Climate change challenges and implications for ICM in

LACA

KAHLIL HASSANALI MARIAMALIA RODRÍGUEZ CHAVES

Outline

1. Climate change impacts in LACA 2. Regional actions on climate change 3. Challenges 4. ICM 5. ICM experience in Trinidad & Tobago

Source: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9361.pdf

Source: http://www.pnuma.org/deat1/pdf/Climate_Change_in_the_Caribbean_Final_LOW20oct.pdf

INTENSIFICATION OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN LACA

Caribbean Natural Disasters. People killed during 1950-2007

Source: http://www.pnuma.org/deat1/pdf/Climate_Change_in_the_Caribbean_Final_LOW20oct.pdf

Caribbean Natural Disasters. People affected 1950-2007

Between 1990 and 1998 the region experienced a total of 40 disasters per year (http://www.vub.ac.be/klimostoolkit/sites/default/files/documents/lac-environment-and-climate-change-policy-brief-090512.pdf)

LACA population distribution in the first 5 km of coast

Impacts of Climate Change

Increase of Water Temperature

Sea Level Rise Ocean Acidification

•Change in the circulation patterns of the oceans (accelerating the melting of polar ice covers)

•Change in precipitation and climate patterns (including extreme weather events)

•Coral Bleaching

•Extinction of species

•Saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers

•Flooding and beach erosion; loss of coastal investments and human settlements

•Threaten key coastal infrastructure and cities

•Loss of coastal ecosystems, including nesting and spawning areas, and natural buffers

•Loss of marine calcareous organisms (e.g. corals) and their dependent species

Regional actions on climate change

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) • INDCs outline the countries' intended mitigation contributions, as well as their

adaptation priorities, needs and efforts.

• Submitted to UNFCCC Secretariat: Costa Rica, Dominica, Perú, Barbados, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, T&T.

Central America

Coordinating Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters (CEPREDENAC) to strengthen disaster prevention and preparedness through regional planning, information sharing, training and coordination. (1987)

CCAD Regional Environmental Strategy 2015-2020: Climate change action line

Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre

Regional actions on climate change

Rapid urban/coastal growth, weak capacities in planning and inadequate provision

for public services and infrastructure.

Region’s economy heavily dependent on natural resources and tourism: sensitive to meteorological and environmental changes and stresses.

Responses to disasters are mainly reactive rather than preventative.

Weak regional coordination & implementation: Policy and regulatory instruments are

commonly in place. implementation and enforcement is lagging.

Sectoral policies and lack of an integrated approach.

Challenges

ICM in a nutshell

Continuous and dynamic process Integrates policies, sectors and interests (multi-sectoral approach)

Participatory process that demands good communication and

co-ordination between governmental tiers – local and national - and communities (governance)

Addresses all three dimensions of sustainability – socio/cultural,

economic and environmental (multi-disciplinary approach) Manages human activities within the coastal zone, and addresses

conflicts amongst different resource users and uses

Why the need for ICM in LACA?

Heavily dependent on resources and activities associated with the coastal zone for socio-economic well-being

Some coastal resources are heavily depleted, degraded or destroyed

Challenges caused by rapid urban growth, weak capacities in urban planning and inadequate provision for public services and infrastructure

Increasing conflict amongst resource users and between uses

Vulnerable to natural hazards, including impacts due to climate change,

because of small land mass (Small island States), high population densities and growth rates along the coast

Need to mitigate the effects of climate change and to build resilience of coastal ecosystems

Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in T&T

• Steering Committee appointed in 2012

• Seeks to develop Integrated Coastal Zone Policy Framework, Strategies and Action Plan

• Policy Goal: ‘facilitate an integrated approach to coastal zone management aimed at maintaining and where necessary, enhancing, the functional integrity of the coastal resource systems while enabling sustainable economic development through rational decision-making and planning.’

ICM and Climate Change

To plan and manage development in the coastal zone so as to avoid increasing the incidence and severity of natural hazards and to avoid exposure of people, property and economic activities to significant risk from dynamic coastal process and impacts from climate change (e.g. coastal flooding)

Policy Objective #4

Strategies

1. Encourage protection and maintenance of dynamic coastal features that act as a buffer against natural coastal processes and hazards

2. Conduct coastal vulnerability and risk assessments and incorporate

appropriate preventative and adaptive measures into all planning and management policies and decision-making processes to account for projected changes in climate, particularly increases in sea level

3. Develop a holistic programme for coastal zone protection

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

ACTIVITIES 1. Review of the legislative,

policy, institutional and capacity arrangements related to CZM and climate change

2. Vulnerability and risk assessment based on different climate change scenarios

3. Creation of a climate change adaptation response plan.

4. Development of guidelines for the incorporation of an ecosystem based approach (EbA) into ICZM.

“Piloting the integration of climate change adaptation and coastal zone management in Southwest Tobago”

OUTCOMES

1. Low lying areas of SW Tobago with established infrastructure scored high on the CVI

2. Many data gaps exist spatially and temporally

Lack of Baseline Assessments (storm surge, coastal erosion)

Model projections only as good as the data used

3. Results of CVI were used to identify management response to climate change - structural/ non-structural

ADAPTATION PLAN

1. Maintain/restore wetlands and mangrove ecosystems

2. Maintain sediment transport 3. Preserve coastal

land/developments (including infrastructure)

4. Maintain shorelines utilizing “soft” methods

5. Maintain shorelines utilizing “hard” methods

6. Preserve habitat for vulnerable species

7. Maintain water quality

Thank you! Gracias!