The Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC) supported Caribbean countries in preparing to cope with the adverse effects of global climate change, particularly sea level rise in coastal and marine areas. It pursued these goals through: vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and capacity building for adaptation planning.
The CPACC was implemented through a collaborative effort of 12 CARICOM countries and partner institutions over a four-year period, ending in 2001. It included national pilot projects and regional initiatives. The GEF provided funding, through the World Bank, and the Organization of American States (OAS) executed the project. The project is coordinated in the Caribbean through the Regional Project Implementation Unit (RPIU), which was established by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Environment and Development. The CPACC web site includes numerous case studies and success stories.
For instance in St. Lucia, the CPACC and the Project on the National Communications for Climate Change helped to convince the media and the insurance industry of the importance of climate change. The Insurance Council hosted a national seminar to educate its members on the impacts of climate change on their industry. The media houses — whether print, radio, or television — are now always eager to obtain information on climate change and how it affects St. Lucia.
The CPACC was only the first step to assist the 12 Caribbean countries in meeting their obligations under the UNFCCC. It generally focused on planning for adaptation to Climate Change and in one State, St. Vincent, it helped in completing the first National Communication on Climate Change. A significant aspect of this planning for adaptation through the CPACC Project was the formulation of national climate change adaptation policies, two of which have been signed by the St. Lucia and Dominica Cabinet of Ministers. The draft plans for the other 10 countries have yet to be ratified by their cabinet of ministers.
This CPACC project has been followed by two other projects: ACC (Adapting to Climate Change) which was financed by the Canadian International Development Agency and served as a bridging project to the second project – MACC (Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change). MACC is ongoing and is due to be completed by 2007.
As part of the MACC, a Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has been established and is located in Belize to serve the 12 Caribbean nations under the MACC Project and to continue doing so after the conclusion of the MACC in 2007. The main goal of the Centre is to improve the ability of people living in communities at risk from climate change-related phenomena to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. The establishment of the Centre was endorsed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government in July 2002.
For more information on CPACC, see http://www.cpacc.org For more information on the CCCC, contact Dr. Kenrick Leslie at k.leslie@sbcglobal.net (the website for the CCCCC is expected to be online soon).