International
Climate Initiative (IKI)

Resilient Islands by Design: Integrating Ecosystem- and Community-based Approaches to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation in the Caribbean

As of: January 2020

Objective and activities

The project supports governments and communities to incorporate ecosystem-based adaptation in local, national and regional planning to reduce vulnerability and boost adaptive capacities. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Red Cross (IFRC) will leverage their networks and experience to develop and test an innovative adaptation toolkit that will promote better decision-making around disaster risk management, community planning, and climate adaptation. The tool kit will benefit thousands in vulnerable communities, and facilitate locally-tailored ecosystem- and community-based interventions (e.g. mangrove planting). The project will train change agents and promote country-specific policy recommendations. At the regional level, the project will link with existing knowledge management platforms and potential funding streams to scale up demonstration projects. It will support the implementation of CDEMA’s Caribbean Disaster Management strategy.

State of implementation/results

• The launch events for the project in April 2018 in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic and in June 2018 in Grenada were attended by over 160 country representatives.
• Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) convened after the project launches in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic held various working sessions from April to August 2018.
• Grenada becomes the first CARICOM country to complete its NAP in 2018. This plan increases the chances of success in implementing ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in Grenada through the Resilient Islands by Design project.
• In December 2018, the Dominican government launches its Climate Action Plan to implement the NDCs, which identifies mitigation and adaptation measures and links them with sectors, resources and partners such as the TNC and IFRC in the Resilient Islands by Design project.
• In Jamaika arbeitet das Projekt eng mit dem Rotem Kreuz (IFRC) zusammen und integriert ein Instrument, in bestehende Arbeiten des Roten Kreuzes, das für die schnelle Bewertung der Stärke von rechtlichen und politischen Rahmenbedingungen für EbA genutzt werden kann.
• In Jamaica, the project works closely with the Red Cross (IFRC) and integrates an instrument into existing Red Cross work that can be used to quickly assess the strength of the legal and policy framework for EbA.