Community Adaptation Plan Bluefields, Jamaica

Transcription

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Community Adaptation Plan
BLUEFIELDS, JAMAICA | 2015
Prepared by The CARIBSAVE Partnership with funding from
The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB/MIF)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The CARIBSAVE Partnership wishes to thank all of the persons who contributed to the completion of this
Community Adaptation Plan and to the Climate Change, Coastal Community Enterprises: Adaptation, Resilience
& Knowledge (C-ARK) project as a whole, through which this Plan was produced. We greatly appreciate the
contribution of time, assistance, information and resources provided to ensure that this document helps
communities adapt to effects of climate change.
Specifically, we want to acknowledge some of the key organisations and agencies for their collaboration and
support throughout the project:
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Bluefields People's Community Association
Westmoreland Organic Farmers Society
Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society
Westmoreland Parish Council
BREDS, The Treasure Beach Foundation
Travel Foundation
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
The CARIBSAVE Partnership would also like to extend its deepest thanks to the vision and commitment of the
Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB/MIF) for funding the C-ARK project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 3
ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. 6
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INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................... 8
1.2 Why focus on climate change adaptation in Bluefields? ........................................................................ 8
1.3 Scope of the plan .................................................................................................................................... 9
1.4 How this plan was developed ............................................................................................................... 11
1.5 How this plan is organised .................................................................................................................... 12
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CLIMATE CHANGE: AN OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 14
2.1 What is climate change? ....................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 What causes climate change? ............................................................................................................... 15
2.3 What are the effects of climate change? .............................................................................................. 16
2.4 Who is affected by climate change? ..................................................................................................... 16
2.5 What does climate change mean for the Caribbean? .......................................................................... 17
2.6 What is the link between climate change and how we look after our natural environment? ............. 19
2.7 What can be done about climate change? ........................................................................................... 19
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BLUEFIELDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.................................................................................. 22
3.1 What climate change has meant for Bluefields so far .......................................................................... 22
3.2 Summary of potential climate change impacts and risks ..................................................................... 23
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OUTCOMES OF THE BLUEFIELDS COMMUNITY ADAPTATION PLAN ................................. 26
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BLUEFIELDS’ CLIMATE ADAPTATION GOALS, STRATEGY AND ACTIONS ........................... 28
5.1 Goal 1: Increase public awareness and communication of climate change and its community
impacts ................................................................................................................................................. 28
5.2 Goal 2: Engage in and encourage activities that aid in habitat restoration and natural resource
preservation ......................................................................................................................................... 33
5.3 Goal 3: Minimise or prevent damage or loss of property from flooding or inundation resulting
from heavier storm events, sea level rise, and other adverse climate impacts ................................... 39
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5.4 Goal 4: Enhance current livelihood strategies and create livelihoods and opportunities that put
less strain on the use of local natural resources .................................................................................. 41
5.5 Goal 5: Strengthen community partnerships to reduce vulnerability .................................................. 44
5.6 Goal 6: Establish early warning systems and an emergency response plan for the community .......... 46
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HOW WILL THIS PLAN BE IMPLEMENTED? ........................................................................ 49
6.1 Collective Action for Implementation ................................................................................................... 49
6.2 Keeping track of progress and results ................................................................................................... 50
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RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................ 55
7.1 Asset Map for MSMEs in Bluefields ...................................................................................................... 55
7.2 Documents ............................................................................................................................................ 57
7.3 Toolkits.................................................................................................................................................. 59
7.4 Videos ................................................................................................................................................... 59
7.5 Music videos/Edutainment ................................................................................................................... 61
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GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................... 63
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ACRONYMS
BBFFS
Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society
BBSFCA
Bluefields Bay Special Fisheries Conservation Area
BEPA
Bluefields Environmental Protection Association
BPCA
Bluefields People's Community Association
C-ARK
Climate Change, Caribbean Community Enterprises: Adaptation, Resilience and
Knowledge
CBA
Community Baseline Assessment
CBO
Community based organisation
CDC
Community Development Committee
DAC
Development Area Committee
JAS
Jamaica Agricultural Society
MSME
Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
NEPA
National Environment and Planning Agency
ODPEM
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
RADA
Rural Agricultural Development Authority
RAJ Tours
Reliable Adventures Jamaica Tours
TPDCo
Tourism Product Development Company
UWI
University of the West Indies
WOFS
Westmoreland Organic Farmers Society
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1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
Purpose
Why focus on climate change adaptation in Bluefields?
Scope of the plan
How this plan was developed
How this plan is organised
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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
1.1
Purpose
Climate change1 is affecting livelihoods in coastal communities throughout the Caribbean.
Across the region, communities need to find ways of coping now and adapting in the future.
Bluefields in Westmoreland, Jamaica is no exception. This Community Adaptation Plan is a
positive step by the residents of Bluefields towards developing their community response to
climate change.
The plan is intended to help the tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and craft sectors in Bluefields
adapt to climate change and thereby strengthen the community as a whole. It is a guide for
community members in taking appropriate measures to minimise harm to their environment,
improving their businesses and lifestyles, and coping with the impacts of a changing climate
so that the local economy in Bluefields can be sustained for future generations.
The Bluefields Community Adaptation Plan was prepared as part of the Climate Change,
Coastal Community Enterprises: Adaptation, Resilience and Knowledge (CCCCE-ARK) Project,
which is being implemented by The CARIBSAVE Partnership between 2012 and 2015. The
project is being carried out in two communities in each of four countries, namely Barbados,
the Bahamas, Belize and Jamaica.
1.2
Why focus on climate change adaptation in Bluefields?
Bluefields Bay is special. It is a natural harbour and the usually flat, calm waters make it ideal
for safely mooring and dry docking boats. No surprise then that fishing is a major economic
activity in the area, along with many fishing-related occupations, including fish processing and
vending, pot stick cutting, fish pot making, boat building, and boat loading/off-loading.
Importantly, Bluefields has one of the first marine protected areas in Jamaica to be managed
by the community.
Farming is another important income-generating activity in Bluefields. The area’s rich soil
makes it perfect for agriculture and there is a growing local movement towards organic or
‘ital’ agriculture. Bluefields also has a small but important tourism industry, which has
potential to grow. The area’s popular beach and nature park attract Jamaican visitors and
tourists alike. The beach has been affected by severe storm damage in the past, but major
renovations and the creation of the new Bluefields Beach Park in the 1990s has helped pave
the way for tourism to play a more significant role in the local economy. There are also a few
1
The meaning of this word and others in italics throughout the text can be found at the end of the document.
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INTRODUCTION
guest houses and luxury villas in the area.
Fishing, farming, tourism and their spin-off activities all depend on Bluefields’ natural
resources. But over time, residents have been observing changes in the natural environment.
Some of these changes are related to how people use the natural resources, but some are
linked to changing climate conditions. For example, residents report longer dry seasons that
have resulted in people not having enough water for use at home and in their fields. Farmers
say in some years the traditional dry and rainy seasons are no longer predictable. Some
residents have suffered damage from hurricanes and storms at least one to three times in the
last ten years. And there are people in the community who remember when the bathing
beach used to be sandy, before heavy storms eroded the area and exposed underlying stones
and boulders. The scientists’ predictions for the future tell us we should expect more of the
conditions that have led to these effects in the area.
Steadily changing climate conditions in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean (see Section 2)
mean that Bluefields, and other communities, cannot afford to ignore current trends. The
time to take action in order to minimise the negative impacts of climate change and build
community resilience is now. This Community Adaptation Plan is Bluefields’ response to
changing conditions.
1.3
Scope of the plan
This Community Adaptation Plan has been developed for Bluefields, which is separated into
two parts - the Northside (Bluff Point) and the Southside (Belmont) [Map 1]. The intent is to
make Bluefields a climate resilient community. This will require a deliberate series of actions
that build on each other over time. It will also require all members of the community to do
their part in taking practical and positive steps to prepare for expected climate change
impacts in Bluefields.
The Community Adaptation Plan describes the climate threats and vulnerabilities that
Bluefields faces and explains why a climate change adaptation plan is needed. It sets out six
key goals along with strategies and supporting actions that will help sustain the main
livelihoods of the community’s residents and build resilience to climate change.
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INTRODUCTION
Figure 1: Aerial image of Bluefields showing demarcation of plan area
The six goals are:
Goal 1:
Increase public awareness of climate change and its community.
Goal 2:
Engage in and encourage activities that aid in habitat restoration and natural
resource preservation.
Goal 3:
Minimise or prevent damage or loss of property from flooding or inundation
resulting from heavier storm events, sea level rise and other adverse impacts.
Goal 4:
Enhance current livelihood strategies and create livelihoods and
opportunities that put less strain on the use of local natural resources
Goal 5:
Strengthen community partnerships to reduce vulnerability.
Goal 6:
Establish early warning systems and an emergency response plan for the
community.
These goals seek, in the long term, to increase the adaptive capacity of the community’s
systems (built, natural, financial and human) and reduce vulnerability to natural shocks, so
that the environment can be protected and sustained for future generations. This plan covers
the period 2015 – 2017. The long-term nature of these goals means it may not be possible to
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INTRODUCTION
meet them all by 2017. For this reason, the goals have been broken down into more
manageable strategies and actions that can be tackled overt the life of this plan.
Towards the end of the life of this plan, the community and partners will review progress
made in implementing the activities of this action towards meeting these goals with a view to
coming up with a new multi-year plan to build community climate change resilience. The
review will also be an opportunity to see if the goals remain relevant to Bluefields, or if they
need to be changed.
Responsibility for implementing the plan and ultimately ensuring that it meets the
overarching objective of building a more resilient community lies with of all the area’s
residents.
1.4
How this plan was developed
This Bluefields Community Adaptation Plan is the result of a collective effort and the
contributions of a broad range of stakeholders. It reflects the experiences, voices, and shared
visions of those who live and work in Bluefields. The plan was developed through a six-step
process, which is described below.
Step 1. Inventory of local stakeholders & MSMEs in community:
Working together with the Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society (BBFFS), C-ARK team
members compiled a list of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) operations
within the tourism, craft, agriculture, and fisheries sectors in Bluefields.
Step 2. MSME owners interviewed:
Specially designed surveys were administered to fifty randomly selected business operators
across all four sectors to find out what business operators knew about climate change, their
concerns about the issue, and to get an idea of how their enterprises were affected by a
changing climate.
Step 3. Community Baseline Assessment developed:
A Community Baseline Assessment (CBA) reported the data and information gathered from
the survey instruments about the small-business operator’s personal and household
circumstances, and other details related to his/her business, such as how many employees
the business has; what assets (tools of the trade) are owned; how climate has impacted their
operations; and how they have coped (or not) with climate-related impacts.
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INTRODUCTION
Step 4. Needs analyses, climate risk & adaptive capacity assessments
established from community consultation/workshop:
The findings of the CBA were brought back to the people of Bluefields and presented at a
community consultation to make sure that what we found from the surveys was really true
for the whole community.
Step 5. Development of Community Adaptation Plan…this document!
The information gathered through the previous processes was compiled and analysed and
draft versions of the plans for each community were produced.
Step 6. Community Adaptation Plan Validation Workshop:
Information from the draft version of the plan for Bluefields was presented to the community
in a workshop for final validation.
1.5
How this plan is organised
This plan is made up of 6 main sections. Section 1 introduces the plan and its purpose. A brief
introduction to climate change in Section 2 will help readers understand key concepts. This
section presents a brief, easily-understood overview of climate change, its causes, and its
effects. Section 3 briefly examines what climate change has meant for Bluefields thus far and
what it could mean for the community in the future. Section 4 presents the expected
outcomes of the Community Adaptation Plan. Section 5 gets to the heart of the matter and
presents the goals, strategies and actions of the plan. Section 6 looks at how it will be
implemented and includes a section on monitoring and evaluation.
The resource section includes a community asset map and lists a number of documents,
toolkits and videos that can be used to support community education and outreach activities.
The list is not intended to be comprehensive but rather to serve as a starting point.
A glossary at the end of the document lists terms that may not be familiar to all readers.
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INTRODUCTION
2
CLIMATE CHANGE: AN OVERVIEW
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
What is Climate Change?
What causes Climate Change?
What are the effects of Climate Change?
Who is affected by Climate Change?
What does Climate Change mean for the Caribbean?
What is the link between Climate Change and how we look after our natural
environment?
What can be done about Climate Change?
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2
2.1
What is climate change?
The earth is getting warmer. Over the past hundred years, the earth’s average temperature
has gone up by approximately 0.8°C or 1.5°F. The earth has got warmer in the past, but what
is different this time is that it is warming much faster now, and the changes we are seeing are
bigger than before. This warming is the result of human activity that puts more heat-trapping
gases into the air around the earth (the atmosphere) than natural systems can absorb.
Warmer temperatures are causing other changes on land and in the sea such as more
extreme storms, rainfall and floods; longer periods without rain, extreme heat and fires;
melting snow and ice; and rising sea levels.
Weather and climate: what is the
difference?
Weather is what we experience on a day to day basis.
Weather refers to the conditions at a particular time
and place, and can change from hour to hour, day to
day, and season to season. Weather is what is
happening outside right now. Climate, on the other
hand, refers to the long-term average pattern of
weather in a place.
Weather is measured by temperature, humidity, wind
speed, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, and
precipitation (rain, snow etc.). Climate is the average,
or typical, weather conditions of a given area
observed over a long period of time, usually 30 years
or more.
For example, we might say that the tropical climate of
Belize is warm and humid, although the weather on a
particular day could be quite different from that.
CDEMA.2011. Climate Smart Community Development
Module. Facilitator’s Handbook. Prepared for the
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute.
Bridgetown, Barbados
These shifts in temperature, rainfall
patterns and sea levels that have
been taking place over a long period
of time tell us that the climate is
changing. It is normal to have some
short-term variation in climate, but
the longer-term trends that we are
now seeing are outside of what the
scientists consider normal. When we
talk about “climate change”,
therefore, we are referring to longterm changes in the weather, usually
over a period of thirty years or more.
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2.2
What causes climate change?
Climate change is caused by the build-up of heat trapping gases, known as greenhouse gases,
in the atmosphere. Many greenhouse gases come from burning wood and the fossil fuels (oil,
coal and natural gas) that power our vehicles, factories, businesses and homes. Carbon
dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that is produced in this way. There are other greenhouses
gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, which are produced by the agricultural sector.
Agricultural production has had to scale up over the past 200 years to keep pace with the
earth’s growing population, and the greenhouse gases the sector produces has also increased.
Several greenhouse gases are produced naturally and nature has a way to absorb them
through trees, plants, the soil, and even water. But when we change land use, for example by
cutting down forests to make way for farms and housing, this contributes to the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Our use of energy and need for land space all over the
world has increased so sharply over the past 100 – 200 years that we find ourselves in a
situation where human activity is leading to more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than
nature can cope with.
Greenhouse gases form a thick blanket in the atmosphere, trapping heat from the sun to
warm the earth. We need these gases; without them and their warming effect it would be too
cold for us to live on earth. But when the layer of gases becomes so thick that less and less
heat escapes, over time the planet begins to get warmer than usual. The increase in the
temperature in the air around us also causes the temperature in the sea to rise.
But climate change does not mean that the increase in temperature is steady from one day to
the next or even one year to the next. The temperature goes up and down, and weather
conditions are not consistent. Heavy rains and flooding one year may be followed by intense
drought, or a very hot year maybe followed by a cooler one. What is significant is that when
the scientists look at the overall pattern or trend, they see day and night time temperatures
increasing. They also see more frequent intense (or extreme) weather events, like long-term
droughts and torrential downpours of rain. In fact, the scientists say over the past 50 years
the total amount of rainfall globally has increased by 7 per cent, but much of this rain is
coming in more frequent, heavy downpours.2
We sometimes hear the term climate variability being used in discussions about climate
change. Climate variability describes when local climatic conditions that are different from the
average or what is thought to be “normal” conditions. For example, the average annual
rainfall in Barbados is 1,413 mm (55.6 inches). Some years below average rain may fall; in
2
Huber, D. and J. Gulledge. 2011. Extreme Weather and Climate Change. Center for Climate and Energy
Solutions.http://www.c2es.org/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change
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other years, the level may be above average. This departure from the average is referred to as
variability. With the warming of the earth’s temperature, we have been experiencing more
variability in addition to the overall trend of long term changes in climate.
2.3
What are the effects of climate change?
Climate change doesn’t just mean a change in weather; there are a number of other effects
and trends that have been experienced worldwide. These trends include:
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Higher temperatures worldwide, including more hot days and nights. Since the 1950s,
for example, there have been more heat waves.
Rising sea levels: Sea levels around the world have been getting higher due to melting
glaciers and sea ice and the expansion of the water in the oceans as the sea surface
temperatures get hotter. Some islands in the Pacific have already lost a lot of land to
the sea.
More unusual and frequent extreme weather: Extreme weather events such as heat
waves, droughts, floods (and the landslides that often accompany them), storms,
hurricanes, coastal surges, and cold snaps, are becoming not only stronger, but more
frequent too. Severe weather that would have been experienced once in every 100
years, for example, might now be experienced every 10 years, or even more
frequently.
Changes in precipitation (rainfall and snow): Drought conditions last longer; more
places are now affected by drought; and rain and snow sometimes fall at unexpected
times.
Each of the trends described above affects people, plants and animals, and alters many
complex relationships in nature.
2.4
Who is affected by climate change?
All countries in the world are affected by climate change. How they are affected might differ
depending on their geography, natural climate conditions, and the strength and resilience of
their natural and physical systems. The countries that use the most energy are the biggest
contributors to greenhouse gas emissions; and where land is being converted from forests to
other uses, this is also adding to the problem as nature’s way of absorbing some greenhouse
gases is being weakened. Many of the countries that are worst affected by climate change
are not large producers of greenhouse gases. Small island states, like the countries of the
Caribbean for example, are among the most vulnerable to climate change because they
depend heavily on the coastal and other natural resources that are affected by climate
change, and have a lot of their important infrastructure, like roads, airports, commercial
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towns and cities, located along the coast.
2.5
What does climate change mean for the Caribbean?
The climate trends in the Caribbean have mirrored what is happening globally. Temperatures
are increasing; rainfall has become more variable with more drought and flood conditions
throughout the region; and sea levels are rising.
Scientists who study the climate tell us the future will bring more of the same.
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They predict that temperatures will continue to rise, possibly between 1 - 5°C by
2099.
Overall the Caribbean will be drier by 25 – 35%. This does not mean there will be no
rain; rather less rain is likely to fall in general, especially during the traditional rainy
season between May and November.
Sea levels will continue to go up. Because we are close to the equator, scientists
expect that sea level rise may be higher than in other parts of the world. When the
sea level goes up, beaches are lost and there is coastal erosion. Coastal ecosystems,
like mangroves and seagrass beds are also lost, as is infrastructure, like roads, bridges
and buildings, along the coast line.
Storms and hurricanes are expected to be more intense, that is to say they will bring
more rain and have stronger winds.
The following shows some of the ways in which these trends are affecting, and will continue
to affect, our lives and everything around us.
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Trend
Impacts
Temperature

Precipitation/Rainfall
↓
Health
 Increase in heatstroke, especially among small children
and the elderly.
 Increase in some diseases carried by insects and rodents,
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like dengue and leptospirosis.
Agriculture
 Less water available during certain times of the year.
 Changes in the rain-fed growing season.
 Heavy downpours and storms could lead to land
degradation and soil erosion
 Heat stress in animals.
 Lower crop yields because temperatures are not ideal for
plant growth and development.
Marine life
 Migration of some fish species, like tuna and parrotfish,
which could go in search of cooler waters.
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 Coral bleaching
 Migratory species, like whales, change their breeding
habits and spend less time in the Caribbean Sea.
 Change in the sex ratio (number of females to males)
among egg-laying marine reptiles - turtles and crocodiles.
Forests
 Landslides
Water resources
 Unable to meet demand for water during low rainfall
periods in:
o Homes
o Fields
o Factories
o Schools and business places.
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Warmer temperatures cause the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries dengue fever and the chikungunya virus to
breed faster. Higher temperatures alone do not lead to increased dengue outbreaks, but they are a contributing
factor. The region had one of the worst ever dengue outbreaks in 2007. Floods and heavy rains are favourable for
the spread of water-borne diseases and diseases associated with water, like leptospirosis. Guyana, for example,
had an outbreak of leptospirosis after heavy flooding in 2005. Rats carry leptospirosis, but it spreads through water
contaminated by their urine.
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Warmer waters cause corals to expel the small plant organisms (algae) that live in them. When this happens the
corals go white or ‘bleach’. Bleached corals can eventually die. Strong hurricanes also put pressure on the reefs,
most of which are already damaged by pollution from the land, overfishing and disease. In 2005, the Caribbean had
a record-breaking hurricane season and a massive coral bleaching episode.
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Sea level

2.6
Coastal areas
 Increased coastal flooding and storm surge affecting:
o Infrastructure
o Homes
o Businesses and livelihoods.
 Increased coastal erosion.
 Saltwater contamination of ground water (saltwater
intrusion).
 Erosion/loss of beaches.
Plants and animals (wildlife) along the coast and in the sea
 Loss of mangroves.
 Loss of breeding grounds and habitats for fish, turtles, and
other marine animals.
What is the link between climate change and how we look after
our natural environment?
Throughout the Caribbean many of the natural systems that form part of the islands’
defences against bad weather conditions, like the forests, coral reefs, and mangroves, have
been damaged or even completely destroyed through poor environmental practices. Some of
these poor environmental practices include:
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Dumping garbage in gullies, rivers and other waterways that flow to the sea;
Using high levels of pesticides and fertilisers near rivers and waterways;
Failing to treat sewage properly or at all before it runs off into waterways and the sea;
Cutting down mangroves and other forests;
Removing cover from hillsides causing the soil to erode;
Building too close to the shoreline; and
Damaging coral reefs with boats, anchors, fishing gear, or the illegal use of dynamite.
Once the natural systems are weakened, they are less able to protect us and withstand the
impacts of storms and other extreme weather. For example, coral reefs that have been
weakened by anchor damage and pollution are less able to stand up to wave action that
comes with a severe storm. Without coral reefs to break the waves and reduce their energy,
powerful waves hit the coastline with great force. The damage is usually greater when reefs
are not able to play their shoreline protection role.
2.7
What can be done about climate change?
There are two main things that can be done about climate change. One is to reduce the
amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are being put into the atmosphere. The
second is to take actions to cope with and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
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Countries that are large producers of greenhouse gases have a responsibility to reduce the
quantity of gases they produce by encouraging energy conservation and switching their
energy sources from fossil fuels to renewable or clean sources like the sun, wind, and waves.
Doing this is called mitigation.
Countries that are currently feeling the worst effects of climate change and are expected to
continue to do so, like the islands of the Caribbean, have a responsibility to prepare for
changing conditions and to take actions to make their natural and physical systems stronger.
Doing this is called adaptation.
Adaptation is everybody’s business...
It is not just countries that need to adapt to climate change;
communities and even households can take steps to ensure they are
ready to deal with the effects of changing conditions.
Even though small islands and other countries that are especially vulnerable to the effects of
climate change need to focus on adaptation measures, there is room for them to play a role in
mitigation, or reducing the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. No matter
where in the world greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, it benefits everyone. These
countries should also switch to cleaner energy sources and reduce the use of oil and gas. Not
only does this help with the collective effort to reduce greenhouse gases in the air, it has the
added benefit of helping to save money on energy costs.
The residents of Bluefields are already keenly aware of the importance of managing their
environment responsibly, and are taking steps to address the impacts of climate change in the
community, but more is needed. This Community Adaptation Plan will help you understand
what more you and your community can do and how you can benefit.
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3
BLUEFIELDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
3.1
3.2
What climate change has meant for Bluefields so far
Summary of potential climate change impacts and risks
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3
3.1
What climate change has meant for Bluefields so far
Jamaica experiences tropical climatic conditions and is located within the Atlantic Hurricane
Belt (occurring between June and November yearly). Jamaica has a relatively defined wet and
dry season, with the wet season being associated with frequent rain events, storms and
hurricanes.
Bluefields is experiencing the effects of climate change in a number of areas. These are
described below.

Longer dry seasons and droughts have, at times, led to water shortages. Community
members, especially those involved in agriculture and fishing feel that rainfall
patterns have changed in the last 6 - 10 years. The area is water-scarce, and already
increased periods of dryness have become more evident. In the agricultural industry,
almost all farms are rain-fed and limited to one crop season per year. Bluefields has a
dry season from December through April, though farmers are now saying that in
some years, these conditions are no longer seasonal or predictable. While no drought
conditions have been experienced since 2012, the community has had to cope with
drought in the past and anticipates having to deal with dry spells in the future.

Storms and extreme weather have put livelihoods at risk. A small minority of
residents have experienced personal losses and damage to their buildings or physical
assets in the last ten years. Farmers have the least resilience to severe weather as
they face damage or loss of crops, tools and other equipment. Fishers do not go out
to sea when it is stormy. Tourism related activities like recreational fishing and boat
tours are also put on hold when there is adverse weather. Increased storm intensity
also leads to habitat destruction and by extension reduces the natural resources
locals depend on for livelihood gain. Damage to roads and other infrastructure from
extreme weather, also puts livelihoods at risk.

Storm surge (sea swells) and strong wave action have caused beach erosion. The
Bluefields beach and park are public and an important part of the social scene,
attracting a large local crowd at the weekends. The beach is about 1km in length and
fairly narrow. It used to be sandy but recent heavy storms have eroded beaches and
exposed underlying stones and boulders.

Poor environmental management practices are weakening natural systems in
Bluefields and this in turn is making the area more vulnerable to the negative effects
of climate change.
23
3.2
-
Gullies are commonly used as dumping sites. Blocked waterways put the
community at greater risk of flooding.
-
Containers that can collect water during the rainy season that are not
properly disposed of can become breeding sites for the carrier of dengue
fever and the chikungunya virus, the Aedes aegyptii mosquito.
-
The fires that are set intentionally on the hillsides to clear land for farming
reduce forest cover, degrade the land, and increase the risk of landslides
when there is high intensity rainfall in the area.
-
Lack of septic systems or poorly constructed septic systems leads to
contamination of the waterways. Toilets in an estimated 90% of homes are
not connected to septic tanks or systems and instead soak away directly into
the subsoil, eventually ending up in the waterways. As a result, the level of E.
coli bacteria in the rivers and the beaches of the Bluefields community is
high.
Summary of potential climate change impacts and risks
Bluefields’ very location makes it vulnerable to many of the impacts of climate variability and
climate change. The vulnerable areas and resources are:

The settlements found on or near the coast in areas that are prone to storm surge,
flooding and the impacts of sea level rise. These include: Belmont, Creek, Blacks Bay,
Farm Community, Sandals White House, and the districts between Cave and Ferris
Cross.

The settlements on hillsides that are at risk of landslides in periods of intense rainfall
include: Belmont, River Top, Brighton, Auldayr, Cave Mountain, Cave Hill, McAlpine,
Mearnsville and Red Gate. Auldayr is also vulnerable to soil erosion.

The area’s coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove ecosystems can be damaged or
destroyed by intense wave action caused by extreme weather. This will result in
biodiversity and habitat loss, destabilisation of the beach, land reclamation by the
sea, and the loss of important barriers that protect the coastline from wave
destruction. The decline in the health of coral reefs and in fish stocks in the bay over
the past three decades has been documented. This situation has contributed
significantly to poverty and unemployment.
24

Public infrastructure and small businesses located directly on or near the coast line
are exposed to storm surge, sea level rise and coastal erosion. Home and business
owners along the coast have indicated the need for enforced buildings and building
materials that can withstand the strong and salty offshore winds and the powerful
action of waves and storm events. The public infrastructure includes:
o the boat dockyard and jetty;
o the Post Office;
o the Police Station; and
o schools and community centres, some of which are converted to relief
shelters in times of emergency. For example: Mearnsville Primary School
(relief shelter); Belmont Academy High School; Bluefields Basic School; Cave
Basic School; Mc-Alpine Basic School; and Robins River Basic School
o Small businesses:
 10 craft shops
 15 guest houses, 10 villas, and1 hotel
 5 agricultural vending kiosks
 the Peter Tosh memorial monument
25
4
OUTCOMES OF THE BLUEFIELDS COMMUNITY
ADAPTATION PLAN
26
OUTCOMES OF THE BLUEFIELDS COMMUNITY ADAPTATION PLAN
4
OUTCOMES OF THE BLUEFIELDS COMMUNITY
ADAPTATION PLAN
The outcomes below reflect the main changes in practices and conditions that the Community
Adaptation Plans is expected to bring about in Bluefields in the short to medium term.

Uptake of climate change adaptation measures within households and businesses in
the Bluefields community.

Increased resilience of key ecosystems in the Bluefields community.

Livelihoods in the agriculture, farming and tourism sectors are able to withstand
climate-related shocks.
27
OUTCOMES OF THE BLUEFIELDS COMMUNITY ADAPTATION PLAN
5
BLUEFIELDS’ CLIMATE ADAPTATION GOALS, STRATEGY
AND ACTIONS
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
Goal 1: Increase public awareness and communication of climate change and its
community impacts.
Goal 2: Engage in and encourage activities that aid in habitat restoration and natural
resource preservation.
Goal 3: Minimise or prevent damage or loss of property from flooding or inundation
resulting from heavier storm events, sea level rise and other adverse climate impacts.
Goal 4: Enhance current livelihood strategies and create livelihoods and opportunities
that put less strain on the use of local natural resources.
Goal 5: Strengthen community partnerships to reduce vulnerability.
Goal 6: Establish early warning systems and an emergency response plan for the
community.
28
BLUEFIELDS’ CLIMATE ADAPTATION GOALS, STRATEGY AND ACTIONS
5
BLUEFIELDS’ CLIMATE ADAPTATION GOALS,
STRATEGY AND ACTIONS
5.1
Goal 1: Increase public awareness and communication of climate
change and its community impacts
STRATEGIES

Develop a local campaign to build public awareness about climate change and its
impacts, the hazards and threats that are specific to Bluefields and what businesses
and residents can do to cope now and in the future. Talking points and key messages
should be specific to the area and reflect local issues and concerns. The success of the
campaign will require partnerships with key community groups and stakeholders to
get the message out. Local churches and schools will play an important role in this
regard. Year 1 of the campaign should focus on the Bluefield community, but year 2
onwards should target the nearby communities of Cave, Mearnsville, Whitehouse etc.

Develop education and communication materials that respond to local needs and
reflect the local context. Locally generated outreach materials and tools that can help
increase understanding of climate change, its impacts and how its risks can be fully
managed, can prove to be beneficial for persons of all ages and from all walks of life.
These materials can include a series of videos and/or booklets that examine various
aspects of the challenges that Bluefields faces. Other related topics of environmental
concern such as pollution and littering can also be discussed in the material produced.
These tools should be suitable for use with community groups as well as in schools at
the primary and secondary levels.

Integrate climate change adaptation into all outreach and public education work
around the four pillars of the Bluefields Community Development Plan. Jobs for All,
Education for All; Food for All; and Protection of our Resources) and into the ongoing
Anti-litter Programme. The Anti-litter Programme has been in operation since 2001.
The Bluefields People’s Community Association (BPCA) delegates member
organisations to cover different aspects of the programme: BBFFS (marine), farmers
(terrestrial) and BPCA (recycling). Community clean-ups have been organised under
the auspices of the Anti-litter Programme since 2001.

Ensure that all community projects are climate proofed to include adaptation or
mitigation as appropriate. Any new projects that are introduced to the community
29
should take climate change into account, be they social interventions or
infrastructural initiatives

Target and engage children and youth. The community’s young people are an asset
and its future. Education and outreach activities will specifically target this group of
residents with a view to educating, empowering and engaging them to play a role in
building a more resilient community.
30
ACTION PLAN TO SUPPORT GOAL 1
Develop a public awareness campaign using public communication
media
How?
Who?
When?

Establish a stakeholder planning committee.

Assess existing environmental education initiatives
and identify gaps / needs.

Determine campaign goals and objectives and
desired outcomes; identify key messages and
audience segments; select channels of
communication (to include interpersonal
approaches and social media most widely used by
Bluefields residents); prepare an action plan and
identify measures of success.

Pre-test message concepts and vary appropriateness
of selected channels / media for target audiences,
revise and produce messages and materials (per
actions below).

Implement campaign.

Evaluate results.

Conduct annual training of trainers (teachers,
community leaders, farmers, fishers) workshops in
climate change basics and adaptation strategies
linked as part of campaign delivery strategy.
Lead:
 BPCA
Support:
 Bluefields CDC and
its member CBOs

Years 1-3
This will be an
ongoing
process
Develop outreach materials of relevance to the community
How?
Who?
When?

Create draft/template documents in the key areas
based on findings of the Community Based
Assessment (CBA) to support the aims of the public
awareness campaign.


Share with relevant groups and ask for their
assistance in providing material to complete the
templates.
Lead:
 CARIBSAVE with
local school
teachers and other
community groups
 BPCA

Prepare final draft and seek approval from
community.
Years 1
31

Produce short videos documenting community
experiences of the effects of climate change,
highlight how the community is adapting and what
else needs to be done.

Disseminate all print and audio visual materials
through community networks as part of public
awareness campaign, including sector workshops
and in school and community outreach. Share video
materials via a community space on YouTube and
use as teaching resources in community workshops
and in the Anti-litter Programme in schools.
Initiate community sensitisation workshops
How?
Who?
When?

Partner with churches and other community
organisations to deliver workshops to community
members as part of these organisations’ regular
schedule of activities
Lead:
 BPCA


Orgainse an annual community climate change
symposium (beginning in 2015) that engages
partners from UWI, Mona Campus and Missouri
State University and targets policymarkers, as well
as members of the immediate and surrounding
communities.
How?
Who?
When?

Lead:
 BPCA

Years 1-3
Scale up the Anti-litter Programme
Introduce the Anti-litter Programme to at least 5
schools each year.
Year 1 - 3
Support:
 BEPA
Inform citizens about the Community Adaptation Plan
How?
Who?
When?

Train selected CDC members to communicate the
plan and mobilise community members, including
through monthly CDC meetings.


Lead:
 CDC (through a
corps of specially
trained members)
Preparation and distribution of pamphlets about the
Jan –
March
2015 and
then
32

plan.

Adaptation fair, to include displays and
competitions.
Support:
 BEPA
 BBFFS
 Social Development
Commission
BPCA
ongoing
annually in
July
33
5.2
Goal 2: Engage in and encourage activities that aid in habitat
restoration and natural resource preservation
STRATEGIES

Promote community responsibility for keeping the environment clean. Keeping our
environment clean ensures that our surroundings are beautiful and that the natural
systems can support us with clean water and clean air. Clean-ups also prevent
wildlife from being killed by debris and keep gullies and waterways clear so they can
drain freely when it rains. A clean environment, especially the beach area, encourages
visits from tourists and other tourism activities that help bring revenue to the
community. BPCA has already completed the planning for a community recycling
programme and has the mechanisms and infrastructure in place. What is now needed
is a shift in the behaviour of the local population to practise recycling. Bar owners,
shop keepers, the management of the major large resort in the area and of local
holiday villas will be approached to do their part in supporting and modelling good
practice.

Reduce pollution in local rivers and river bank failure. Local rivers are an important
water source in the Bluefields area as some community members rely on them. But
they are currently threatened by up-stream agricultural and household pollution,
which has affected the water quality and made the water largely unsuitable for
domestic uses. Agricultural run-off and a lack of proper sceptic systems in
communities up-stream pollute rivers and waterways and jeopardise human health.
Construction too close to the river bank threatens to exacerbate natural river erosion
processes and contribute to river bank failure. Some families with land along river
banks have burial plots that could be jeopardised by river bank failure. Climate
change may increase water demand while shrinking water supply, thereby increasing
the importance of these water sources locally. Efforts to improve the quality of river
water and stabilise the banks must involve a cross-section of the community.

Encourage rainwater harvesting. Rainwater collection and storage is a key adaptation
measure that will help ensure there is an adequate supply of water in homes and on
farms, especially in times of drought or water shortage. A demonstration rainwater
harvesting and solar energy project site has been set up at the BPCA and plans are
underway to establish similar demonstration sites at the Bluefields Basic School, the
BBFFS office, and the Westmoreland Organic Farmers Society (WOFS) headquarters.
34
5

Promote mangrove planting and tree planting. Restoring and planting new mangrove
forests along the coastline and other trees in the upland areas will contribute to the
removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Replanting mangroves also supports
adaptation to climate change through the strengthening of natural sea defences and
supporting coastal zone biodiversity.

Get rid of invasive species that weaken environmental systems. Invasive species such
as lionfish can destroy the delicate coral reef ecosystems if left unchecked. This fish
has no predators in Caribbean waters; the best way we currently know of controlling
the population is by catching them. Local communities in coastal areas can play a big
role in this.

Promote community stewardship of reef resources and the Bluefields Bay Special
Fisheries Conservation Area (fish sanctuary 5 ). Although the BBFFS has primary
responsibility for managing the fish sanctuary in Bluefields, all residents have a role to
play in helping to ensure that the area is not affected by pollution from the land and
that the rules and regulations of the sanctuary are respected.

Include visitors to the area and those who come inform outside to use Bluefields’
natural assets as targets of public awareness and outreach activities. While residents
are important targets of local communication campaigns, any efforts to change
knowledge, attitudes and practice in the community, must also target regular and
transient users of the area’s natural resources. A particular challenge that must be
addressed in part through outreach and public education is that of illegal fishing in
the fish sanctuary by people from outside the area.
Fish sanctuaries were gazetted as SFCA under the SFCA Regulation, 2012 and under the Fishing
Industry Act, 1975
35
Establish regular beach and community clean ups
How?
Who?
When?

Establish a rotating Adopt-A-Beach Scheme among
schools.
Lead:
 BPCA
 School and/or
community groupsBelmont Academy,
Bluefields Basic
School

Years 1-3

Participate in Annual International Coastal CleanUp Day (each September.
Lead:
 BPCA

Years 1 -3

Year 1 - 3
Support:
 Jamaica Environment
Trust (JET)

Organise quarterly community clean-up workdays
that rotate locations between Cave Fishing Beach,
Farm Fishing Beach, Bluefields Fishing Beach,
Belmont Fishing Beach and Black Bay Bathing
Beach.
Lead:
 BPCA
Support:
 Bluefields Villas
 Sandals Whitehouse
European Village and
Spa
Establish a community recycling programme
How?
Who?
When?

Lead:
 BPCA (through the
Anti-littering
Programme)

Develop an outreach and communications
campaign to sensitise residents and school
children to use recycling bins.
Support:
 BEPA
Spa
 Bar Owners
 Shop Keepers
Years 1 - 3
36
Implement river clean up and river training
How?
Who?
When?

Establish an Adopt-A-River Scheme with local
businesses to sponsor regular clean ups
Lead:
 BEPA)


Public outreach and education Clean River
Campaign

Conduct feasibility assessment for river training

Identify potential sites for public burial ground,
assess feasibility an secure necessary permissions
for establishment in a suitable location.
Support:
 National Works
Agency
Spa
 Bar Owners
 Shop Keepers
 Westmoreland Parish
Council
(Also see related activities under Goal 3 Waste
Management)
Years 2 - 3
Develop a rainwater harvesting scheme
How?
Who?
When?

Lead:

Conduct community workshop/ training session 2
workshops per year (six over the plan period).


Years 1 - 3
BPCA
Schools
Encourage mangrove planting/tree planting
How?
Who?
When?

Organise at least 1 community National Tree
Planting Day event (October).


Lead:
 BPCA
 BBFFS
Organise at least 1 mangrove planting event on
World Wetland Day (2 Feb).

Organise at least 1 fruit tree planting event
focussed on farms and home gardens.
Support:
 Other CBOS
 NEPA
 Forestry Department
 RADA
Years 1 - 3
(Annually)
37
Organise lionfish culling tournaments and cook-off
How?
Who?
When?

Lead:
 BPCA
 BBFFS

Organise annual lionfish capture competition and
cook off in collaboration with local and
surrounding tourism interests (hotels and
restaurants).
Years 1 – 3
(Annually)
Support:
 BEPA
 Fisheries Division

Promote the use of the Hawaiian sling among dive
operators for the removal of lionfish spotted
during dives.
Lead:
 BBFFS
Ongoing
Support:
 BPCA
 Tourism entities
(Sandals Whitehouse,
Bluefields Villa, RAJ
Tour).
Create a community Fish Sanctuary Protector Programme
How?
Who?
When?

Lead:
 BPCA
 BBFFS
 CARIBSAVE

Years 1
Award
scheme to
be
launched in
early 2015.

Recognition
awards
given
annually.

Create a local programme that encourages and
recognises good practices actions that support
and maintain the health of BBSFCA and
surrounding ecosystems by.
o Schools
o Community Groups
o Businesses
o Farmers
o Fishers
o Craft workers
Develop a communication campaign to promote
good fishing practices and compliance with the
rules and regulations of the BBSFCA. (The
campaign will also target fishers and others from
outside the area who use the BBSFCA).
Support:
 BEPA
 NEPA
 Universities
38
Establish local private protected areas
How?
Who?
When?

Conduct assessments to determine suitable areas
for protection.
Lead:
 BPCA


Work with relevant agencies to establish
appropriate protection status/ category
Support:
 Forestry Department
Council

Raise capital for land purchase.

Declare area/s.

Develop management and interpretation plans for
the area/s.
Year 2
onwards
(This will likely
be a long term
endeavour that
goes beyond the
life of this
action plan).
Reduce coastal erosion risk
How?
Who?
When?

Enforce coastal set back regulations for new
construction.

Year 2
onwards

Development minimum community standards for
new buildings.
Lead:
 BPCA
 BEPA
Council

Community coastal monitoring team to record and
track changes to the coastline over time (e.g. using
photographs) to provide data to inform an action
plan for erosion hotspots (to be developed as part
of the follow up this CAP).
Support:
 NEPA

Year 1
onwards
39
5.3
Goal 3: Minimise or prevent damage or loss of property from
flooding or inundation resulting from heavier storm events, sea
level rise, and other adverse climate impacts
STRATEGIES

Improve waste management practices for the benefit of drainage. Extreme weather, like
heavy downpours or storms will cause the flooding associated with blocked drains and
waterways to get worse over time. With this in mind, it is important to ensure that waste
management and drainage systems in Bluefields can not only cope with the existing load
of population and daily waste, but also with adverse weather conditions. While garbage
collection is good along the main road through Bluefields, communities off the main are
not well served. Individuals can be encouraged to reduce the waste they generate as well
as to dispose of their waste properly. This will require efficient garbage collection by the
authorities as well as the convenient placement of skips across the community.

Promote building code improvements to increase resilience to flooding and extreme
weather. Building codes and engineering speciﬁcations for infrastructure in high-risk areas
in the coastal zone will require upgrading, considering the inevitable change in climate.
Existing infrastructure and roofing will require modification and enforcement where
necessary using materials that are sturdy and can withstand extreme weather conditions
and are not easily degraded or weakened by sea spray. When constructing new buildings
in areas at risk from seawater inundation, floor levels should be built on stilts or
constructed on more than one level.
40
Develop a waste management plan
How?
Who?
When?

Rapid community solid waste assessment to
determine gaps and needs and presentation of
assessment to relevant authorities.
Lead:
 BPCA

Year 1
onwards

Lobby relevant authorities to increase garbage
collection points in Bluefields.

Acquisition and placement of skips and decorative
lattices in priority areas identified in the assessment,
likely to include Meansville, the Brighton entrance,
the middle of Belmont, the top of Belmont, the
community of Farm and Waterwheel in Cave.

Develop an outreach and communications campaign
to encourage proper use of skips once in place.

Year 2
onwards

Develop pilot septic/waste water treatment system
project clean up Blue Hole.

Develop a community education campaign to
promote the use of septic tanks/ waste water
treatment systems in homes.

Enforce regulations for minimum requirements for
waste water treatment, especially in new
construction.
Support:
 NSWMA
 Westmoreland
Parish Council
 Department
of
Health
Westmoreland
 NEPA
 Bluefields CDC and
its member CBOs
Encourage improvements to local building practices
How?
Who?
When?

Tradesmen training in hurricane strap installation.

Year 2 - 3

Build better climate proof construction training
workshop series for builder, contractors, tradesmen.
(Training in new national building code if adopted by
Year 3).

Year 3

Initiative a Build better awareness raising campaign
to encourage business owners to routinely survey
the soundness of their establishments and make
improvements as necessary.
Lead:
 BPCA
 Westmoreland
Parish
Council/Planning
Department and
Parish Disaster
Coordinator
Support:
 ODPEM
41
5.4
Goal 4: Enhance current livelihood strategies and create
livelihoods and opportunities that put less strain on the use of
local natural resources
STRATEGIES

Increase organic farming, composting, and aquaculture programmes. Farmers can do
their part by shifting to farming practices that preserve the soils and reduce the use of
chemical pesticides and fertilisers that run off and contaminate the soil and
waterways. It is also important for farmers to learn how to farm in changing climate
conditions so they can continue to earn a living from agriculture.

Introduce farmers and fishers to techniques and practices that increase their
resilience to climate change through field-based training.

Promote and develop careers in the arts as a supplemental livelihood option which
does not exploit the natural environment and is supported by the existing creative
communities in Bluefields. This would take advantage of the increased popularity of
heritage and cultural tourism.

Promote geo-tourism as an alternative tourism model that supports the local
economy and sustainable livelihoods. By emphasising and building on the geographic
and cultural characteristics that make Bluefields unique. Bluefields has already made
efforts in diversifying the tourism product and improving sustainability, however, geotourism can add to sustainability through its emphasis on the area’s geographical
character and making the case for taking action to help limit environmental change,
including climate change.

Increase alternative and supplemental livelihood opportunities for fishers and farmers
through marine tours and the production of value added products respectively. The
presence of shipwrecks off the Bluefields coast presents opportunities for snorkelling
and diving tours. Small-scale agro-processing builds on local knowledge and skills and
presents opportunities for adding value within the agricultural sector in the
community. While the establishment of an agro-processing facility is likely to be a
long term outcome, activities towards it should begin during the current period.
42
Establish farmer field schools in: organic farming, composting,
aquaponics/aquaculture, sustainable farming practices
How?
Who?
When?

Conduct ground work activities to establish
priorities and catalogue farmer practices.

Train facilitators.

Set up farmer field schools and field days.

Expand programme through trained cohorts to
offer 4 sessions per year.
Lead:
 Westmoreland
Organic Farmers
Society

Years 1 - 3
Support:
 Rural Agricultural
Development
Authority (RADA)
 Jamaica Agricultural
Society
 INMED
 UWI
 University of
Technology
Develop geo-tourism concept in Bluefields
How?
Who?
When?

Identification of Bluefields’ unique features and
assessment of tourism production potential.
Lead:
 BPCA

Years 1

Product development and marketing.


Creation of Bluefields Boulevard.
Support:
 Travel foundation
 Michigan State
University
 RAJ tours
Year 2
onwards
Promote tour guide training and licensing of fishers
How?
Who?
When?

TPDCo tour guide training for fishers.


Develop marine tour product and marketing plan.

Identify liability insurance scheme for fisher tour
guides.
Lead:
 BPCA
Support:
 Tourism product
development
company (TPDCo)
 Travel Foundation
Years 1 - 3
43
Establish an agro-processing plant/facility
How?
Who?
When?

Secure site and equipment for processing facility.


Develop a comprehensive training programme to
include food processing, business development,
innovation and market responsiveness.

Product development testing and certification.

Develop marketing strategy and plan.
Lead:
 BPCA
 Westmoreland
Organic Farmers’
Society
Support:
 Rural Agricultural
Development
Authority (RADA)
 Jamaica Business
Development
Cooperation (JBDC)
 Scientific Research
Council
Year 1
onwards
(This will likely
be a long term
endeavour that
goes beyond
the life of this
action plan).
Develop a mentorship / apprenticeship programme on art and culture
How?
Who?
When?

Identify an appropriate space to host the
programme and local trainers.

Develop an after school programme for youth
and/or adult workshops. Curriculum can focus on
different forms of art such as carving, pottery,
painting.
Lead:
 Local, established
craft businesses.

Years 1 - 2
Support:
 Schools, e.g. Belmont
Academy High School,
and Bluefields Basic
School
Establish the Bluefields Entertainment Zone
How?
Who?
When?

Community beautification
improvements.


Annual talent show.

Broker agreements with providers of goods and
services to participate in the zone.
and
infrastructural
Lead:
 BPCA
Support:
 BBFS
 WOFS
Council
 Ministry of Tourism
 Ministry of National
Security
Year 2
onwards
44
5.5
Goal 5: Strengthen community partnerships to reduce
vulnerability
STRATEGIES

Increase collaborative working among local community organisations, build management
and administrative capacity within these groups as well as improve their ability to work
on climate change issues. Bluefields’ community based organisations (CBOs) are at the
core of the community’s capacity to adapt to changing conditions in their natural or
physical environment, including climate change. CBOs have had an important traditional
role in the local governance and management of the community’s natural resources. Local
institutions and associations help increase the adaptive capacity of a community by
facilitating action between members, thus enabling the community to make joint
decisions. Their eligibility for grants and private donor support makes them important
players in acquiring financial resources needed to reduce the vulnerability of communities
to various risks, including those related to climate variability change.
It is important to strengthen existing community organisations so they can work
effectively on climate change, natural resource protection and conservation issues. At the
same time, the possible need for new community institutions should not be ruled out. In
addition to increasing the ability of community organisations to work on climate change
and environmental issues, they also need improved administrative capacity and facilities
so that they can carry out their work effectively and efficiently. The approach to be taken
in Bluefields will involve pooling resources among community organisations for
programme management, accounting, book-keeping, and secretariat/administrative
services. Over time, these services can be made available to small businesses in the
community
45
Establish the Bluefields Development Headquarters and Economic /
Business Development Hub
How?
Who?
When?

Conduct full assessment of training needs /
demand and baseline capacity.
Lead:
 BPCA

1 -2
qtrs. 2015

Develop and offer training courses in partnership
with relevant training agencies.


Assess equipment needs and acquire required
equipment and subscriptions (e.g. internet
service).
Support:
 Heart Trust / NTA
 Small Business
Development Agency
Training
likely to be
on going
for year 12
st
nd
Build partnerships to support implementation of the Community
Adaptation Plan
How?
Who?
When?

Establish community adaptation / stakeholder
group with representation from community
organisations to guide implementation of the Plan
and convene regular meetings.

Engage CDC and DAC to receive monthly reports
from member CBOs on implementation and report
on progress to DAC

Provide half-yearly formal reports on the
implementation of the through CDC meetings.
Lead:
 BPCA
 CDC

Start of
project and
ongoing
Support:
 BEPA
 BBFFS
 Social Development
Commission

Annually in
May and
November
46
5.6
Goal 6: Establish early warning systems and an emergency
response plan for the community
STRATEGY

Build community disaster resilience through an effective early warning system and
emergency response plan. The overall aims are is to establish a comprehensive early
warning system that consists of systems at different scales to reduce risk and
vulnerability at all levels and to have a community plan and local first responder
system in place for disasters. This requires the contribution and coordination of a
wide range of individuals and institutions.
47
Develop a community disaster plan including evacuation plan
How?
Who?
When?

Carry out community vulnerability assessment and
mapping exercise.

Engage in a series of community sensitisation
meetings.

Engage in a series of community planning
meetings.

Form community disaster response teams and
train community first responders.

Prepare plan (identify evacuation routes, define
main activities and roles and responsibilities) and
share with community for feedback and validation.
Lead:
Council / Parish
Disaster Coordinator
 BPCA

Year 1
onwards
Support:
 JAMAICA Red Cross
 ODPEM
Establish a community driven early warning system
How?
Who?
When?

Conduct situational analysis to understand needs/
mapping and gap analysis.


Develop system (upgrade existing mechanisms/
introduce new mechanisms).

Develop a communication dissemination and
community capacity building plan.

Monitor use and implementation with post-event
reviews and system modifications /upgrades, as
needed.
Lead:
Council / Parish
 BPCA
Year 1 - 2
Support:
 ODPEM
 Jamaica Red Cross
Test community disaster plan and early warning system
How?
Who?
When?

Design and implement simulation exercises.


Conduct CBO and community debrief on results of
exercises.
Lead:
Council / Parish
 BPCA
Support:
 ODPEM
 Jamaica Red Cross
Years 3
48
6
HOW WILL THIS PLAN BE IMPLEMENTED?
6.1
6.2
Collective Action for Implementation
Keeping track of progress and results
49
6
6.1
Collective Action for Implementation
This plan was developed by representatives of the Bluefields Bay community for all the people
of Bluefields; and while all members of the community have a role to play in its
implementation, someone will have to take responsibility for making the plan come to life.
The BPCA spearheaded the process of developing this plan through its role as lead on-theground collaborator with the CARIBSAVE Partnership. The BPCA will continue to play a lead
role in animating community partners to put formal structures in place to implement the
plan.
Stakeholder Group
An important first step will be the establishment of a Stakeholder Group to guide
implementation of the plan. Membership of the Stakeholder Group should be drawn from the
community organisations and groups in Bluefields and should include representatives from
the agriculture, fisheries, and craft sectors.
The Stakeholder Group will be responsible for reaching out to other community organisations
that have a particular interest in the implementation of the plan, particularly the CDC. It will
also provide oversight to ensure that the activities of the plan are carried out on time and
within budget. It will provide leadership in monitoring, evaluation and fundraising.
Once the Stakeholder Group has been formed, members should agree on how the group will
operate and on their roles and responsibilities.
Secretariat
The Stakeholder Group should identify a lead organisation to act as the Secretariat and within
that organisation or group; a specific person should be given responsibility to lead
implementation.
Working Committees/Groups
The Stakeholder Group should decide how it would like to be assisted by the wider
community or other organisations in implementing the plan. It may, for example, decide to
form Working Committees or Groups that will have responsibility for implementing specific
activities or sets of activities.
50
Fundraising
Funding will be needed to implement this plan; fundraising will therefore be an important
responsibility of the Stakeholder Group or a designated working group.
Reporting on progress to the community
The Stakeholder Group will engage the CDC and DAC to receive monthly reports from
member CBOs on implementation and report on progress to DAC. It will also provide halfyearly formal reports on the implementation of the through CDC meetings.
6.2
Keeping track of progress and results
Over the life of the Community Adaptation Plan it will be important to not only monitor
implementation of activities against the proposed time frame, but also to track
accomplishments and results in the medium term.
Recording climate impacts locally is an additional tracking activity that will add value to the
implementation of the plan as it will help the community and relevant authorities and state
agencies better understand what climate change means at the local scale in the Bluefields
area.
Monitoring the plan
Monitoring the plan will help the Stakeholder Group and Working Committees/Groups keep
track of progress in implementing the plan. Monitoring will help control and supervise the use
of funds and rate of expenditure as well as performance in terms of the quality of activities
and outputs.
The regular meeting of the Stakeholder Group will provide an opportunity for ongoing
oversight, but the groups should set aside time at regular intervals to assess overall progress
in implementation against the plan. The intervals for these dedicated monitoring meetings
should be one of the things the Group decides on.
It will be important for the Stakeholder Group to define their monitoring questions in advance
so members and the implementers of activities can be clear about what is being tracked.
Questions might include the following:


Efficiency:
o Are activities being delivered in a timely manner?
o Are activities being implemented in a cost-effective manner?
Effectiveness
o Are activities bringing about the desired specific changes?
51


Relevance
o Are activities meeting the need of the target groups?
Participation
o Are the levels of participation in activities satisfactory?
o Are the target groups taking part in the relevant activities?
o Are the engagements methods encouraging participation from the target groups?
Assessing the results
While ongoing monitoring will help guide implementation and allow for adjustments to be
made to activities to improve performance, it will also be important to assess the overall
results of the plan. This can be done through specific questions designed to understand
impact as well as by measuring progress towards the plan’s outcomes.
Questions to understand impact might include the following:


Overall results
o To what extent did the project meet the overall needs?
o Was there any significant change and to what extent was it attributable to the
project?
o To what extent has the project led to more sustainable behaviours/practices in
the target groups?
Learning
o What worked well over the life of the plan and what did not?
o Were there any unintended positive or negative outcomes of the project?
The following table shows an example of a monitoring framework, and of indicators that can
be used to measure changes that represent progress towards achieving these outcomes.
An important activity that will need to be carried out at the start of the project is the
establishment of a baseline that reflects the plan’s starting point in each outcome area. The
baseline will make it possible to measure changes in the indicators over the life of the plan. A
version of the following table should be prepared at the end of the life of the plan as part of
the overall evaluation exercise.
The results of the monitoring and evaluation, together with the climate tracking data
collected (should be used to inform the Community Adaptation Plan that will follow this one
52
Bluefields Community Action Plan Outcomes and Indicators
Outcome
Outcome
Baseline
End of project
indicators
Outcome area: Uptake of climate change adaptation measures within
households and businesses in the Bluefields community
Increased knowledge
and more positive
attitudes and practice
in the areas of climate
change adaptation and
disaster risk reduction.
Change in climate
change adaptation and
disaster risk reduction
KAP among Bluefields
community members.
Only 4 of 50 residents
are aware of climate
change means. No
residents have
indicated implementing
new, or are aware of
ongoing adaptation
strategies.
10 households and 5
businesses harvest
rainwater.
42 of 50 residents are
aware of climate
change and its impacts
and 35 residents have
integrated adaptation
solutions within their
lives and homes.
Number of households
and businesses that
harvest rainwater
harvesting is increased.
Change innumber of
households and
businesses that harvest
rainwater.
Volume of recyclable
plastics collected is
increased.
Change in number of
households and
businesses that recycle
plastic waste
2 households and 3
businesses recycle
plastic waste.
15 households and 22
businesses recycle
plastic waste.
Change in mass of
recyclable plastics
collected each month
10 lbs. of recyclable
plastics collected each
month.
40 lbs. of recyclable
plastics collected each
month.
25 households and 10
businesses harvest
rainwater.
Outcome area: Increased resilience of key ecosystems in the Bluefields
community
Mangrove
increased
cover
is
Change in % of healthy
mangrove cover
Current
mangrove
2
cover (Km )
Mangrove cover after
2
Year 3 (Km )
Beach debris is reduced
Change in mass of
beach debris collected
in up to 3 selected
transects
25 lbs. of debris
collected
5 lbs. of debris
collected
Outcome area: Livelihoods in the agriculture, farming and tourism
sectors are able to withstand climate-related shocks
Livelihood strategies of
community members
are diversified
No. of participants in
training sessions held
under the CAP who
establish a new
business /income
generating scheme
-
11 participants who
took part in training
under the CAP have
established new
schemes for income
generation
No. of farmer who
diversify crops and / or
-
12 farmers have
changed their
53
change production
methods
No. of fishers who
become TPDCocertified tour guides
and offer tours to
visitors in the area
production methods
2 fishers are TPDCocertified tour guides
10 fishers are TPDCocertified tour guides
Tracking climate
Listed below are selected climate indicators that should be monitored over the life of the plan
so that the community can begin to build a body of data that will help residents, local and
national organisations understand how climate is changing so that future. Data collection
methods will need to be developed in association with the relevant national agencies.
Tracking climate changes in Bluefields
What to track?
How to measure?
Rainfall
Amount of rainfall (annually, as well by
season)
Flooding
Peak flood levels
Coastline changes (including erosion or
accretion)
Distance to high water mark in selected
locations
Coral health / water temperature
Bleaching episodes
54
7
RESOURCES
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
Asset Map for MSMEs in Bluefields
Documents
Toolkits
Videos
Music videos/Edutainment
55
RESOURCES
7
RESOURCES
7.1
Asset Map for MSMEs in Bluefields
The Asset Map is a list of community resources (including individuals) that can provide
programmes and services to MSME owners and operators to assist them in having more
sustainable business, and become resilient to the adverse effects of climate change.
CATEGORY
NAME
Governance
Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries
Ministry of Water, Land,
Environment and Climate Change
Environment and Climate Change
Division
CONTACT INFORMATION (including
email address and website)
Hope Gardens, Kingston 6
Tel: (876) 927-1731 - 50
www.moa.gov.jm
25 Dominica Drive, The Towers 3rd Floor
(North Side),Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 926-1590
Email: [email protected]
16A Half Way Tree Rd (10)
Tel: (876) 926-8583
Rural Water Supply Limited
Ministry of Tourism
Tourism Product Development
Company
National Environmental and
Planning Agency
Ministry of Local Government &
Community Development
Ministry of Tourism
Tourism Product Development
Company
Tel: (876) 754-5485
The Tourism Centre, 4th Floor 64-70
Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 968-3441; 968-1909; 968-3626
Fax: (876) 929-8269; 754-9135; 920-4854
www.tourismja.com
www.tpdco.org
10 and 11 Caledonia Avenue, Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 754-7540
(876) 754 7595/8
85 Hagley Park Road,Kingston 10
Tel: (876) 754-0992 to 9
Great Georges Street, Savanna-la-Mar,
Westmoreland
Tel: (876) 955-2647
(876) 918-3005
The Tourism Centre, 4th Floor 64-70
Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 968-3441; 968-1909; 968-3626
Fax: (876) 929-8269; 754-9135; 920-4854
www.tourismja.com
www.tpdco.org
56
RESOURCES
CATEGORY
Associations,
Organisations
and
Cooperatives
Workforce /
labour
development
Business
Education
NAME
Ministry of Local Government &
Community Development
85 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10
Tel: (876) 7540992-9
Great Georges Street, Savanna-la-Mar,
Westmoreland
Tel: (876) 955-2647
(876) 918-3005
Bluefields P.O. Bluefields, Westmoreland
Bluefields People’s Community
Association
(Bluefields CDC)
Bluefields Environmental
Protection Association
Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s
Friendly Society
Westmoreland Organic Farmers
(Special Authorised) Society
Ministry of Labour and Social
Development
National Development
Foundation of Jamaica
Small Business Association of
Jamaica
Education
related to
environment,
DRR and/or
climate change
Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s
Friendly Society
Office of Disaster Preparedness
and Emergency Management
(ODPEM)
www.bepajamaica.org
Belmont Beach, Bluefields P.O Westmoreland
Tel: (876) 791-7180
bluefieldsbayfishers.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/bluefieldsorganic
1F North Street North St, Kingston
Tel: (876) 922-9500
www.mlss.gov.jm
Billy Heaven
22c-d Old Hope Road, Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 927-8900
(876) 929-4100
Email: [email protected] www.ndfj.org.jm
2 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 978-0168
Belmont Fishing Beach Bluefields P.O
Westmoreland
12 S Camp Rd, Kingston
Mr. Roland Haye – Regional Coordinator
(Western Region)
Tel: (876) 906-9674/5
(876) 844-4792
www.odpem.org.jm
Hilma Tate – Parish Disaster Coordinator
(Westmoreland Parish Council)
Great George Street, Savanna-La-Mar,
Westmoreland
Tel: (876) 955-2655
(876) 955-2173
57
RESOURCES
CATEGORY
NAME
Disaster
preparedness
and relief
Office of Disaster Preparedness
and Emergency Management
(ODPEM)
Health services
Ministry of Health
Western Regional Health
Authority
Westmoreland Public Health
Services
Self Start Fund
Microfinance
7.2
Fax: (876) 955-2797
Mr. Roland Haye – Regional Coordinator
(Western Region)
Tel: (876) 906-9674/5
(876) 844-4792
www.odpem.org.jm
www.moh.gov.jm
http://www.wrha.gov.jm/
http://www.wrha.gov.jm/content/WRHA_We
stmoreland.html
Frank Whylie
10a Parkington Plaza, Kingston 10
Tel: (876) 929-8441/2
(876) 920-0428
Documents

The CARIBSAVE Partnership. 2013. Community Baseline Assessment for Bluefields,
Jamaica. Climate Change, Coastal Community Enterprises: Adaptation, Resilience &
Knowledge (CCCCE-ARK).Bridgetown, Barbados: The CARIBSAVE Partnership

The CARIBSAVE Partnership. 2012. The CARIBSAVE Climate Change Risk Atlas (CCCRA).
Bridgetown, Barbados: The CARIBSAVE Partnership
CCCRA uses evidence-based, inter-sectoral approaches to examine climate change
risks, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities; and develop pragmatic response
strategies to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience in 15 countries across the
Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,
The Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Vincent &
the Grenadines, Suriname and the Turks & Caicos Islands).
Profiles of the four countries that are part of Climate Change Caribbean Community
Enterprises, Adaptation Resilience and Knowledge (CCCCE-ARK) Project can be viewed
by visiting the CARIBSAVE website and browsing the Publications page
(http://intasave.org/Innovation-Hub_Publications.html)
58
RESOURCES

CDEMA. 2011. Climate Smart Community Disaster Management Module and
Facilitator’s Handbook. Bridgetown, Barbados: The Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency.
http://www.cdema.org/ccdm/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=categor
y&download=9:facilitators-handbook&id=2:community-cca-and-drr-trainingresources-and-programming&Itemid=68.

CDEMA. 2011. Climate Smart Community Disaster Management Participant’s
Handbook. Bridgetown, Barbados: The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management
Agency.
http://www.cdema.org/ccdm/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=catego
ry&download=6:facilitators-handbook&id=2:community-cca-and-drr-trainingresources-and-programming&Itemid=68.
The Climate Smart Community Disaster Management Modules are designed to help
communities and their partners incorporate Climate Change adaptation
considerations into their Disaster Risk Reduction planning processes. The Module
outlines what Climate Change is and the likelihood of it affecting the Caribbean and
its communities. It explores the linkages, synergies and differences between Climate
Change adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and lays the groundwork for
developing a Climate Change adaptation plan and communication strategy, which can
be integrated into a broader community Disaster Risk Reduction plan. In summary, it
is designed to build the capacity of Caribbean communities to increase their resilience
to Climate Change and to reduce the impacts of climate-related disasters, by
providing practical, action-oriented tools and methods that they can use to
understand their climate risk and vulnerability and develop and implement strategies
for reducing them.
The Module and the companion handbooks for facilitators and participants form part
of the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA’s) Climate
Smart Community Disaster Management Programme. Specifically, it is designed to be
integrated into Disaster Risk Reduction planning processes based on CDEMA’s
Community Disaster Risk Reduction Manual. However, it can also be used in other
similar community-based Disaster Risk Reduction programmes and processes, such as
those being implemented in many Caribbean countries by national Red Cross
Societies, and into community development planning and capacity building activities.
59
RESOURCES
7.3
Toolkits

Brown, N.A. 2009. Addressing Climate Change in the Caribbean: A Toolkit for
Communities. Kingston, Jamaica: Christian Aid (Caribbean)
This toolkit is designed to help community organisations develop responses to climate
change. It aims to give community leaders and members a general understanding of
climate change and provide some ideas for action. It includes background information
about climate change and gives examples of key impacts on the Caribbean. It also sets
out what communities can do to address climate change in four main areas: (1)
Understanding and reducing community risk and vulnerability; (2) Public education
and awareness; (3) Engagement and networking; (4) Lobbying and advocacy and
provides tools and templates that can be used at the community level.
http://www.canari.org/documents/CAtoolkitEnglish.pdf

CANARI. 2009. Communicating Climate Change: A Toolbox for Local Organisations in
the Caribbean. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean Natural Resources
Institute.
This toolbox has therefore been developed to help local (non-governmental,
community based, and grassroots) organisations become more effective in telling
their climate change stories and making their voices heard in lobbying and advocating
for the policies, laws and other actions necessary to mitigate and adapt to climate
change at the international, regional, national and local levels. It sets out a range of
tools and approaches for effective communication about issues relating to climate
change. The focus is on tools and approaches that are low-cost and easy to put into
practice. It also includes suggestions on making effective use of the increasinglyaffordable and accessible communication technologies that are available, such as
email, the Internet, and video recorders.
7.4
Videos

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE CARIBBEAN (2014) | UNDP
Length: 3.49 minutes
This film makes the case for investing in disaster preparedness in the face of growing
vulnerability due to climate change. In addition to saving lives, for every dollar spent
in disaster preparedness and mitigation, seven dollars will be saved when a disaster
strikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct1NfFfQNXo
60
RESOURCES

CARIBBEAN FISH SANCTUARIES (2012) | The CARIBSAVE Partnership
Length: 22 minutes
This video is designed to increase awareness of the benefits that fish sanctuaries (also
known as marine reserves, no-take-zones or conservation areas) can generate for the
livelihoods of coastal communities involved in fishing and tourism, as well as for the
resilience of coral reefs to the impacts of climate change. Developing networks of fish
sanctuaries across the Caribbean region is now considered an important adaption
strategy to climate change.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CARIBBEAN FARMER (2013) | National Institute of
Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST), Trinidad and Tobago
Length: 5 minutes
This video examines how climate change is having a severe impact on agriculture and
farming in the Caribbean. It seeks to educate farmers on some of the farming
techniques that can be used to combat the effects of climate change on farming and
agriculture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Z_AqgrR8M

ISLANDS ON THE EDGE (2009) | Buccoo Reef Trust
Length: 22 minutes
This film explains what this means for Caribbean communities using footage from the
region and interviews with expert scientists
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Z-t5U-NpA
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XDpdMftd10

PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESILIENCE: CLIMATE CHANGE AND CARIBBEAN TOURISM
(2010) | The CARIBSAVE Partnership
Length: 16 minutes
This film highlights opportunities for win-win adaptation strategies that provide
immediate and long-term benefits. It showcases success stories from across the
region of partnerships between communities, private sector and governments that
are strengthening the social and environmental resilience of this vulnerable region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak7cVJ9SXbk
61
RESOURCES

PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESILIENCE: LIVING SHORELINES (2012) | The CARIBSAVE
Partnership
Length: 15 minutes
This video highlights the importance of coastal ecosystems (e.g. mangroves, seagrass
beds, coral reefs) in protecting shorelines and vulnerable coastal communities against
storm surges and sea-level rise. The degradation and removal of these natural
barriers is now recognised as a major concern for the region. The video uses examples
of mangrove restoration from Belize and Guyana and of the benefits of combining
both soft and hard engineering in coastal protection from Barbados.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3IkUXQmoFg
7.5
Music videos/Edutainment

VOICES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE – JAMAICA (2010) | Various artistes
Length: 3.25 minutes
Music video and song produced under the Voices for Climate Change Project in
Jamaica, a joint initiative of project of The National Environmental Education
Committee (NEEC) and Panos Caribbean. Established performing artistes and new,
upcoming talent in Jamaica’s music industry educate and spread awareness on
climate change issues and promote environmentally friendly behaviour. Artistes
include: Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, One Third, Lloyd Lovindeer, Omari, and Amique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P61VAx6wi5o

NOU AN DANJE, ATISPOUANVIWONMAN – HAITI (We are in danger, Artistes for the
Environment) | (2014)
Length = 6.12 minutes
Music video and song produced under the Projè Atispouanviwonman (Artistes for the
Environment Project) in Haiti by Panos Caribbean featuring 10 well-known Haitian
artistes BélO, BIC, DarlineDesca, Princess Eud, Stanley Georges, Rutshelle Guillaume,
Nathalie Jean, K.libr, Jean Jean Roosevelt and Tamara Suffren. The song is a call to
action to take personal responsibility for adaptation to climate change and conserving
biodiversity. In Haitian Kweyol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ7_ZShNzPg
62
RESOURCES
8
GLOSSARY
63
GLOSSARY
8
GLOSSARY
Adaptation
In the context of climate change, adaptation is the adjustment in natural or human systems in
response to actual or expected climatic occurrences or their effects, which reduces harm or
takes advantages of beneficial opportunities. For people, it means being ready for climate
change by building capacity and putting measures in place to cope with and recover from the
impacts of climate change. It also means preparing ourselves to live with any climate-induced
change to our surroundings.
Adaptive capacity
The sum of the capabilities, resources and institutions of a country, region, community or
household to implement effective adaptation measures.
Atmosphere
The air or layers of gases that surround the Earth. The dry atmosphere consists almost
entirely of nitrogen and oxygen, together with small amounts of other gases, including
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and ozone. In addition, the atmosphere contains
water vapour, clouds and aerosols. The atmosphere protects the Earth from the sun’s harmful
rays.
Climate
The average, or typical, weather conditions of a given area observed over a long period of
time (usually 30 years or more). Climate is sometimes confused with weather. The important
difference between weather and climate is that weather is short term, that is to say what we
experience from day to day, while climate is the average weather over a long period of time.
See Weather.
Climate change
Any statistically significant, long-term change in the climate of a zone or region. Climate
change may be caused by natural processes or by persistent changes in the atmosphere or in
land use caused by human activity. When the term is used to describe what is happening to
the Earth today, it refers to the increase in the Earth’s temperature and changes in rain, snow
or other moisture from the atmosphere, caused by greater levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and
other gases in the atmosphere. The term ‘climate change’ is often used interchangeably with
‘global warming’. However, 'climate change' is a better term because it covers many other
changes, besides rising temperatures.
64
GLOSSARY
Climate resilient
The ability of a system, community or society to resist, absorb, accommodate to and bounce
back from the effects of a climate hazard quickly and efficiently, including through preserving
and restoring its essential basic structures and functions.
Also see Resilience
Climate variability
Variations in the average state of the climate.
Cold snap
A period of very cold and dry weather. Also known as a cold wave.
Coral bleaching
Loss of colour of corals due to loss of the algae that live on them and provide their nutrients
and colouration. Bleaching occurs in response to physiological shock as a result of abrupt
changes in temperature, salinity (saltiness), and turbidity (amount of sediment present in the
water).
Ecosystem
A geographical area where a community of living (plants and animals) and non-living (climate,
landscape) things interact together and affect each other.
Extreme weather
An extreme weather event is one that is rare within a given time period at a particular place.
Examples are heat waves, cold snaps/spells, droughts, floods (and the landslides that often
accompany them) storms, cyclones and storm surges.
Fossil fuels
These are fuels produced by the remains of living organisms that built up underground over
geological periods. Fossil fuels mainly consist of carbon and hydrogen and are also known as
hydrocarbons. They are found in different states: liquid (for example, oil), solid (for example,
coal, peat) and gaseous (for example, natural gas).
Global warming
See Climate Change
Greenhouse gases
The atmospheric gases that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the
spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere and clouds.
Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and ozone
(O3) are the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
65
GLOSSARY
Infrastructure
The basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a
country, region, or state to function properly, including the systems of public works. The term
can also be used to refer to the resources (as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for
an activity or an organization.
Mitigation
Mitigation involves measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by limiting activities that
produce greenhouse gases, or to enhance the natural systems or sinks (anything that absorbs
more carbon than it releases) that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Without
mitigation, climate change would continue unchecked and would eventually outstrip all our
efforts to adapt.
Precipitation
Moisture that falls from the sky, including rain, snow, and hail. Precipitation occurs when so
much water has condensed that the air cannot hold anymore. The clouds get heavy and water
falls back to earth in the form of rain, snow, hail, sleet, dew, and frost.
Resilience
The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb,
accommodate to and bounce back from the effects of a hazard quickly and efficiently,
including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and
functions. The resilience of a community in the face of a potential hazard is determined by the
degree to which the community has the necessary resources and is capable of organizing
itself both prior to and during times of need.
Vulnerability
The degree to which a natural, human or built system is susceptible to, or unable to cope
with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extreme weather.
Vulnerability depends on the scale or severity of the climate change effect, the extent to
which the system is exposed, its sensitivity to changes, and its ability to adapt.
Weather
Short-term atmospheric conditions. Weather is measured by temperature, humidity, wind
speed, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness and precipitation. Weather is sometimes confused
with climate. The important difference between weather and climate is that weather is short
term, that is to say what we experience from day to day, while climate is the average weather
over a long period of time.
See Climate
66
GLOSSARY
Glossary Sources
o
Encyclopaedia of the Atmospheric Environment http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/
o
Green Facts Glossary http://www.greenfacts.org;
o
IPCC Glossary of Climate Change Terms http://www.unfccc.int;
o
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) http://www.iucn.org;
o
La Cité des Sciences et de l'industrie http://www.cite-sciences.fr
o
Merriam Webster Online Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com
o
Scholastic http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/weather/
o
UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction
http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology
o
US Geological Survey Water Science Glossary of Terms
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/dictionary.html
o
US EPA http://www.epa.gov
67
NOTES
NOTES
68
NOTES
Suggested Citation: CARIBSAVE. 2015. Community Adaptation Plan: Bluefields, Jamaica. Climate Change, Coastal
Community Enterprises: Adaptation, Resilience & Knowledge (CCCCE-ARK). Bridgetown, Barbados: CARIBSAVE
(INTASAVE Caribbean).

Community Adaptation Plan Bluefields, Jamaica

Transcription

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