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Living with Climatic Change in the
Caribbean : An Overview of Initiatives in the Centre
Mark Bynoe, PhD
Seniron Environmental/Resource Economist
Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Belmopan, BELIZE – 11th October 2011
CARIBBEAN
COMMUNITY
Order of Presentation
 Critical Factors
 The economic state of CARICOM Countries
 The global climate trend and negotiating positions
 Observed climate trends in the Caribbean
 Early Adaptation initiatives
 Policy Initiatives
 New Initiatives
 Next Steps
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The Economic Situation in
CARICOM States
 The
CARICOM countries as a bloc have been
experiencing:
 BoP deficits and slow and sluggish growth for sometime,
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i.e. between 1984 – 2008 they grew by 1.2% while the
developed world grew by 4.2% (IMF, 2010),
Many of the small CARICOM countries fall into the
category of highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) with
debts of 115% of GDP,
With the exception of T&T they are all net importers of
fossil fuel, spending between 40% and 50% of
merchandise income on this product,
Absolute poverty levels of about 30%, and
They are mainly primary producers and are very
vulnerable to external shocks.
 The
current global financial recession
exacerbated the economic plight of the region.
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has
What are the Key Climate Observations
for the Region? – Climate Has Changed
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The Global Climate Trend
 Recent observations and analysis confirm the IPCC
Fourth Assessment Report’s extremely conservative
estimate on projected rise in global temperature and
sea level.
 The IPCC IV Assessment projected sea level rise
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ranging from a minimum of 7 inches to a possible
maximum of 23 inches by 2100.
More recent research and observations suggest the
rise will range from a minimum of 20 inches to a
possible maximum of 39 inches over the same time
period.
The 350 ppm concentration of CO2 would result in
an averaged rise in global temperature well in
excess of 2oC
The 450 ppm would result in a rise in excess of 5oC
Already the CO2 concentration is at 390 ppm
Indicators of a Warming
Caribbean Climate
 Increase in the number of incidences of:
 The rate and extent of coral bleaching,
 The frequency and severity of extreme
events,
 Changing rainfall patterns and intensity,
 Pest infestation, and
 Increase in climate related disease vectors.
 Regional models suggest further increases
in these events
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Climate Is Changing - Results from PRECIS I
Annual Temperature
ECHAM4
Annual Precipitation
HadAM3P
A2
B2
ECHAM4
ECHAM4
A2
B2
• Mean Regional Warming 2.3-3.40C;
• High consensus in temperature increase;
• Greater warming over land areas
• Greater warming over large island states
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A2
B2
HadAM3P
A2
B2
• Mean changes 2.9 - 11%;
• High consensus of rainfall decrease in
almost all islands except Cuba, Bahamas
and Dominica Republic
The Region’s Early Response to
CC (1 of 2)
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The Region’s Early Response to CC (2 of
2)
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Identification of the need to institutionalise
CC issues
CARICM governments agreed to
operationalise a Centre responsible for CC
issues in 2002
The Caribbean Community Climate Change
Centre (CCCCC) was formulated in 2004
and became fully operational in 2005
Major Initiatives Completed under the
WB/GEF-Supported MACC Project
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A Regional Strategy Framework for –
“Achieving Climate Change Resilient
Development”
Completion of a Vulnerability Assessment
Manual
Completion of Vulnerability Country
Assessment studies
Completion of National Adaptation
Strategies for the following sectors:
• Water (Belize, Jamaica and Saint
Vincent)
• Agriculture (Guyana)
• Tourism (Barbados)
• Health (Region)
Ongoing Initiatives under the WB/GEFSupported SPACC Project
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St. Vincent and the Grenadines
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Saint Lucia
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Design and install a sustainable water system in
Bequia incorporating:
 Projected future climatic conditions, and
 Utilizing renewable energy technology for
powering a reverse osmosis system
The development of an integrated
coastal/watershed management system in the
Vieux-Fort region of Saint Lucia to reduce
vulnerability to climate change-related impacts.
The strengthening of a designated critical
infrastructure to withstand the projected higher
incidence of extreme weather events based on
 Hurricane wind studies and the
development of engineering design
guidelines
CARICOM Regional Framework
 At the request in 2007 by CARICOM Heads of
Government the CCCCC prepared a regional
climate change strategy through an extensive
region wide consultative process with key
stakeholders.
 The final document ‘A Regional Framework for
Achieving Development Resilient to Climate
Change 2009-2015’ was approved by the
CARICOM Heads of Government in 2009
 The Strategy adumbrates Five strategic
elements and a number of supporting goals to
secure the transformational change required
to build resilience and low carbon economies
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Policy Positions (1 of 3)
 The Liliendaal Declaration (2009)
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The stabilization of atmospheric GHG
concentration at 350 ppm of CO2 or less.
Limiting the rise of the global averaged
surface temperature to no more than 1.5
0C above the pre-industrial levels.
Global greenhouse gas emissions peak
by 2015 and
Global CO2 reductions of greater than
95% by 2050
Policy Positions (2 of 3)
 The Development of a Strategic Framework (2009 -
2015)
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Against the backdrop of climate change indicators
and earlier initiatives, a strategic framework for
achieving development resilient to climate change
was developed and approved for implementation by
CARICOM Heads.
Strategy objectives
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Promoting actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
energy reduction and conservation, and switching to
renewable and cleaner sources of energy;
Promoting actions to minimize the effects of greenhouse gas
emissions through initiatives and measures designed to reduce
the vulnerability of natural and human systems to the effects of
climate change;
Promoting the development and implementation of
educational and public awareness programs as well as public
access to information and citizen participation across the
Caribbean.
Policy Positions (3 of 3)
The Strategic Framework (2009 - 2015)
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The Strategic Framework is made up of four primary
elements:
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Mainstreaming climate change adaptation strategies
into the sustainable development agendas using a
learning by doing approach to capacity building and
build on the progress achieved through the CPACC,
ACCC, MACC and SPACC projects.
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Promote actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
through fossil fuel reduction and conservation, and
switching to renewable and cleaner energy sources.
3.
Promote actions to reduce the vulnerability of natural
and human systems to the impacts of a changing
climate.
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Promote actions to derive social, economic, and
environmental benefits from the prudent
management of standing forests in CARICOM
countries.
Adaptation Options from the
Strategic Plan
 Enhance water management systems
 Improve hydrometeoreological systems
 Improve the technology with which farmers are asked to work. In
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this regard, it will be necessary to ascertain, inter alia, crop
rainfall threshold for various cultivars and work with farmers to
develop alternative crops, and improved farming practices e.g drip
irrigation, where possible
Improve research, particularly in the area of biotechnology
Improve infrastructure e.g access roads, storage and processing
facilities
Encourage more protected agriculture, where possible
Diversifying the agricultural base within the region
Improve the coordination among the various agricultural
institutions for better planning
Improve access to markets and more reliable market information
Implementation Plan
 Heads of Government further mandated the Centre to
develop, in consultation with regional stakeholders, an
Implementation Plan for the Regional Strategy.
 IP developed through an extensive National/Regional
consultative process involving all 15 CARICOM
countries – public and private sector, civil society,
NGOs, donor agencies.
 Endorsed at recent meeting of COTED to be presented
to next Heads of Government meeting for their
endorsement and final approval.
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Implementation Plan
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Seeks to guide the identification and prioritisation of
actions by regional and national stakeholders under each
strategic element and goal area of the Regional Framework
through the use of risk management approaches to decision
making.
Considers responsibilities and functional co-operation
between regional organisations and national governments.
Recognises that there are existing significant resource and
capacity challenges that hold back the region’s sustainable
development and growth and proposes building on a
process known as the ‘three-ones’ to assist in resource
mobilisation and co-ordination of actions.
Critical Steps to Operationalise the IP
 Support climate compatible development in
the Caribbean by enabling the implementation
of key activities outlined in the IP
 Embed considerations of climate change across
the Caribbean, through the development of
regional approach to risk management and the
creation of a risk ethic in decision making
 Demonstrate delivery of benefits at the
national level from climate financing at
regional level
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KEY ACTIONS FOR IMMEDIATE
IMPLEMENTATION
 Capacity building to strengthen knowledge base for
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decision making - modeling, vulnerability &impact
studies, cost benefit analyses of adaptation options
Development of CC risk management methodology for
use regionally by Finance Ministries and Planning
Department and subsequently by all sectoral planners.
Addressing coastal vulnerability and coastal livelihoods
as a matter of urgency.
Supporting countries to identify opportunities for
climate financing and providing assistance to develop
country portfolios of such projects
Implementing Adaptation interventions building on the
Centre’s experience in Implementing Adaptation
projects in three pilot countries
Conclusions – Climate Change Demands A
Change in Thinking and Approach
 The Implementation Plan is intended to be a core
planning document and used as an aid to decisionmaking.
 It will continue to evolve in response to:
 Improvements in our understanding of the science of
climate change and the direct and indirect impacts
on social, environmental and economic systems.
 Progress on securing international agreements.
 The results from actions identified and those arising
from other programmes.
 New actions can and must be included in the
Implementation Plan.
 Formal reviews are proposed of both the Regional
Framework and the Implementation Plan every two
years.
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Thank You!
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