Climate Risk Management Framework Project for CARIFORUM Countries launched

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) in collaboration with the Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme in the Caribbean will on Monday, September 16, launch the project Enhancing Climate Resilience in CARIFORUM Countries, at the Radisson Aquatica Hotel in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The four-year 12-million Euro project is being funded by the European Union (EU) Commission and aims to strengthen the Climate Risk Management Framework in the 16 CARIFORUM member countries. The launch precedes two days of inception meetings between project partners and representatives of beneficiary countries.

The project will assist member countries to enhance climate observational and monitoring networks, improve and climate-proof water infrastructures while building the capacity of governments and private sector to integrate risk management techniques into development and planning. The project will also support the expansion of educational and outreach programmes.

“This project aims to improve the region’s forecasting and predictive abilities as well as the information generating capacity concerning climate-related events strengthened and supporting better development planning,” product development specialist at the CCCCC, Dr Donneil Cain said.

It will allow agencies to assess existing data collection networks, rehabilitate and install new Coral Reef Early Warning Systems (CREWS) stations and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) to improve connections improve data collection. It will also assess and implement water resources management techniques to improve water security in the Caribbean. Also, KAPs and needs assessments are to be carried in a bid to identify and implement critical intervention actions across sectors.

The project will also support systems to use the data collected to increase and enhance the production and dissemination of specialised information as well as public awareness and information products.

Additionally, the CCCCC and project partners will expand training and access to the de-risking and adaptation tools including the Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaptation TooL (CCORAL) to service providers and professional associations particularly those in the construction, electricity generation and water sectors; trade groups as well as community-based organisations and non-governmental organisations. CCORAL is used by several regional governments to climate-proof development and infrastructure work.

CARIFORUM Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad &Tobago.