARICOM. (2016). Training for CARICOM’s Primary Disaster Relief Unit. Georgetown: CARICOM Secretariat.
• CCRIF SPC. (2024). About Us: The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. Grand Cayman: CCRIF SPC.
• CDEMA. (2014). Regional CDM Strategy and Results Framework 2014-2024. Bridgetown: CDEMA Coordinating Unit.
• CDEMA. (2016). The Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). Bridgetown: CDEMA Coordinating Unit.
• CDEMA. (2018). Building a Caribbean Pathway for Disaster Resilience in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Bridgetown: CDEMA Coordinating Unit.
• CDEMA. (2025). A joint CDEMA-CARICOM Mission to Cuba ends with greater commitment to deepening regional disaster risk reduction and management collaboration. Press Release, May 13, 2025.
• Delica-Willison, Z. (2011). South-South Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction. UNISDR Background Paper.
• IDS Bulletin. (2018). Emerging Economies, Disaster Risk Reduction, and South-South Cooperation: The Case of Mexico.
• Springer. (2021). Adapting to Climate Change Through Disaster Risk Reduction in the Caribbean: Lessons from the Global South in Tackling the Sustainable Development Goals.
• UN DESA. (2024). Outcome Document: The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) – a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity.
• UNDP. (2024). South-South and Triangular Cooperation in SIDS. Data Futures Exchange.
• UNDRR. (2024). UNDRR Statement for the Plenary Meeting of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4).
• UNDRR. (2025). From vision to action: UN contributions to the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for SIDS.
• UN OHRLLS. (2021). Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development in SIDS.
• UNOSSC. (2024). SIDS4: South-South Cooperation is a Strategic Tool for Small Island Developing States.
• WFP. (2024). South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Rome: World Food Programme.