Ahab Charles Webster Downer

Director of Thematic Programme for Overseas Countries & Territories of the European Union @Expertise France

This thematic programme aims to enhance the sustainable development and the sustainable use of natural resources of the 25 Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs) of the European Union. More specifically, it aims to enhance their climate resilience and to accelerate their transition to a lowcarbon, energy-efficient economy over a period of 68 months (i.e. more than 5 years). With the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic in early 2020, emergency response and post crisis recovery have become priority issues, calling for an updated perspective on resilience and new measures under this programme. Despite great diversity in the country profiles of the 25 OCTs, many of them are heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, are highly vulnerable to the effects of chronic and extreme climate events (e.g. rising sea levels, hurricanes, biodiversity losses), and now to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address such vulnerabilities, the programme will pursue a set of activities with the aim of achieving the following indicative expected results: • OCTs’ capacities to carry out Disaster Risk Reduction Assessments (DRR) in areas of public health, sanitary crises, and climate change (CC) are reinforced; • Activities in: i) COVID-19 response measures, immediate health emergency care and any actions that can improve the societal resilience and security nets in the OCTs; ii) integrated and sustainable management of land, coastal and marine resources; and water management and security are identified and implemented in the OCTs; • OCTs’ knowledge of energy management, and storage technologies and models is improved; • OCTs’ capacities, tools, and knowledge to facilitate the development, financing and deployment of bankable renewable energy and energy efficiency projects are strengthened; • Effective energy management strategies (including grid and storage) and actions are implemented in the OCTs.