Port of Spain, 16 September 2016 – As part as the “Climate ACTT: Action by Civil society in Trinidad and Tobago to build resilience to climate change” project, five civil society organisations (CSOs) in Trinidad and Tobago are implementing practical projects to contribute to climate change adaptation and resilience building in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC) is working in north-east Tobago to establish a network of Climate Change Champions, who will receive training to build their climate change communication skills, as well as to conduct climate change vulnerability assessments in three communities. A coral reef climate change awareness snorkelling tour will also be launched to raise awareness on climate change impacts on coral reef ecosystems.

Environment Tobago (ET) is conducting an assessment of the vulnerability of the community of Lambeau in south Tobago to climate change. Project activities will assess the vulnerability of the ecosystems and social and built infrastructure of Lambeau and the environs. The information collected will provide a baseline for future adaptation strategies and will also contribute to developing an adaptation strategy for Tobago’s coastal communities which are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project (FACRP) in the St.-Ann’s watershed in Trinidad will conduct an assessment of the vulnerability of its eco-tourism small business enterprise to climate change impacts. Using the value-chain analysis method, FACRP will assess the vulnerability of its enterprise along each step and identify specific ecosystem-based adaptation actions to build resilience and sustainability. Several communication products will also be produced to enhance the organisation’s efforts to raise awareness of climate change impacts.

The Caribbean Youth Environment Network Trinidad and Tobago Chapter (CYEN-TT) will implement the Youth Climate Advocacy and Resilience Building Endeavour (Y-CARE) initiative. This will contribute to increasing youth advocacy for climate change adaptation in Trinidad and Tobago by engaging, enabling, and empowering members of the Holy Faith Convent Eco-Heroes Environment Club, the Couva community and the CYEN-TT membership. An advocacy strategy will also be developed as a way for CYEN-TT to be more targeted in its ongoing global and national climate change advocacy efforts beyond this project.

The Turtle Village Trust (TVT) will develop a climate change communication plan for the organisation, as well as materials aimed at educating the general public and its partner coastal community-based organisations on climate change, focusing on the impacts on sea turtles and what actions can be taken to reduce these impacts.

These projects were developed drawing on approaches, tools and methods for communicating effectively and assessing vulnerability and building resilience to climate change which the five CSOs were exposed to during two training workshops under the Climate ACTT project. CSOs received a small grant under the Climate ACTT project to support them to apply what they learnt to develop and implement a practical climate change adaptation and resilience building project.

Project activities started in August 2016 and are set to be completed by end of October 2016. The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) provided capacity building, individual coaching and technical support to CSOs with project development, and will continue to assist them as needed during project implementation, as well as with monitoring and evaluation of results.

These practical adaptation projects are being implemented as part of the project “Climate ACTT: Action by Civil society in Trinidad and Tobago to build resilience to climate change” which aims to strengthen the capacity of five CSOs in Trinidad and Tobago to internationally accepted levels of best practice in two areas: institutional (organisational) strengthening; and technical capacity to deliver programmes/projects related to climate change adaptation and resilience. CANARI is implementing and managing this project in collaboration with Conservation International (CI) and BHP Billiton Trinidad and Tobago.

About CANARI

The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, capacity building and fostering regional partnerships.