ALM UNDP

Summary:

###### Background

The objective of the Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change Project (MACC), is to facilitate an enabling environment for climate change adaptation in the Caribbean Community small islands, and coastal developing states participating in this effort. Project components will:

* 1) build regional capacity to collect, and analyze data, thus expand the knowledge base on climate change impacts in order to asses the associated physical, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities;

* 2) build in-country capacity to formulate, and analyze adaptation policy options, and finalize sectoral adaptation strategies for participating countries, first, for those countries implementing vulnerability, and risk assessment studies, and, second, for non-study countries, but that have derived vulnerability assessments from country-level sectoral studies. The component will identify adaptation measures, develop approaches to food security, water, health, and fishery sectors, incorporating concerns related to environmental impact assessments. Consequently, recommendations will address upgrading infrastructure technical norms, responsive to climate changes, to finally incorporate multi-sectoral adaptation strategies;

* 3) build capacity in preparation for a regional position for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), that would enhance the region's visibility on relevant policy decisions, providing member countries with a consolidated position in the international forum. In addition, a regional strategy will be developed, which includes the preparation of business plans, and mobilization of resources;

* 4) support public education and outreach programs, by strengthening information access and data resources, and, fostering public awareness, through technical assistance and capacity building.

Caribbean countries, small islands and/or low-lying states, are economically, socially and environmentally vulnerable, and the climate change variations will exacerbate this vulnerability. Global climate change is expected to induce permanent climate changes in the Caribbean region, as well as an increase in extreme weather events, both of which will be difficult to reverse. Most Caribbean islands are too small to be identified with a grid point in global climate models, limiting the ability to generate future projections for climate change. However, most projections at the regional level are reasonably robust and suggest that permanent climate shocks to the Caribbean countries are expected to include sea level rise, and higher surface air and sea temperature; extreme weather events, such as tropical storms and hurricanes, and more "El nino-like" conditions are also expected to become either more frequent or more sever, or both; rain intensity is also expected to increase, leading to both more frequent as well as more severe flooding events. There is a clear risk that in the event of poor preparedness or the adoption of a reactive adaptation strategy, the SIDS economies may end up diverting scarce resources earmarked for development projects to relief and reconstruction arising from extreme climate change related events.

The objective is to facilitate the creation of an enabling environment for climate change adaptation in CARICOM small island and coastal developing states.

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