Transcript Planning for Climate Adaptation in the Dominican Republic

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 H20
 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”
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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
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Land use planning and plans
 Mainstream adaptation into:
 Land use planning leading to city plans
 Municipal planning, including infrastructure
• Integration with infrastructure managers
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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
Informal Settlements are growing rapidly in Santo
Domingo
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Thank you!
Michael Savonis
ICF International
[email protected]
+1-202-862-1116