Download Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Water

Project Title
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Water Resources and Human Livelihoods in
the Coastal Zones of Small Island Developing States (CASCADE)
Funding Agency
Africa, Caribbean and Indian Ocean Group of Countries (ACP Group).
Project Website: http://www2.sta.uwi.edu/cascade
Project Duration
Three Years
Research Institutions
University of the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago), Centro Euro Mediterraneo Per i
Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
(CCCCC)
Research Focus/Objectives
Overall: To place SIDS further down the path of sustainable development.
Specific: Designing and promoting multi-stakeholder climate change adaptation
strategies in the water and sanitation sector in SIDS with an aim to improving human
livelihoods.
Project Sites
Two core sites: St Vincent & the Grenadines and St Lucia; and
Two mirror sites: Grenada and Mauritius.
CASCADE will attain its objectives by
1. Providing a comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment Framework for livelihood
impacts of climate change as a result of changes in freshwater systems and to
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apply this framework to a series of core Caribbean island Case Studies where
tourism and agriculture play an important economic role;
Testing the “scaling-up” and research transferability of these methodologies to
other small island case study applications by an assessment of mirror SIDS case
studies to water stresses and climate change, in particular with an investigation
of effective research between Caribbean and Indian Ocean islands;
Developing generalized adaptation strategies for water management in SIDS,
with an emphasis on community-based risk reduction strategies, institutional
strengthening and economic policy instruments for the achievement of water
security;
Facilitating effective dialogue and developing collaborative partnerships among
different stakeholders including the water sector, the tourism sector, the
agricultural sector, coastal communities, civil society and public officials;
Focusing academic, public policy and public attention on the issues of waterrelated climate change impacts and the necessity of “no regrets” adaptation
policies and to promote effective dialogue among these groups;
Fostering knowledge transfer between the developed (EU) and developing
(Caribbean and Indian Ocean SIDS) world in the development and application of
climate-related water research.
Impacts
1. The CASCADE action will facilitate effective dialogue and develop collaborative
partnerships among different stakeholders.
2. There will be benefits to regional and international scientific communities.
3. The Action adopts an inter-regional geographic focus, with a research action that
targets primary activities in the Caribbean but that is also “scaled-up” to small
islands in the Indian Ocean.
4. The potential for replication of the CASCADE methodology will ensure its
application at a wide level benefiting all identified stakeholders.
5. The development of generalised adaptation strategies for water management in
SIDS will facilitate the provision of a policy toolkit that can assist communities
and public officials in other small island states with adaptation measures for the
water sector.
6. There will be a transfer of knowledge between the developed (EU) and
developing (Caribbean and Indian Ocean SIDS) world in the development and
application of climate-related water research.
7. The Action will also result in increased regional attention and awareness.
8. By highlighting research attention on climate-related impacts in the particular
context of Small Island Developing States and climate-related impacts, it is
envisaged that the Action will contribute in a sustainable sense to public attention
and global research focus on this recognised subset of developing countries.
Execution
The project objectives will be achieved through the execution of 8 Work packages: 6
Research Work Packages, one Dissemination Work Package and one Management
Work Package.
Deliverables
The achievement of a series of well-defined deliverables and milestones will result in
the main CASCADE outputs that include
A. A Toolbox for Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Assessment;
B. Detailed Community and Hazard Profiles for Climate-Related Threats to the
Water and Sanitation Sector;
C. Multi-Stakeholder Action Plans for Adaptation;
D. Scientific Publication and Dissemination Products;
E. Capacity Building and Best Practices.