| Abstract: The overall objective of the Planning for Adaptation to Global Climate Change Project is to help Caribbean countries prepare to cope with the adverse effects of global climate change (GCC), particularly sea level rise in coastal and marine areas, through vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and capacity building linked to the latter. The project will seek to strengthen regional cooperation and institutions among all eleven participating countries using a combination of national pilots/demonstrations and regional training and technology transfer. Project execution will take four years and involve both regional and pilot-based components. The four regional components include the following: (1) A sea level/climate monitoring network installed in each of the participating countries to measure water level, vertical land motion, air and sea temperature, wind velocity, precipitation, and other site-specific ancillary variables. (2) Databases and information systems established to allow key regional and national institutions to acquire, analyze, store, and disseminate data on climate change, and the impact on natural and manmade systems. This will facilitate access for private sector users and researchers, and will also facilitate project management, monitoring, and evaluation. (3) Each participating country ' s inventory of coastal resources further developed and used to provide needed baseline data to execute other project activities. (4) A generic policy framework developed for Integrated Coastal and Marine Management, which will incorporate mechanisms for planning for adaptations to climate change, including specific tools such as land use guidelines and disaster contingency planning. The four pilot-based components include the following: (1) Building upon ongoing work on coral reef monitoring throughout the region, this component will establish long-term monitoring program which will show the effects of global warming factors on coral reefs. Under this component, a subregional forum of government specialists and science experts will identify the methodologies to adjust and extend current monitoring efforts of global warming impacts on Caribbean reefs. (2) Three countries will first participate in developing vulnerability and risk assessments for their coastal areas. Then, after presenting their cases to the entire region, manuals will be prepared and a public awareness and education program conducted. (3) Pilot studies in three countries will be designed and implemented on the economic valuation of resources in selected coastal ecosystems at risk from sea level rise. Capacity building activities under this component will include training regional and local personnel in the use of alternative resource valuation strategies, in developing environmental accounts, and in cost-benefit analysis. (4) Two pilot studies will be implemented to demonstrate the design and use of economic and regulatory approaches to environmental protection in response to threats from sea level rise. This component will demonstrate flexible, cost-effective alternatives to traditional regulatory policies, address methods for generating funds to finance other programs, and train local and regional personnel to develop economic-based regulations, other innovative management approaches, and program finance skills. |
