Report - PIMPAC

 Adapting to a Changing Climate Workshop Report
Koror, Palau
January 30-February 3, 2012
Background In 2010, The Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) supported the development of community based climate change (CC) adaptation tools for the Micronesia region. To design the most appropriate and useable products, consultants reviewed existing CC adaptation materials, spoke with various climate experts, and held a regional workshop with regional natural resource managers, community members, and climate change experts. Based on input at this workshop, the following products were developed: Adapting to a Changing Climate Outreach Toolkit -­‐ which is designed to provide community members and stakeholders with an understanding of climate change concepts and adaptation strategies. This toolkit consists of: • Large flipcharts visually depicting climate change concepts and actions that can be carried out to prepare and adapt to CC impacts. • Facilitators guide to accompany the flipcharts, which include page-­‐by-­‐page notes on things to point out on the flipchart and concepts to explain. • Booklets that provide the same visual content as the flipchart but offer more verbal description and explanations. These are to be used by community members and other stakeholders both during presentation of the flip chart material and afterward as they work on their adaptation projects. Revised PIMPAC management planning guidance1, which now includes a climate change lens through: • Revised steps that ensure important stakeholders are involved and key questions are answered to address climate change in the planning process • New steps including historical timeline, seasonal calendar, strength/weakness analysis, and vulnerability assessment to help understand the social and biological resource vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Upon completing these tools, a year-­‐long training program concept was put together to identify funds that could support training on these new tools in the Micronesia region. Funding was secured through AusAid, Global Environment Facility, and the U.S. State Department to begin this training program, which included the development of a training design, and one workshop per jurisdiction in the Freely Associated States (i.e. Marshall Islands, Palau, Kosrae, Palau, Chuuk, and Yap). The workshop in the Palau summarized in this document was the third in this workshop series. 1
Since the completion of the first phase of this project, the revised PIMPAC management planning guidance has been further revised in collaboration with Micronesia Conservation Trust and the US Coral Triangle Initiative and is now called the Guidance for Vulnerability Assessment and Local Early Action Planning (VA-­‐LEAP).
Workshop Objectives From January 30-­‐ February 3, 2011 The Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) and its Micronesia Challenge partners launched the training program in Koror, Palau on the use of new tools to support community-­‐based climate adaptation in Micronesia. The objectives of the week-­‐long training were: • To provide a team of community leaders and practitioners from various sectors with the necessary skills to effectively communicate climate change concepts and foster community-­‐based vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning. • To provide community leaders and practitioners who facilitate management and adaptation planning processes with the necessary skills to develop or revise at least one community-­‐based management and adaptation plan within one year of the training program. • Development of a timeline and commitment for the participants to carry out the management and adaptation process at least one site within one year. The training utilized two tools the "Adapting to a Changing Climate Outreach Toolkit” and the "Guide to Vulnerability Assessment and Local Early Action Planning (VA-­‐LEAP)." Workshop Participation The training was attended by approximately 40 people (participants and trainers). Trainees were present from various state governments within Palau as well as local resource agencies and organizations. Local Participants included: 1. Aimeliik Conservation Planning Committee-­‐McVey Kazuyuki 2. Hatohobei-­‐Helen Reef Conservation Management Team-­‐Governor Thomas Patris, Albino Fernando, William William, Hercules Emilio, Petra Tkel, Stella Patris, Erwin Moses 3. Kayangel Conservation Planning Team-­‐Baidong Ruluked, Esichang T. Moses 4. Koror Department of Conservation & Law Enforcement-­‐Director Ilebrang Olkeriil, King Sam 5. Ngaraard Conservation Management Planning Team-­‐Carol Emaurois, Kiblas Soaladaob, Surech Hideyos 6. Ngardmau-­‐Bradley Kumangai, Warren Kodep 7.
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Ngchesar-­‐Governor Romana Anastacio, Verano Ngiraikelau Sonsorol-­‐Sabeth Kintoki, Belly Andrew, Laura Ierago-­‐Miles, Loretta Kintoki Palau Locally Managed Marine Area-­‐William Andrew Island Seas-­‐Charlene Mersai PICRC-­‐Carol Emaurois PCS-­‐Lolita Gibbons-­‐Decherong, Umai Basilius, Yalap Yalap, Pacific Resources for Learning and Education (PREL)-­‐Dustin Penland Ministry of Education(MOE)-­‐Sarah Sugiyama, Debbie Rebluud Belau Watershed Alliance-­‐Allen Kangichi, Joyce Beouch UN Joint Presence-­‐Sharon Sakuma In addition to Palau participants there were additional participants from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. Off-­‐island participants included: 1. Division of Environmental Quality in the CNMI – Fran Castro, Olivia Tebuteb, Jihan Buniag, and Jose Quon 2. Bureau of Statistics and Planning of Guam – Christine Camacho While eight Palauan states were represented, they worked together for the purposes of learning the vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning exercise processes and focused the exercises on Sonsorol, Hatohobei, and Ngaraard. Additionally the CNMI focused on Laolao Bay and Guam focused on Manell-­‐Geus to carry out the planning exercises. The training was led by PIMPAC mentor Delegate Wayne Andrew, PIMPAC regional advisors Meghan Gombos, and Scott Atkinson, as well as Supin Wongbusarakum from The Nature Conservancy. Workshop Approach & Outputs The workshop opened with inspiring words from the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Palau, Noah Idechong. Following the opening speech, the workshop was carried out in two sections around two new tools: Session One: Communicating Climate Change Concepts Session Two: Participatory Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning Session One: The first session focused on using the new CC outreach materials including the flipchart and facilitators notes to understand climate change concepts and discuss locally appropriate ways to communicate key messages about these concepts. To get a better understanding of climate impacts and concepts, the group also went on a one day field trip to Ngardmau where they explored various natural resource and human related targets and discussed the exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability of those targets. The field trip helped participants relate climate change concepts to real examples and gain a better understanding ways to understand vulnerability. Session Two: The second half of the workshop was focused on learning new steps within a natural resource management planning process that can be used to carry out a vulnerability assessment through the use of participatory exercises. Most states in Palau have undergone management planning for their conservation areas to become part of the Palau Protected Area Network. As such, the workshop aimed at supporting revisions to these existing efforts by including new steps to help community members and managers understand how their natural resource and human related targets might be impacted by climate change. Throughout this session, participants practiced using new exercises in the process such as a historical timeline, seasonal calendar, and vulnerability matrix and discussed how information from these new exercises could be integrated into current management plans. Finally, the Adapting to a Changing Climate training in Palau successful achieved its objective and workshop participants were excited to begin carrying out climate change adaptation work in their communities. To conclude the workshop, participants were asked to develop a timeline and activities to move climate change adaptation forward. The following commitments were made: 1. Palau – Participants from Palau decided that the eight states represented would commit to meet as a group every 4-­‐6 weeks to share progress on their efforts and support one another in going through the Vulnerability Assessment-­‐Local Early Action Planning process. Each state will carry out a specific section of the outreach and planning process the report back to the larger group on progress and to seek support. The group committed to working together on this effort to complete VA-­‐LEAPs by December 2012. 2. Saipan -­‐ Participants from Saipan planned to revisit their Conservation Action Plan for Laoloa Bay and include the climate change work. They also plan to include CC outreach into 4th grade curriculum and the Environmental Expo. Finally they will include the tools in the work plans of summer interns. 3. Guam – The Guam participant committed to including CCA into the Manell-­‐Geus Conservation Action Plan. Additionally to work with young champions to include CCA into their work. Finally to carry out outreach at the Pig Hunting Derby APPENDIX A Climate Change Adaptation Outreach and Planning Training Agenda Palau January 30-­‐February 3, 2012 Five-­‐day Agenda Monday Part One: Understanding Climate Change Concepts Introductions • Review objectives/overview agenda of the workshop • Background and Overview of the Local Early Action Plan (LEAP) and Outreach tool Outreach Session One: • Understanding healthy vs threatened Micronesian Community • Observations in changes in climate Outreach Session Two: • Understanding Climate Change o El NiñoCauses of CC o What changes can be expected? o Possible and Existing Impacts Tuesday Outreach Session Three: • What does this mean for the community? o How will these changes impact a healthy Community? o How these change impact a threatened community –Cumulative Impacts Outreach Session Four: • Climate Change Concepts and Vocabulary Outreach Session Six: • Is there Anything we Can do? o What are other communities doing o Adaptation Strategies –Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Coastlines o Adaptation Strategies – Terrestrial and Water Resources o Adaptation Strategies – Agriculture and Community Well Being Outreach Session Seven: • Community Management and Adaptation Planning o How can we understand what will happen to our community o What can we do in our community to prepare for these changes? o Vulnerability Assessment o Taking action: A community plan to build resilience WRAP UP OUTREACH • Review of LEAP Planning Steps and the outcomes of the process. • Developing a Community Profile • Getting Organized and Identification of stakeholders Wednesday Thursday Friday • Getting Organized and Identification of stakeholders • Checklist on Providing awareness on climate change Field Trip – understanding and practicing CC concepts • Developing a Local Climate Story (part 1) o Historical Timeline o Seasonal Calendar o Transect Walk o SWOT Analysis o Fill Out the Local Climate Story • Complete a Threat/Action model for target resources (social and biological) • Completing the Vulnerability Assessment • • Reviewing and Revising the Threat Action Model to include information from the vulnerability assessment • • Report back on Vulnerability Assessment and new or revised actions • • Wrap-­‐up LEAP process • Discuss and Report out on how sites will move forward and complete the process Appendix B Communications Notes During the workshop, participants reviewed key messages of various sections of the flipchart and discussed ways of talking about different pages and concepts. This section provides some notes from those discussions that can be used by the group as they continue outreach efforts in their communities. Key messages on El Nino, La Nina • Difference between climate variability and climate change • Be aware of the normal weather in your place so that you know how to prepare • Extreme events happen a lot more frequent • Climate change increases impacts/severity of El Nino and La Nina When asked about changes to weather patterns participants are noticing, the following were noted: • increased sea level • unpredictable when you can get certain fish • wind direction-­‐erratic—contributes to unpredictable seasons • Earlier mangrove—in CNMI • Stronger earlier trade winds in CNMI • Weather extremes—really hot—really rainy • More coastal erosion • Typhoons now shifted to north—storms are forming in different areas Key Messages of “What is Climate Change?” • Mitigation is related to reducing greenhouse gas emission • Adaptation is related to preparing for changes • Impacts in the islands may be large • Climate change is the long term trend • Variability is the short term • Lots of climate change happening is due to human activities • In Micronesia, climate change causes sea level rise, air and sea surface temperature rise, increased ocean acidification, salt water intrusion, changing but unpredictable weather patterns When discussing “How will climate change predictions potentially impact the natural and social features of your community?” the following was noted: • Shifting of spawning season. • Coastal erosion (impacts farming—less land), possible damage of drinking water, decreased areas of turtle nesting, impacting cultural and traditional practices, change island physically, food security • Taro patches (salt intrusion)—cultural impacts • SLR-­‐intrusion of salt water into fresh water lens • Increased sea surface temperature, causing coral bleaching • SLR impacts coastal residence, relocation of houses • Ocean acidification –less seafood, dependency on external sources of food • Increased stress on plants and crops from increase air temperature • Several changes-­‐-­‐. Impact local food, water, and overall health. When reviewing the difference between impacts of climate change on healthy versus unhealthy/threatened communities the following points were raised: 1) Air temperature a. Well being of people will suffer b. Temperature rise will cause fish to migrate c. La Nina will wash out the crops and wash sediment into the sea 2) Sea Level a. Eroded mangroves b. More coastal erosion with threatened community. Healthy more resilient c. Affect most of the taro patches. 3) Healthy community more resilient to climate change because more resources. Threatened has habitat loss Threatened has no mangrove to trap sediment. Chances of the ecosystem to bounce back is better/richness and biodiversity will help to provide for human population. Need a big enough population to recover. 4) Healthy community is more resilience and more capable to adapt. Unhealthy would just be concerned with survival. Difficult to adapt. Might only have the option of moving out. 5) Clean water in healthy community and flowing strong. Other side is just dripping 6) Analogy with human body. Healthy human body is more likely able to recover. If introduce CC to an unhealthy body, less likely to be able to recover. To help understand common terms to describe climate change concepts, workshop participants were asked to describe what exposure, sensitivity, adaptive, resilient, and vulnerable meant in an everyday situations. The following lists were developed through this exercise. Although these words do not have the “same” meaning as the climate change term, they can be used to help explain terms, develop analogies, or consider for translation into local language. Resilient Vulnerable Exposed Sensitive Adaptive •
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Bounce back, coming back and stronger than before Expandable, elastic, not breaking Ability to cope with change Flexible, super Ability to defend oneself Ability to rebuild and survive under stress Durable •
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Susceptible Weak Fragile Easily damaged Lack of tool/ability to protect Defenseless •
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Unguarded Unsheltered Prone Naked, bare Geographically open to threats (bad luck!) Challenged •
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Delicate Fragile Need extra care Weak Frail Easily affected/to be hurt More severely impacted than normal •
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Flexible Prepared Ability and willingness to change Responsive to change Overcoming change Open to change Easy to change Adjustable Having options Altered Amendable Informed, conformed