In March 2012, the 23rd Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), adopted the Implementation Plan for a Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change. The Implementation Plan was developed by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), a lead CARICOM agency for coordination of climate change interventions in the region. The Plan identifies the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) as one of the implementing agencies for climate change adaptation actions related to Water.
In response to the commitments outlined in the Plan, GWP-C has developed a Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) in the Caribbean. The development of the programme was endorsed by nine Caribbean Ministers including two Deputy Prime Ministers at the 8th Annual High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum co-convened by GWP-C and its partners.
The overall objective of the Programme is to support adaptation of Caribbean states to climate variability and change through the implementation of better water policies, strategies, programmes and water related adaptation actions defined in the CARICOM Plan.
The Programme will be implemented by GWP-C in partnership CCCCC and will be executed at the regional and country level. Regional activities will include all Caribbean member states, while in-depth country activities will initially be implemented in four countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica).
The expected outcome of the WACDEP Caribbean is increased availability of acceptable quantity and quality of water for all beneficial uses, and increased capacity and ability of countries and communities to adapt to climatic variability in the Caribbean region.
For more information on GWP activities in the Caribbean, please visit the regional website.
Photo: Scene of a river in Guyana.