Prepared by: Hopeton Peterson & Doneika Simms of the The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) May 10, 2012

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1 Prepared by: Hopeton Peterson & Doneika Simms of the The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) May 10, 2012

2 Objectives Highlight expected climate risks and discuss how they will affect Jamaica s rural areas Create awareness of adaptation strategies to improve resilience in rural communities Share the experiences and early lessons from selected GOJ projects

3 Context Climate Change already having profound impacts on Jamaica (Damage & Loss - $111.8 billion ) Increased frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters- E.g. hurricanes Jamaica s vulnerability exacerbated by other issues such as poverty, environmental degradation, dependence on rain-fed agriculture

4 Increased Frequency & Intensity of Storm events

5 30 YEAR MEAN RAINFALL

6 Distribution of Mean Rainfall: Rainfall is also characterized by spatial variations

7 Temperature Number of cool days and nights have decreased

8 Climate Projections Length of the dry season increase % Frequency of intense rains increase - 20% Greater disaster losses due to stronger, more intense hurricanes Length of the rainy season decrease -7-8% 8

9 CLIMATE CHANGE AND JAMAICA S RURAL AREAS

10 Expected Impacts on Rural Areas Rural Sector Expected Climate Change Impacts Agriculture Floods Drought Decreased crop yield Pests & Diseases Prices Water Resources Increased scarcity Decreased Quality Salt Water Intrusion Fisheries Fish availability many may decrease change Forestry Resources, Wildlife and biodiversity Biodiversity loss Public Health Dengue malaria Infrastructure Flood Damage to houses, roads and institutions

11 Factors Affecting Vulnerability of Rural Areas to Climate Change Population 49% of the population lives in rural areas Poverty High levels of poverty: 61% of the poor live in rural areas; 1 in every 5 poor female is in agriculture Lower educational attainment among individuals Location of Settlements: Marginal lands both Coastal & Inland

12 Geographical Distribution of Poverty, 2002

13 Factors Affecting Vulnerability of Rural Areas to Climate Change High dependence on natural resource livelihoods (e.g. Farming & fishing) Small farmers vulnerable to weather extremes 80% of small farmers depend on rainfall for water supply At least 50% of farming is done on slopes ~20 degrees Water Scarcity Low Adaptive Capacity

14 Jamaica s Degraded Watershed Areas

15 Agriculture Production Index, and the Impact of Extreme Climate Events (Source: MOAF)

16 Impact of Climate Change on Rural Areas More Intense Rainfall Increased Drought Increased Poverty Increased Soil Erosion Increased Environmental Degradation Increased River Discharge Decreased River Discharge

17 Why We need to Adapt Without adaptation, climate change could: Disrupt livelihoods Threaten food security Increase poverty especially among rural families

18 SOME GOJ APPROACHES

19 Programmes/Projects for Climate Change Adaptation Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCA&DRR) Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) Adaptation Fund Enhancing the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector & Coastal Areas to Protect Livelihoods & Improve Food Security

20 Key Adaptation Intervention Areas Programme/ Project Land Management Water Management Climate Risk Management Coastal Rehabilitation Adaptation Financing Institutional Development Awareness Building Climate Change Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience Adaptation Fund

21 Adaptation Strategies -Climate Risk Management CRM a process of informing decision-making through the application of climate knowledge & information Seeks to fill the gap between global climate scenarios & local risk and vulnerability assessments Regional climate model has been downscaled to suit the unique vulnerability characteristics of the island

22 Adaptation Strategies -Climate Risk Management The PPCR will facilitate the generation of climate data and building resilience for a wide range of applications such as: Making projectionsof climate risks over different spatial and temporal scales

23 Adaptation Strategies -Climate Risk Management Cont d Monitoring climate variables Developing adaptation interventions for priority sectors Strengthening Jamaica s meteorological observation and data collection systems to enhance climate monitoring, weather forecasting and early warning systems

24 Adaptation Strategies Water Management Water Management: Water Harvesting-Small scale rainwater harvesting and gravity drip irrigation systems will be installed in selected drought-stricken parishes Reservoirs-Establishing small irrigation schemes for farmers by constructing earthen reservoirs & rehabilitating existing ponds in 21 communities island wide

25 Adaptation Strategies Water Management- Cont d Establishment of a micro-dam in Christiana, Manchester- Expected to store ~ 10 million gallons Artificial recharge of Aquifer Located within the Rio Minho hydrologic basin (in the vicinity of Sevens, north of May Pen)

26 Land Management Declaring 2600 ha of land as forest reserves and forest management areas Establishment and improvement of Local Forest Management Committees (LFMCs) in selected Watershed Management Units (WMUs)- St. Andrew and Trelawny Establishment and rehabilitation of soil conservation and land husbandry infrastructure

27 Land Management Cont d Reforestation and agroforestry in selected WMUs Reforestation of 231 hectares in Oatley, St. Andrew Development of a Forest Fire Management Programme Promotion of sustainable livelihood/economic activities Establishment of river protection infrastructure/structures in selected areas - Eg. River training activities

28 Adaptation Strategies Coastal Rehabilitation Restore mangrove forests-1500 seedlings replanted in Portland Bight, Clarendon; Planting slated for Refuge Cay, St. Thomas Develop management plans for the effective management of selected marine protected areas (MPAs) Establish and/or enhance coastal protection measures in selected areas-artificial reef technology, Negril; mooring & marker buoys delineating selected MPAs; rehabilitationof sand dunes for Negril and Font Hill beaches

29 Adaptation Strategies Coastal Rehabilitation Cont d Restoration of seagrassbeds in MPAs-Montego Bay and Ocho Rios Coastal Nursery to be established at the Discovery Bay Marine Lab- Partnership with U.W.I. Identify and assess possible options for alternative livelihoods and take steps to facilitate them in selected communities Public Awareness Strategy-Climate Change Policy to be developed; sensitization workshops

30 Adaptation Strategies -Financing Rural communities have limited access to financing to help mitigate the impacts of climate change on their livelihoods Development of Trust Fund for financing community adaptation projects

31 Potential Transformational Impact of Adaptation on Rural Areas Contribution to food security -increasedagricultural output Reduced downstream impact - flooding, siltation Better disaster preparedness Fewer loss of lives & property Increased awareness& environmentally sound practices Greater knowledge management-documenting of best practices Diversification of local economy Reduction in poverty 31

32 Emerging Lessons Flexibility, innovation and stakeholder participation in the programme design are critical to the development of practical adaptation measures Urgent need for data and information to facilitate decisionmaking at all planning levels (community, sectoral & national) Promotion of climate change adaptation in rural areas must be accompanied by alternative livelihood measures as well as galvanizing public awareness of the need to adapt

33 THANK YOU!!