VACCA workshop in Tromsø, Norway October The CARICOM Climate Change Adaptation Initiatives by Dr. Kenrick R. Leslie Executive Director Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , The CARICOM Adaptation Programme ● The CARICOM Adaptation Programme is guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’s recommended stages outlined below: ● Stage I: Planning, which includes studies of possible impacts of climate change, to identify particularly vulnerable countries or regions and policy options for adaptation and appropriate capacity building; ● Stage II: Measures, including further capacity-building, which may be taken to prepare for adaptation, as envisaged in Article 4.1(e); and ● Stage III: Measures to facilitate adequate adaptation, including insurance, and other adaptation measures as envisaged by Article 4.1(b) and Article 4.4.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Summary of the CARICOM Programme of Adaptation (1997 – 2011)

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , CARICOM Adaptation Strategy Planning (1997 – 2001) Adaptation Planning programme started under the GEF sponsored CPACC project (Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change)  Major accomplishments: ● Establishment of a Caribbean climate monitoring network ● Development of national Climate Change Adaptation policies and implementation plans. ● Coastal vulnerability studies in three pilot countries. ● Enhanced awareness of climate change issues in the region ● Developed capacity for economic valuation of ecosystem services and in designing economic instruments to support implementation of environmental legislation.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , CARICOM Adaptation Strategy Planning (2001 – 2004) ● Adaptation Planning continued under a CIDA sponsored project, ACCC (Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean)  Major Accomplishments ● Establishing a M Sc programme at UWI Cave Hill campus with a specialty in Climate Change. ● Completion of preliminary climate change impact studies on water, agriculture and health sectors. ● Development of guidelines for incorporating climate change adaptation in Environmental Impact Assessments. ● Development of a risk management guide for incorporation of climate risks in planning. ● Development of a regional Public Education and Outreach strategy for climate change.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , CARICOM Adaptation Strategy Planning (2004 – 2008) Mainstreaming the adaptation plans initiated under the GEF sponsored project, MACC (Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC)  Project goals  Build capacity to Assess Vulnerability and Risks associated with climate change and climate variability.  Build capacity to reduce vulnerability to climate change.  Mainstream climate change adaptation into national development plans.  Build capacity to effectively access and utilize resources to reduce vulnerability to climate change.  Enhance understanding of climate change issues among all regional stakeholders.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Institutionalizing the Adaptation Programme ● Recognizing the vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and climate variability on the economic development and social needs of the region:  The Heads of Government of CARICOM at their annual meeting in July 2002, endorsed the creation of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre with the following mandates: ● to coordinate the regional response to climate change and its efforts to manage and adapt to its projected impacts.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , THE 5Cs OPERATIONAL STATUS Limited operations commenced in January 2004 The Centre became fully operational in July 2005 through supporting grants from –The host country, Belize –The Governments of Barbados and Italy The current staff is comprised of seven (7) Technical and eleven (11) Financial and Administrative supporting personnel. It is located in the City of Belmopan, Belize.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Adaptation: Planning and Implementation ● The outcomes from CPACC, ACCC and MACC projects laid the foundation for the first concrete adaptation project aimed at supporting efforts of Small Island and Low Lying Coastal CARICOM States to implement specific pilot adaptation measures addressing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and land degradation.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , The Pilot Uses Three Typical Lesser Antilles Small Island States ● St. Vincent and Grenadines  Population 106,000  Area 389 km 2 ● St. Lucia  Population 160,000  Area 616 km 2 ● Dominica  Population 70,000  Area 750 km 2

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , SPACC Project Development Objectives ● To support efforts of Dominica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to implement specific (integrated) pilot adaptation measures addressing primarily  the impacts of climate change on their natural resource base, focusing on biodiversity and land degradation along coastal and near coastal areas.  The project also seeks to produce knowledge of global value on how to implement adaptation measures in small islands.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation by Island ● St. Vincent and the Grenadines  Design and install a sustainable water system in the island of Bequia in the Grenadines based on: ● Current community needs ● Likely climate change scenarios ● Renewable energy technology  Climate Change Risk Management for Spring Village, St. Vincent ● Saint Lucia  Strengthened critical coastal infrastructure in the Castries area  Sustainability of Water Resources and Supply of the Vieux-Fort Region of Saint Lucia ● Dominica  Implementation of adaptation measures in the bio-diverse Morne Diablotin National Park and its Neighboring Communities.  Develop and implement an Integrated Ecosystem Management for the Morne Trois Pitons National Park

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation Status in Bequia, Grenadines The Main Water Source –A reverse osmosis (RO) system identified as most suitable –The RO Site selected –System capacity has been evaluated Power source for RO System –A wind generating system identified as most suitable –Site selected –System capacity being evaluated Distribution system identified Site of desalinization Plant

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation Status in Spring Village, St. Vincent The following have been identified for implementation: – Development of an early warning system for flash flooding – Implementation of an alternative farming system to reduce de- forestation and hillside farming, – Replanting and/or replacement of forest canopy and – Attempting to organize a system to reduce breaks in the VINLEC hydro-electric water transmission mains Terrain in the vicinity of Spring Village

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation Status in Saint Lucia The strengthening of a critical coastal infrastructure in the capital city, Castries: –Infrastructure selected after consultation with the Government of Saint Lucia. –Develop, with the support of the Georgia Tech University, critical Wind Speed Risk Adjustment information for use in structural designs. –Recruitment of a consultancy firm to review and ‘climate proof’ structural design of the new Fire Station Headquarters building in Castries to enhance the management and recovery from the effect of intensified hurricanes and tropical storms. Saint Lucia lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation Status in Saint Lucia Cont’d First step in the implementation of a Sustainable Water Resources and Supply in the Vieux-Fort Region of Saint Lucia: Identification of water demand reduction, through rain water harvesting by a major consumer, in the Vieux-Fort area Watershed in the Vieux-Fort identified for detailed study Rainfall is the most significant climatic factor. It is spatially distributed with the northern and southern tips being significantly drier than the interior due to orographic effects.

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October , Project Implementation Status in Dominica Implementation of adaptation measures in the bio-diverse Morne Diablotin National Park and its Neighboring Communities: – Adaptation measures identified focusing on reducing the vulnerability of the Colihaut, Dublanc and Bioche in fishing and agriculture. The development and implementation of an Integrated Ecosystem Management for the Morne Trois Pitons National Park – Building on a USAID-COT Program, prepare a ‘Climate Proof’ Management Plan for the Morne Diablotin National Park

IDB Meeting, Montevideo October ,