Wise use of Caribbean wetlands for climate change mitigation and conservation of their ecosystem services

Land use changes in the Caribbean have led to ecosystem degradation as well as the loss of biological diversity and ecosystem services. This is also true of the Caribbean wetlands, which urgently require effective policies for sustainable use and management. The project is therefore carrying out vulnerability assessments for selected Ramsar Sites and providing regional governments with the additional know-how they need to avoid negative changes to their wetlands. The results of these assessments as well as the implementation of integrated coastal zone management and maritime spatial planning will lead to improvements in legislation and regulation. Planning and management tools will also be integrated to improve the management of Caribbean wetlands. The assessments of vulnerability to climate change provide examples than can also be applied to other Ramsar Sites. The same applies to the implementation of integrated coastal zone management, monitoring and other insights.

Project data

Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname
IKI funding: 3,706,090.00 €
Duration: 03/2020 till 07/2026
Status: open
Implementing organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - North American Regional Office
Political Partner: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development - St Lucia

Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment - Antigua and Barbuda

Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment, Forestry, Fisheries & Disaster Management - Grenada

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources - Dominican Republic

Ministry of Land and Forestry Management - Suriname

Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA) - Cuba

Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management - Belize

Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change - Jamaica

National Environmental and Planning Agency - Jamaica

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State of implementation/results

A regional workshop on wetland management plans was held in The Bahamas from September 29th to October 3rd, 2025. The workshop set the baseline for the development and/or adjustment of management plans for the 23 Wetlands of International Importance that are currently being targeted under this project.
National implementation activities, such as the application of the methodology to identify priority sites for climate change mitigation and adaptation, the methodology for the assessment of the status, ecosystem services and vulnerability of Caribbean wetlands, and the development of a monitoring program for prioritized sites are ongoing since February 2025. The monitoring program development was completed at the end of 2025 and countries are now implementing pilots of their monitoring plans.
The above was facilitated through several national activities. For example, the methodology to prioritize Wetlands of International Importance for Climate Change Mitigation was reviewed and applied through 8 national workshops, one in each participating country. These workshops also facilitated the validation of the draft monitoring programs for their designated sites in each country.
Four videos were developed to showcase the importance of the project in the region. These videos will be used to effectively communicate the impact of the project in relevant COPs and events. The videos address “Threats Facing Wetlands of International Importance”, “Wetlands of International Importance Legislation and Funding”, “Wise Use of Wetlands” and the value of “Wetlands of International Importance“ within the Caribbean region.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Action Plans were developed in close consultation for each of the participating countries. These plans include the Wise Use Approach in management of Wetlands of International Importance when related to ICZM Processes.
The project co-hosted a side event at the 15th RAMSAR-COP held in July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The joint side event highlighted the work currently being done in the region and the impact this has had, the lessons learnt as well as the synergies that have been identified with other regions.
The project held a side event at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi to showcase its achievements and results in the region on October 10, 2025.

Latest Update:
05/2026