The social impact of natural disasters will come into focus when Professor Mark Pelling of King’s College London delivers the 19th William G. Demas Memorial Lecture on May 29 in Grenada. The highly regarded researcher will speak on the topic, “From Social Resilience to Survivor-Led Reconstruction” at the event, which is part of the agenda of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Scheduled to take place at St. George’s University, the prestigious Lecture will feature Pelling taking a fresh look at resilience and reconstruction and examining the often-overlooked social dimensions of natural disasters in his keynote speech. More than 200 delegates attending CDB’s Annual Meeting, officials from the Government of Grenada and representatives from academia are expected to attend.

Pelling has worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, and served as a consultant for the United Kingdom Department for International Development, United Nations agencies, the World Bank, and non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace and Oxfam.

“Against the backdrop of a devastating 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the topic Professor Pelling will explore is not only timely but also relevant to the Annual Meeting theme of ‘resilience.’” said Dr. W^m. Warren Smith, President, CDB. “Professor Pelling will join a distinguished roster of past speakers who have all demonstrated outstanding commitment to the pursuit of sustainable economic and social development. We look forward to welcoming him to the Meeting,” he said.

Pelling, who has widely researched and published work on the topic of resilience, is the author of 80 peer-review papers and book chapters, and seven books, including Adaptation to Climate Change: From Resilience to Transformation and The Vulnerability of Cities: Social Resilience and Natural Disaster.

The William G. Demas Memorial Lecture is held in honour of the late Honourable William Gilbert Demas, second President of CDB, outstanding economic scholar and public servant to the Caribbean.  Mr. Demas held some of the highest offices in major regional institutions, which promote integration through economic and social development.

The Lecture takes place annually as part of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of CDB, and showcases the best intellectual discourse on topics of relevance to the Caribbean Region.

The 48^th Annual Meeting will take place on May 30 and 31. The flagship event will highlight the impact of the Bank’s investments in its 19 Borrowing Member Countries. In addition, stakeholders will take part in strategic discussions on resolving some of the Caribbean Region’s most pressing economic and social development issues.

For more information, visit: bog.caribank.org.