small islands, big impact: climate change and biodiversity...
TRANSCRIPT
Small Islands, Big Impact:
Climate change and biodiversity in the Caribbean
Strategies for engaging policy makers, civil society and the wider public
UNESCO FUTURE FORUM
Port of Spain, 8 July 2010
Session on addressing environmental and climate change challenges faced by SIDS, especially in the Caribbean
Presentation outlinePresentation outline
• Who is CANARI?• The evolution of CANARI’s climate change
and disaster risk reduction programme• Why focus on education and awareness?• What are the key messages?
– How will we be affected?– How can we respond to the changes?
• Effective strategies for disseminating the messages?
CANARICANARI• Regional non-profit organisation which
has worked in the islands of the Caribbean for 30 years.
• Based in Trinidad. Formerly located in Saint Lucia and St Croix, with a small office in Antigua.
• Geographic focus: the islands of the Caribbean
• 2009 recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
CANARICANARI’’s missions mission• To promote equitable participation
and effective collaboration in managing the natural resources critical to development through:– research
– sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, including capacity building; and
– fostering partnerships.
CANARI Climate CANARI Climate Change programmeChange programme• Climate change and biodiversity in the insular Caribbean project
(MacArthur Foundation)• Series of guidebooks, leaflets and videos on Climate change in the UK Overseas
Territories (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK)• Capacity building of civil society (Commonwealth Foundation):
– Workshop engaging civil society organisations, the media and performance artists/drama-in-education practitioners
– Development of a ‘Climate change communications toolkit’ for community-based organisations
• Capacity building of civil society (Christian Aid):– Development of a ‘Climate change toolkit’ for communities in Haiti, Dominican Republic
and Jamaica
• MOU with CCCCC to implement Caribbean Regional Climate Change Adaptation Public Education and Outreach Strategy
• Model Community-based Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (CDEMA)
Other partnershipsOther partnerships
• Panos Caribbean• Buccoo Reef Trust• Sandwatch• Caribsave….and many national
NGOs
Key messages:Key messages:Climate change is Climate change is happening and is a happening and is a pressing issuepressing issue
• There have been natural and cyclical variations in the Earth’s climate in the past, but the current rate of change is faster than anything the planet has experienced before.
Photo courtesy: NASA &
USG
S
Key messages: Key messages: Climate Climate change will have profound change will have profound effects on our liveseffects on our lives• For the Caribbean region in the 21st century, there
is a fairly high level of certainty that:• Air and sea temperatures will increase;
• Rainfall will change, with some regions becoming drier and others wetter;
• Sea level rise will accelerate and be between 0.2 to 0.5m;
• Hurricanes are likely to become more powerful.
Key message: Key message: Caribbean Caribbean islands are inherently islands are inherently vulnerable and have much vulnerable and have much to loseto lose
• The economies of Caribbean islands depend on a narrow range of goods or services
• They have high communication and transportation costs and are vulnerable to natural hazards
• Certain Caribbean ecosystems that are important to human well-being are identified as “most vulnerable”Inherent vulnerabilities + climate change =
increased risk
Key message: Key message: Climate Climate change will affect many change will affect many aspects of human well aspects of human well being, such asbeing, such as• tourism livelihoods• food security• infrastructure• water resources• health
Key messageKey message: Adaptation : Adaptation is a is a ‘‘no regretsno regrets’’ strategy strategy with immediate benefitswith immediate benefitsAdaptation is an opportunity to improve:• natural resource management and physical planning • ability to deal with the natural hazards as well as the
growing human-induced stresses on the environment. • Adaptive responses can be:
– technological (e.g. improving coastal defences)– managerial (e.g. introducing crop rotation)– policy-based (e.g. strengthening planning regulations) – behavioural (e.g. preparing one’s home for a
hurricane)
Meeting Multiple Objectives Meeting Multiple Objectives though Adaptationthough Adaptation
Disaster Management
Biodiversity & Sustainable Development
Climate Adaptation
Triple Dividend
Local management and Local management and climate change adaptationclimate change adaptation
Management of natural resources and biodiversity at the regional, national and community level can reduce the impacts of climate change through• Reforestation and forest conservation• Watershed management• Treatment of waste water • Control of mosquito habitats• Coastal buffer zones• Protected area management
Key message: Good climate Key message: Good climate policy should adapt policy should adapt andand mitigate. mitigate.
• Although Caribbean islands make a small contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases, they can play their part in mitigation by:– enhancing energy efficiency– diversifying their energy sources – increasing reliance on non fossil fuel sources of
energy– promoting climate friendly technologies– advocating collectively for the mitigation measures
needed in the major industrialised countries
Collectively small efforts can Collectively small efforts can make a big differencemake a big difference
– Reducing personal and community vulnerability to natural hazards
– Reducing energy use in transportation and in the home– Practicing good environmental habits e.g. recycling,
conservation– Improving business practices e.g. clean energy, waste
reduction/recycling– Advocating for implementation of national adaptation plans and
sustainable development policies– Advocating for a stronger Caribbean voice in international
negotiations– Informing others about climate change and what they can
do
Creating the ripple effect: building on Creating the ripple effect: building on Caribbean talent and culture for public Caribbean talent and culture for public education and outreacheducation and outreach
I DON’T WANNA WASH AWAYI don’t wanna wash away I don’t wanna lose another dayYou can’t make me float awayLose my land and all my saySeas are rising, try to reach the moonBeaches splicing, dicing, disappearing Political goons acted just like foolsMy land is gone so soonTemperature is rising, competing with the sunI itch, I burn, I thirst….
Using key change agents and Using key change agents and ““championschampions”” as channels of as channels of informationinformation
• Media• Youth• NGOs and CBOs• Artists and theatre-in-education professionals• Sportspersons• UNFCC National Focal Points• Communities that are particularly vulnerable to climate
change• Extension officers (e.g. agriculture, fisheries)• School teachers
Core public education and Core public education and awareness strategiesawareness strategies
• Building the cadre of “champions” via facilitated dialogue with scientists
• Developing a community of Artistes Weathering Climate Change – Region-wide concerts by conscious performance artists– Developing drama-in-education materials
• National multi-sectoral climate change workshops• Providing relevant information to the media• Building partnerships between NGOs and the media• Conducting local research, (e.g. Sandwatch)• Collecting traditional knowledge (e.g. Panos) • Making wider use of video, television, YouTube etc.
