Partnership for Canada-Caribbean Community

Climate Change Adaptation (ParCA)

IRIACC Inception Meeting

2-3 June - Ottawa

Collaborating OrganizationsCo-Applicants• University of Waterloo (Canada)• Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada)• St. Mary’s University (Canada)• University of Prince Edward Island (Canada)• Laurentian University (Canada)• CARIBSAVE (regional office in Barbados)• University of West Indies (Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad-

Tobago campuses)• Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (regional office

in Belize)

Collaborating Organizations

• Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI• Association of Caribbean States• Ecology Action Centre• Negril Area Environmental

Protection• Caribbean Tourism Organization• Travel Foundation Caribbean• Parks Canada• Environmental Management

Authority

• CDEMA• Coastal Communities Network• Coral Cay Conservation• Caribbean Media Impact• IUCN - Regional Office for

Mesoamerica & Caribbean• Meteorological Service• Environment Tobago• Montego Bay Marine Park Trust• Ministry of Tourism Jamaica

Partnering Organizations

ParCA Organization Chart

Advisory Committee• Garfield Barnwell (CARICOM Secretariat) - Director of Sustainable Development. • Dr. Daniel Lane (University of Ottawa) - Co-Director of International CURA

project ‘Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change in Coastal Communities: Canada and the Caribbean’ (C-Change)

• Linda Morstch (Environment Canada) –IPCC AR4 Coordinating Lead Author – North American Chapter; co-chair of Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Indicators Task Group

• Dr. David Pearson (Laurentian University) – Co-chair Ontario Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation, Co-Director of the Canadian Adaptation Community of Practice, expert on science communication to the public

Overall Goal of ParCA

… is to utilize a common community-based vulnerability assessment (CBVA) framework to integrate scientific and local knowledge from comparative ‘learning sites’ to understand the multi-scale socioeconomic, governance and environmental conditions that shape vulnerability and capacity to adapt to climate change within and between (small and medium sized coastal) communities.

Other Specific Objectives

1. address key data gaps (e.g., downscaled climate change scenarios, high resolution elevation data and sea level rise risk mapping, social/cultural values mapping) that have been a barrier to accurate assessment of the vulnerability of climate change and restricted community dialogue on adaptation…;

2. through the CBVA and associated governance assessment and community visioning processes …, develop and evaluate practical local adaptation portfolios (including technological, institutional, and regulatory options) that address community needs … and, where relevant, are informed by the adaptation needs of major external stakeholders (e.g., int’l tourists) and avoid maladaptation;

3. facilitate the ‘mainstreaming’ and ‘scaling-up’ of adaptation into larger planning initiatives related to sustainable development (e.g., tourism planning, integrated coastal management, infrastructure and disaster management, fisheries and biodiversity) and incorporate local perspectives and values into governance arrangements, and national and regional adaptation planning;

4. establish scientific and professional networks and build capacity, through targeted training in the communities and regions and mobilization of collective (multi-project) knowledge, empower people in communities to effectively respond to climate change by strengthening institutional and governance structures.

Key Research Themes/Questions

1. CBVA Focus:– How and why are individuals, particular livelihoods (e.g., fishers, tourism

operators/employees) exposed/sensitive to changing environmental conditions?– How does the degree of exposure and sensitivity to climate events differ among

social groups (gender and livelihoods focus) within the community?– What are the future climate-related changes (means, magnitude and frequency of

extremes) expected to affect the community and the environmental systems it depends on?

– What are the probabilities of exceeding critical physical or decision thresholds in managed systems (e.g., minimum water intake, flood levels)?

– How have individuals and community institutions managed (adapted to) changing conditions?

– How have the predominant types of adaptation varied by social groups within the community and what has been the distribution of benefits and burdens associated with adaptations?

– How sustainable are existing adaptations?

CBVA Focus Continued:

– What options (structural, governance, behavioural) and capacity do individuals and the community have to deal with future changes?

– What are the limits to individual and community adaptation options and what are the barriers to adaptation at all scales (individual, local, national, regional)?

– To what extent are the outcomes from community visioning consistent with national goals/objectives?

– Do planned adaptation strategies avoid maladaptation? Are they sustainable?

– To what extent do adaptation strategies that have worked in one community apply to others?

– How can knowledge from comparative case study communities be ‘scaled up’ to inform national/regional policy?

2. Governance Focus:– What are the institutional processes (Environmental Assessment, conflict

resolution) and governance frameworks (legal, policy, regulatory-enforcement) through which adaptation processes are implemented? What are the current entry points for adaptation?

– Who are the current actors (state, non-state) with respect to climate-related governance? What are the existing strengths and limitations in these approaches?

– To what extent are existing institutions and governance arrangements able to cope with expected impacts (surprises)?

– What institutional arrangements (e.g., property rights, existing legislation) facilitate or constrain adaptation potential?

– What are the implications for existing sector-oriented governance arrangements?– What are the vertical and horizontal institutional linkages required to facilitate

adaptation in the context of identified vulnerabilities in the learning sites?– What bridging organizations exist (locally, regionally) to facilitate governance

networks that enhance adaptive capacity? – What conditions would enable more adaptive forms of governance and

encourage multi- stakeholder social learning? – How can equity be enhanced through adaptive governance?

3. Community Visioning-Adaptation Plan Focus:– How can visually-based risk and adaptation planning tools (e.g,. participatory

GIS, design charettes) facilitate citizen and stakeholder engagement? – What would coastal protection or retreat look like physically from a land use

planning and design perspective?– Are design concepts that emerge from planning design charrettes with local

citizens congruent with other stakeholders that are key to the local economy and livelihoods (tourists)? Can coastal protection designs pass ‘market test’ with residents and non-residents (tourists)?

– If coastal protection is cost prohibitive for small and medium sized communities, how can governance structures (particularly planning processes) manage coastal retreat? What are the equity issues that emerge?

Learning Sites

Ethical Issues Identified• With CBVA approach community engagement is the foundation of

the research and adaptation visioning process.– participation of a full range of community interests, including the most vulnerable

(e.g., aboriginal communities, small-scale fishers or tourism operators, informal settlements)

– See also Training and Capacity Building

• Beyond the ethical soundness of our core methodological approach, most of the research team are highly experienced with participatory in-community field work.

• University / Tri-Council / IDRC ethics protocols for research with human participants are the standard for the program and training for graduate students.

Training Plan• ParCA has made the training of a new generation of Canadian and

Caribbean climate change adaptation scholars a priority. – Funding for 29 HQP (~ 19 Masters, 6 PhD and 4 Post-Doctoral Fellows)– Each trainee is linked to a specific ParCA research activity and will also engage in

interdisciplinary work– Mentoring with distinguished academics (CRCs, Pew Fellows, IPCC experts)– Guidelines for co-authorship will be established at the outset of the program

• Training aspect of ParCA extends to community professionals.– In each of the learning sites, community and regional partners (e.g., 5Cs,

CARIBSAVE, ECA, CCN) will be engaged in applied research, including a partnership agreement with main partner organizations

– Each leaning site has a sponsored Community Adaptation Associate – Funded ‘community adaptive capacity building exchange’

Expected OutcomesBeneficiaries Outcomes

Academic • Advance research methods for adaptation• Theoretical advances of CVBA• Develop methods suited to communities with limited capacity• Compare and contrast outcomes of top-down SLR vulnerability

studies with bottom-up (synergies)• Advance knowledge on:

• Characterizing current and future climate-related vulnerability and adaptive capacity (small-medium coastal communities, sectors)

• Improve understanding of adaptation governance - decision making processes in government, industry, and citizenry

• Evaluating adaptation options (against sustainability and maladaptation criteria)

• Improved understanding of the role of planning and design in coastal adaptation

• Enhance adaptation capacity (esp. Canada, Caribbean)• Students trained (funding leverages via univ./external scholarships0• New scientific networks established, faculty exchanges• Provide knowledge and tools for furthering education on adaptation

Beneficiaries Outcomes

Study Area Communities

• Advance adaptation capacity• Community adaptation practitioner trained and well networked• Enhanced capacity to conduct further research (suited methods)

and monitor environmental change• Community of practice established with linkages to communities• Community adaptation practitioner exchange completed• Community decision makers briefed and/or engaged in adaptation• Improved public awareness of climate change adaptation

• Adaptation planning initiated/advanced:• Information base improved• Evaluated adaptation options (against sustainability and

maladaptation criteria)• Improve understanding of governance structures influencing

adaptation planning• Communities prepared to seek implementation assistance

(technical, financial) from high levels of government or ODA

Small-medium Sized Coastal Communities

• Advance adaptation capacity• Community of practice established with linkages to communities• Transfer of knowledge on vulnerabilities and adaptation from

ParCa, C-Change, CCCRA programs• Improved public and decision maker awareness of climate change

adaptation• Mainstreaming of adaptation improved in Canada-Caribbean

Beneficiaries Outcomes

Sectoral, Parish, Provincial, National Decision Makers

(Government, Industry, NGOs)

• Advance adaptation capacity• Improved knowledge of sectoral vulnerabilities and specific

(evaluated) adaptation strategies• Enhanced capacity to conduct further research and monitor

environmental change• Community of practice established with linkages to practitioners• Community adaptation practitioner exchange completed• Key decision makers / professional communities briefed on

adaptation • Improved public awareness of climate change adaptation –

innovative knowledge mobilization strategies piloted and evaluated• Leverage training / mobilization funds (with UNDP, IDB)

• Adaptation mainstreaming advanced• Improve understanding of governance structures influencing

adaptation planning (including key entry points)• Recommendations for policy and planning interventions for

adaptation

Partnership for Canada-Caribbean Community

Climate Change Adaptation (ParCA)

IRIACC Inception Meeting

2-3 June - Ottawa

Innovative Features 1. Theoretical development of the CBVA approach, with increased focus on the

role of institutions and networked governance arrangements for adaptive capacity

2. Improvements over past implementation of the CBVA approach with greater attention to integration of outcomes into community adaptation visioning and use of novel design charrettes to define culturally sensitive adaptation portfolios and strategies … explore the novel challenges associated with adaptation for visitor based economy (i.e., the needs of international tourists)

3. Critical examination and evaluation of adaptation portfolios against maladaptation criteria to ensure feasibility and overall incremental benefit

4. Examination of opportunities to situate adaptation planning in context of need for more fundamental transformations in governance practices (adaptive, collaborative, multi-level and networked arrangements)

5. Integration of cutting edge natural science (LiDAR, ASTER satellite data) and downscaled climate change scenario outputs with participatory GIS and values mapping, to inform community adaptation visioning and design charrettes

6. Strategic emphasis on key tourism-fishery sector linkages of central importance to learning sites in the Caribbean and Atlantic Canada (and many other coastal communities worldwide)

7. Innovative knowledge mobilization strategies for a diverse set of audiences (including youth), such as an on-line Community of Practice, films and interactive media, and policy briefs to targeted decision-makers and sectoral leaders. Explore potential for resource leveraging with other partner projects and end-of-program initiatives (e.g., coastal tourism adaptation planning workshop with Caribbean Tourism Organization and UN World Tourism Organization; adaptation planning in World Heritage Sites with UNESCO)