Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Coastal Zone Management Presentation by: Rahanna Juman and Kahlil Hassanali

Trinidad and Tobago Heavily dependent on resources and activities associated with the coastal zone Economy sustained by the coastal and marine environment ≈70% of population and 80% of economic activities concentrated along the coast Source: Review of the Economy, 2014

Intensive coastal development in limited coastal zone Dense aggregations of infrastructure and people on the coast places great stress on vulnerable locations GCC and climate variability exacerbate vulnerability To increase human and environmental resilience to GCC, T&T needs to:  Address social, economic and environmental issues  Raise awareness  Communicate future risk to local communities  Plan Global Climate Change (GCC) and T&T Ref: Nurse et al. 2014

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Steering Committee appointed in 2012 Seeks to develop Integrated Coastal Zone Policy Framework, Strategies and Action Plan IDB funded the Technical Cooperation (TC) for its project entitled “Piloting the integration of climate change adaptation and coastal zone management in Southwest Tobago”

Activities under the IDB funded TC 1.Review of the legislative, policy, institutional and capacity arrangements related to coastal zone management and climate change 2.Vulnerability and risk assessment for SW Tobago based on different climate change scenarios 3.Creation of a climate change adaptation response plan for SW Tobago 4.Development of guidelines for the incorporation of an ecosystem based approach (EbA) into ICZM

1. Legal and Institutional Arrangement Current situation No definition of coastal zone in Trinidad and Tobago’s legislature No specific legislation that addresses the issue of climate change and/or ICZM - 20 pieces of legislation that can potentially address ICZM - 24 policies identified as touching on aspects of ICZM Plan - 29 institutions having a defined legal and/or policy role

1. Legal and Institutional Arrangement Challenges identified Overlapping jurisdiction and lack of proper co-ordination among enforcement agencies Lack of access to sufficient resources ▫ Financial ▫ Human resources Little or no public awareness

1. Legal and Institutional Arrangement Recommendations An ICZM structure must be customised to: ▫ Meet the needs of Trinidad and Tobago ▫ Cater to the nature of its coastal areas ▫ Adhere to its institutional and governmental arrangements ▫ Accommodate its traditions, cultures and economic conditions

2. Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) Objective: “Develop vulnerability and risk assessment for Southwest Tobago based on climate change scenarios” Risk to erosion and/or permanent or temporary flooding inundation evaluated Potential impact to human and economic activities given event probabilities Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) - RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 - used for the predictive modelling of conditions in 2050 and 2100

Sample erosion extent map for Pigeon Point Erosion potential in the SW Tobago based on different climate change scenario (Halcrow, 2015)

Flood inundation risk to SW Tobago under various climate change scenarios (Halcrow, 2015)

Outcomes Low lying areas of SW Tobago with established infrastructure scored high on the CVI Many data gaps exist spatially and temporally ▫ Lack of Baseline Assessments (storm surge, coastal erosion) ▫ Model projections only as good as the data used Results of CVI were used to identify management response to climate change - structural/ non-structural

3. CC Adaptation Response Plan A.Maintain/restore wetlands and mangrove ecosystems B.Maintain sediment transport C.Preserve coastal land/developments (including infrastructure) D.Maintain shorelines utilizing “soft” methods E.Maintain shorelines utilizing “hard” methods F.Preserve habitat for vulnerable species G.Maintain water quality

4. EbA and the National ICZM Policy EbA aims to avoid poorly planned engineering solutions for CCA ICZM represents a public planning process for achieving the goals of EbA with increased efficiency ICZM and EbA both provide a robust framework to determine strategies and measures for climate resilience

4. EbA and the National ICZM Policy Guideline EbA Questions Who are the main stakeholders and ecosystems, and what are the relationships between them? What is the structure and function of the ecosystems, and are means in place to manage and monitor them? What are the important economic issues that will affect the ecosystem and its inhabitants? What are the likely impacts of the ecosystem on an adjacent ecosystem? What are the long-term goals, and have flexible ways of reaching them been determined?

Coastal Behaviour Units for Tobago

Coastal Behaviour Unit B - Rocky Point to Pigeon Point Guide to Implementing EbA

CBU Assessments - Recommendations

Conclusion Climate Change Adaptation needs to be considered in ICZM The TC recommended process:  Develop CVI  Determine CCA response options/plans  Implement CCA responses that best adhere to EbA principles Process needs to be applied to areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago

Thanks for your attention PIGEON POINT, TOBAGO (TAKEN BY J MCCUE SEPT 2014)