Project Title

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Water Resources and Human Livelihoods in the Coastal Zones of Small Island Developing States (CASCADE)

Funding Agency

Africa, Caribbean and Indian Ocean Group of Countries (ACP Group).

Project Website:

Project Duration

Three Years

Research Institutions

University of the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago), Centro Euro MediterraneoPeriCambiamentiClimatici (CMCC), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)

Research Focus/Objectives

Overall: To place SIDS further down the path of sustainable development.

Specific: Designing and promoting multi-stakeholder climate change adaptation strategies in the water and sanitation sector in SIDS with an aim to improving human livelihoods.

Project Sites

Two core sites:St Vincent & the Grenadines and St Lucia; and

Two mirror sites: Grenada and Mauritius.

CASCADE will attain its objectives by

  1. Providing a comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment Framework for livelihood impacts of climate change as a result of changes in freshwater systems and to apply this framework to a series of core Caribbean island Case Studies where tourism and agriculture play an important economic role;
  2. Testing the “scaling-up” and research transferability of these methodologies to other small island case study applications by an assessment of mirror SIDS case studies to water stresses and climate change, in particular with an investigation of effective research between Caribbean and Indian Ocean islands;
  3. Developing generalized adaptation strategies for water management in SIDS, with an emphasis on community-based risk reduction strategies, institutional strengthening and economic policy instruments for the achievement of water security;
  4. Facilitating effective dialogue and developing collaborative partnerships among different stakeholders including the water sector, the tourism sector, the agricultural sector, coastal communities, civil society and public officials;
  5. Focusing academic, public policy and public attention on the issues of water-related climate change impacts and the necessity of “no regrets” adaptation policies and to promote effective dialogue among these groups;
  6. Fostering knowledge transfer between the developed (EU) and developing (Caribbean and Indian Ocean SIDS) world in the development and application of climate-related water research.

Impacts

  1. The CASCADE action will facilitate effective dialogue and develop collaborative partnerships among different stakeholders.
  2. There will be benefits to regional and international scientific communities.
  3. The Action adopts an inter-regional geographic focus, with a research action that targets primary activities in the Caribbean but that is also “scaled-up” to small islands in the Indian Ocean.
  4. The potential for replication of the CASCADE methodology will ensure its application at a wide level benefiting all identified stakeholders.
  5. The development of generalised adaptation strategies for water management in SIDS will facilitate the provision of a policy toolkit that can assist communities and public officials in other small island states with adaptation measures for the water sector.
  6. There will be a transfer of knowledge between the developed (EU) and developing (Caribbean and Indian Ocean SIDS) world in the development and application of climate-related water research.
  7. The Action will also result in increased regional attention and awareness.
  8. By highlighting research attention on climate-related impacts in the particular context of Small Island Developing States and climate-related impacts, it is envisaged that the Action will contribute in a sustainable sense to public attention and global research focus on this recognised subset of developing countries.

Execution

The project objectives will be achieved through the execution of 8 Work packages: 6 Research Work Packages, one Dissemination Work Package and one Management Work Package.

Deliverables

The achievement of a series of well-defined deliverables and milestones will result in the main CASCADE outputs that include

  1. A Toolbox for Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Assessment;
  2. Detailed Community and Hazard Profiles for Climate-Related Threats to the Water and Sanitation Sector;
  3. Multi-Stakeholder Action Plans for Adaptation;
  4. Scientific Publication and Dissemination Products;
  5. Capacity Building and Best Practices.