Locally relevant information on the impacts and hazards arising from climate change in the Caribbean is generally not readily available data. The CARIWIG Project recognises that there is a need for managers and policy makers in the Caribbean to have access to this type of information to guide their planning and decision-making. The workshop therefore sought to obtain feedback from stakeholders on their specific requirements for quantitative climate information to support climate impact assessments and decision-making with a special focus on water, agriculture and coastal resource sectors.
Sharing climate change information
In order to effectively share climate change information related to the Caribbean, the CARIWIG Project will develop a web service and through the adaptation and provision of leading weather-generator models and climate knowledge systems which will be used to provide local weather projections based on the best available observed data and climate model outputs for the region.
Project goals
Additionally, the Project sets out to
- provide training for stakeholder technical staff in the use of such weather information
- develop support networks within the region
- partner with United Kingdom research institutes specialising in the management of a range of hazards and impacts.
The workshop successfully brought together 44 participants from 10 Caribbean countries and the UK. These participants included managers, policy makers from 25 national, inter-governmental and regional entities, as well as technical personnel.
The CARIWIG Project is funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN ) and will be carried out in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), Newcastle University, The University of East Anglia (UK), The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus in Jamaica and the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba.