Planning for Climate Adaptation in the Dominican Republic Mike Savonis, ICF International Friday, February 26, 2016

Climate Change Context  Dominican Republic is one of the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change  Main challenges include sustainability of human settlements, availability of fresh water, and risk of flooding  Spatial planning is identified as an essential tool for adaptation

Planning for Climate Adaptation Program  Objective: Increase the resilience of communities in the Dominican Republic, through improved participatory land use planning at the municipal level  Municipal land use management plans with climate change considerations incorporated  8 (4 + 4) municipalities with strengthened capacities  Development of national capacities to replicate in other municipalities Flooding of a road in San Pedro. Photo credit: Angela Wong, ICF International

Predecessors ARCC, TNC & CRIS  African and Latin American Resilience to Climate Change: identified DR climate impacts on H 2 0  The Nature Conservancy: demo eco-adaptations; strengthen DR institutions, & foster PPPs  Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services: applied CRD Framework, established Working Group in, & conducted climate impact analysis and adaptation planning Intake and pumping station in Santo Domingo that was raised to avoid flooding impacts. Photo credit: Mike Savonis, ICF International

Planning for Climate Adaptation Program Process Improve technical and management capacities of territorial planners Incorporate climate change considerations into municipal land use planning process Replicate best practices in other municipalities

Improve technical and management capacities of territorial planners  Assess technical capacity and analytical resources for land use planning and climate change  Conduct “territorial” diagnosis (CRD “Scope”)  Identify entry points to incorporate climate information systems and provide decision support  Improve the ability to apply, analyze, and use appropriate climate and weather information for decision-making  Training for planners and decision makers

Incorporate climate change into land use planning  Participatory vulnerability assessments: Learn by doing  Analyze climate adaptation needs (linked to local strategic plans)  Develop guidance for municipal land use planning to incorporate adaptation  Build capacity for integrating planning and climate analysis  Formalize and strengthen public participation in the planning process Sinkholes behind a retaining wall in Las Terrenas. Photo credit: Angela Wong, ICF International

Learning by Doing  Municipal staff and stakeholders will conduct development of municipal land use plans  Support for inter-institutional coordination at all levels  Municipal staff will develop a greater understanding of how to access climate information for use in decision-making  At the same time, the ICMA team will systematize the experience  Taking a “design-train-implement approach” 8

Applying Lessons Learned  The CRD framework’s “development-first” approach is a critical element of success  Support for cities should focus on building internal technical capacity, improving access to local experts, and strengthening relationships with provincial and national decision-makers  City staff can be empowered to take action by learning from their peers and participating in interactive training  Well-coordinated interagency Working Groups serve as resources on climate change for their agencies  Engagement should start with current city priorities and be tailored to local decision-making processes 9

Land use planning and plans  Mainstream adaptation into:  Land use planning leading to city plans  Municipal planning, including infrastructure Integration with infrastructure managers 10 Land-cover changes in Dominican Republic.

Replicate best practices in other municipalities  USAID/ICMA team will identify a second group of 4 municipalities  The goal is to twin with the original four to:  facilitate peer learning,  build relationships, and  encourage knowledge transfer between cities in the DR 11 Informal Settlements are growing rapidly in Santo Domingo

Thank you! Michael Savonis ICF International