International funding cuts linked to geopolitical shifts have forced environmental organizations across the Caribbean to scale back operations, lay off staff, and restructure projects, according to a local conservation leader.
Vashti Ramsey-Casimir, Program Manager for Fauna and Flora in Antigua and Barbuda, said the organization’s Caribbean team faced significant challenges in 2025, including a loss of funding due to international circumstances.
“We had some funding that we lost as a result of the situation with the US. So that would have affected not necessarily the projects in Antigua, but the projects throughout the Caribbean, and so also affected our staffing,” she said.
The funding loss forced the organization to pivot its operations, with staff members like Ramsey-Casimir taking on expanded responsibilities across multiple countries.
