The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has announced new leadership for its Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development (GICSRD), with Professor Preeya S. Mohan appointed Executive Director and Dr Ronald Roopnarine named Deputy Director.
According to a UWI press release, both appointments took effect on August 1, 2026.
Since its launch in October 2021, GICSRD has operated through a virtual, region-wide model, bringing together expertise from across The UWI’s campuses, institutes and global networks to support climate-smart, resilient development and the Caribbean’s progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Professor Mohan, one of the youngest professors appointed at The UWI, is a Professor of Environment and Development Economics, Fellow and MPhil/PhD Programme Coordinator at SALISES, St Augustine Campus. Her research examines the economic effects of climate and other external shocks on Small Island Developing States, particularly in the Caribbean.
An internationally recognised scholar, she has published more than 60 refereed journal articles and 13 book chapters, as per the release. Her work has appeared in “Nature Climate Change, Energy Policy, Food Policy, WIREs Climate Change” and the Journal of Environmental Management. She is also a Lead Author on the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report chapter on Adaptation Finance and serves on the International Finance Expert Working Group for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Dr Roopnarine is Deputy Dean for Outreach and Internationalization and Senior Lecturer in Disaster Risk Resilience in the Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the St Augustine Campus. He also serves as Network Manager of Caribbean WaterNet/Cap-Net UNDP.
The UWI said his work covers disaster resilience, climate adaptation, sustainable land and water management, nature-based solutions and geospatial risk assessment. His experience includes flood early-warning systems, flood and landslide assessments, wastewater reuse, water safety planning, land degradation and climate-resilient agriculture.
He also reportedly serves on several national and international bodies, including the Scientific Committee of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk Programme and the IWRA Islands Water Congress Scientific Committee.
GICSRD also thanked former Director Dr John Charlery and former Deputy Director Dr Evangeline Inniss-Springer for their leadership and service.
More information about GICSRD and the Management Committee Members can be found on the GICSRD’s website: www.uwi.edu/gicsrd
