Caribbean Disaster Risk Management & Climate Change Adaptation: Data to Decision Making Workshop

1. Caribbean Disaster Risk Management & Climate Change Adaptation:Data to Decision Making Workshop

2. A Region at Risk Average Annual Losses as a % of GDP Source: Germanwatch, 2012

3. Losses from disasters are fiscal shocks, which often result in budgetary deficits & increased debt

4. Data to Decision Making Problem Definition Data Need Identification &Data Development (Field Collection) Decision Making Visualization & Interpretation Data/Risk Analysis NHS-0144-2DM-4N

5. Risk Analysis is Data Intensive Risk Analysis Output Vulnerability Functions Hazard Exposure

6. Challenges Persist • Not enough data to carry out relevant analysis • Existing data not readily available • Numerous data format • Poor or questionable data quality • Scale of the data not sufficient • Metadata non-existent or scant • Lack of a data sharing mechanism • Lack of capacity to generate and/or • interpret risk analysis Building Capacity to Performthe Data to Decision Making Continuum

7. Open Data for Resilience The Open Data for Resilience Initiative (OpenDRI) is a global partnership that aims to encourage and facilitate the sharing and use of climate and disaster data to enable more effective decision-making by providing the rationale, technical assistance, and tools for data sharing.

8. Data/Risk Analysis Territorial planning Visualization of hazard and risk Scenario analysis for emergency preparedness Infrastructure Design Immediate damage assessment Climate Change Adaptation Set of Tools to Assist Decision Making

9. Land Use Planning and Zoning Seismichazardmap Landslideshazardmap Floodhazardmap

10. Scenario Analysis for Emergency Preparedness - # of injured NIGHT DAY

11. Specifications for InfrastructureDesign

12. The Caribbean Cannot Build its’ Way Out of Risk Non-Structural Measures Structural Measures

13. Immediate Damage Estimation Physical damage Human losses Surface Response Spatial Distribution Damage Distribution Calculation

14. Working Together • Working with governments in the OECS • Complementing existing efforts • Building partnerships at a global level and with regional institutions like the CCRIF & UWI • Making the case for open data • Participatory technical assistance • Free open source software & tools • Community of Practitioners

15. A Global, Country-Led Effort

16. UWI DRRC Seismic RC Education Capacity Governments CDEMA CCRIF Regional Institutions Communities Data Management MDBs/ Donors

17. Climate Change Adaptation • The UNFCCC defines it as actions taken to help communities and ecosystems cope with changing climate condition. • The IPCC describes it as adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. • The UN Development Program calls it a process by which strategies to moderate, cope with and take advantage of the consequences of climatic events are enhanced, developed, and implemented. • The UK Climate Impacts Program defines it as the process or outcome of a process that leads to a reduction in harm or risk of harm, or realization of benefits associated with climate variability and climate change.

18. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Early warning/early action Disaster Preparedness Environmental protection Livelihood protection Life-saving measures Natural resource management Capacity development of national/local authorities and communities Response capacity Income diversification Temporary shelters Stockpiling • Urban Planning • Construction norms • Socio-economic stabilization • Livelihoods Community-based disaster risk management/reduction Greening the economy Time DRR CCA DRM Adapted from: http://www.iom.int/Template/migration-climate-change-environmental-degradation/interactive-factsheet/index.html

19. Adaptation Thematic Areas Adaptation Processes Public health Water security Policy/planning Livelihoods Capacity building/awareness Food security Information management Coastal zones Investment decisions Land Practices/resource management Adapted from UNDP

20. Adaptation Dimension • Adaptive capacity – building the capacity for a population to adapt provides a foundation for anticipating and adjusting to climate conditions that will continue to change • Adaptive action – adaptive capacity must be applied to specific decisions and actions to directly reduce or manage the biophysical impact to CC or actions may address non-climatic factors contributing to vulnerability • Sustained development – successful sustainable development in spite of continuing changes posed by climate change

21. Broadening the climate adaptation toolkit to include protecting and restoring natural resources to help people Definition The definition of EBA from the Convention on Biological Diversity : • “Ecosystem-based adaptation may be described as the use of ecosystem management activities to support societal adaptation. Ecosystem-based adaptation identifies and implements a range of strategies for the management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that enable people to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It aims to increase the resilience and reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems and people in the face of climate change. Ecosystem-based adaptation is most appropriately integrated into broader adaptation and development strategies” In the context of TNC’s work, this means: • EBA is the protection, sustainable management and restoration of natural systems to help human communities respond to climate change and to adapt to adverse impacts • EBA is: • A critical part of overall climate adaptation and climate-ready development strategies that include a suite of climate change adaptation responses, typically involving multiple sectors • A practical example of the benefits of conservation and restoration for human communities in the face of climate change • An opportunity to align conservation objectives with development objectives • EBA is not: • Simply an attempt to “climate proof” biodiversity in our sites or build climate resilience into conservation planning • A repackaging of our existing work to be more appealing to funders Ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA)is a viable and cost effective way to reduce the vulnerability of human communities to climate change impacts and ensure the sustainability of our limited natural resources Hypothesis Source: CBD, second ad hoc technical expert group on biodiversity and climate change, second meeting, Helsinki 18-22 April 2009; Document: UNEP/CBD/AHTEG/BD-CC-2/2/6, 27 May 2009

22. EBA projects must: be implemented in a climate change-vulnerable place with socio-economically vulnerable communities and biologically significant ecosystems address and offer solutions to specific human vulnerabilities to climate change engage key communities, decision-makers, stakeholders

23. Coastal and Marine EBA • Coasts present a stark intersection of human needs and climate change effects • Coastal adaptation is more than one third of the total adaptation cost(1) • Coastal ecosystems include marshes, mangroves, coral and bivalve reefs, seagrasses, barrier islands and dunes which provide multiple and essential benefits to communities and have already been seriously lost and degraded. This measurably affects benefits to humans and the ability of these systems to help humans adapt • Both the impacts of climate change and potential responses to them have the potential for further degrading these systems and reducing or eliminating essential services to vulnerable human communities • In the Caribbean, flooding is of particular concern because a majority of people reside within a narrow coastal strip. A significant amount of tourism and fishing also occurs along this same strip. Source: (1) “The Costs to Developing Countries of Adapting to Climate Change,” World Bank Aug 2010; (2) “Convenient Solutions to an Inconvenient Truth: Ecosystem-based Approaches to Climate Change.” Environment Department, The World Bank, June 2009; America’s Climate Choices: Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change, National Research Council

24. Mainstreaming of Coastal EBA • Enhance the understanding of and capacity to implement EBA through building the scientific and economic foundation, decision support tools and approaches and policy guidelines for EBA • Execute projects like “At the Water’s Edge” • Assist local communities with EBA by providing EBA guidelines and best practices documentation and outreach • Increase awareness and influence policy and public funding to incorporate EBA into policies and standards • Engage the hazard mitigation community (FEMA, insurance agencies, etc.) to use EBA approaches to jointly achieve hazard mitigation and conservation objectives

25. Coastal Defense • Grey Infrastructure • Seawall • Revetments Spectrum of Adaptive Action

26. Ecologically Active (Grey) Infrastructure http://www.econcretetech.com/

27. Coastal Defense Ecologically Active Infrastructure (Grey/Green Infrastructure) • Grey Infrastructure • Seawall • Revetments Spectrum of Adaptive Action

29. Turenscape http://www.rebuildbydesign.org/projects/ http://inhabitat.com/moma-exhibit-offers-real-solutions-to-nyc-rising-tides/ Turenscape

30. Multiuse Design • Ecosystem services • Coastal defense • Recreation • Providing food Coastal Defense • Climate adaptive coastal management • DRM/DRR • Green Infrastructure • Vast mangrove tracts • Barrier reef • Large dune systems • Littoral forest – coral reef complex - beach Ecologically Active Infrastructure (Grey/Green Infrastructure) • Grey Infrastructure • Seawall • Revetments Eco engineering Spectrum of Adaptive Action High Ecosystem base adaptation Community Vulnerability Low

31. Adaptation Decisions Being Made Nationally • Integrated Coastal Zone Management/National Adaptation Programmes of Action • What is the potential loss and where? • How much loss can be averted and with what actions? • Where can adaptation actions be placed? Locally • How adaptation sites are designed? • How the community capacity and awareness is increased?

32. Role of Spatial Data • Underpins and facilitates adaptation work • Outcome/output is not a GIS product • Multi-sector/themed layers needed • Assess risk and vulnerability • Raise awareness • Site EBA locations • Communicates issues of scale • Mapping ecosystem services