Strengthening the disaster resilience of MSMEs in Barbados

This landscape study provides a snapshot of the current state of disaster preparedness among MSMEs in Barbados. It reveals significant gaps in risk knowledge, planning capacity and access to resilience-building resources, but also highlights existing measures and opportunities for further strengthen MSME resilience across the island. Barbados faces increasing exposure to natural hazards, especially tropical storms, floods and the slow onset impact of climate change. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the Barbadian economy, making up over 92 per cent of formal businesses and contributing nearly half of national employment and private-sector revenue. Despite their importance, most MSMEs remain underprepared for disasters.

Key recommendations include:

• Establish a formal MSME-Government coordination platform for joint planning, training and information exchange.
• Prioritize sector-specific outreach and capacity-building to address the unique needs of tourism, retail, agriculture and manufacturing MSMEs.
• Promote inclusive resilience strategies that reflect the diversity of MSME leadership, especially women-led and youth-led enterprises.
• Encourage the adoption of digital tools and innovations to improve preparedness, response and recovery.
• Monitor and evaluate progress through regular assessments, feedback from MSMEs and integration of lessons learned into national policy.