CARIF 2026 unpacks the forces reshaping Caribbean infrastructure and the strategic choices governments, investors, and operators must make in response.
CARIF 2026 extends well beyond the main stage, with focused briefings, technical experiences and high-level networking across the week. Highlights include the RIISE Official Launch Event, a breakfast briefing hosted by UK Export Finance (UKEF), targeted Rise & Shine Roundtables, a technical site visit to UM Rosenstiel’s SUSTAIN hurricane simulator, where Category 5 conditions are recreated to test coastal infrastructure, the fountain-side cocktail reception, and the 4th annual CARIF Industry Awards.
Join UNOPS for the launch of the Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE), a new regional facility designed to help governments close implementation gaps and advance climate-resilient infrastructure projects.
Complimentary for invited CARIF registrants | Limited capacity | Participation managed directly by the RIISE team
What gets financed, what doesn’t, and how to unlock capital at scale
Exploring optimal approaches: PPPs, blended finance, privatization, asset recycling – and how to attract private capital at scale.
How is the Bahamas turning resilience into an investable infrastructure agenda, and what will it take to convert national priorities into stronger, bankable island systems?
Can Caribbean utilities modernize and build resilience while staying financially viable and keeping tariffs affordable?
How can the region finance, modernize, and future-proof airports to unlock growth?
New operating models, stronger contract management, and aligned tariffs are needed to improve efficiency and long-term bankability.
How can Caribbean economies turn water and wastewater priorities into bankable, climate-resilient investments, and accelerate the pipeline of projects needed to attract financing at scale?
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How can island economies combine traditional infrastructure with nature-based solutions to strengthen coastal resilience? Where can innovations such as mangrove restoration and climate-resilient coral deliver greater protection, and what will it take to move them into wider deployment?
Where do projects fail and how should risk actually be allocated?
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How to increase access and affordability of insurance in high-risk island markets, and what it means for projects?
Incorporating resilient connectivity, end-to-end network integration, and fully managed network operations into upfront planning and investment so that power grids, water infrastructure, and ports can be modernized, monitored, optimized, and rapidly restored through reliable communication.
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Caribbean economies depend on reliable, resilient and efficient maritime connections to move goods, strengthen food and energy security, and support regional trade and competitiveness. This roundtable will explore investable opportunities across ports, inter-island transport and logistics, and examine how stronger project preparation, public-private partnerships and blended finance can help accelerate delivery.
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Barbados is advancing a transport and public works agenda that links roads, drainage, mobility, digital modernization and climate resilience. This interview will explore how island governments can move beyond reactive road repair toward smarter, data-driven and climate-resilient transport infrastructure, and how AI, digital tools and new delivery models can improve planning, maintenance and public service delivery.
As digital demand accelerates across the region, from data centers to digital services, how can island markets align energy, telecom, connectivity, and infrastructure to deliver resilience and investable systems?
Ports are becoming strategic hubs for energy, logistics, and regional integration. How can modernization unlock investment, reduce dependency, and strengthen Caribbean resilience?
What does it take to deliver resilient housing at scale?
Island health systems must modernize, expand access, and build resilience. How can targeted investment make it happen?
What does resilient infrastructure actually look like for Caribbean islands facing stronger storms and rising coastal risk?
At UM Rosenstiel, CARIF delegates will step inside the SUSTAIN hurricane simulator, where ports, seawalls and shoreline assets are tested under Category 5 hurricane conditions, and explore how hybrid reefs and other nature-based systems can strengthen coastal protection. It is a rare chance to connect the science directly to the infrastructure, financing and implementation decisions shaping resilience across the region.
Optional add-on for CARIF registrants | $150 USD including round-trip transportation | Limited capacity | Advance registration required
