Participatory Research to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation

1. Participatory research to enhance climate change policy and institutions in
the Caribbean: ARIA toolkit pilot
CARIBSAVE and CDKN Research Partners Workshop
July 23 - 24, 2014
Jamaica

2. Introduction
• Strongest efforts for planning and action for climate change adaptation have
taken place at the international and, to a more limited extent, at the community
level
• For adaptation actions to have their greatest effect, there needs to be a focus at
the national and sectoral levels, where institutional and legal frameworks shape
the quality of decisions at all levels, and the processes must be transparent,
accountable and inclusive
• Because it has been internationally driven, and at the national level government
led, civil society tends to lack ownership for adaptation policy and action

3. Introduction cont’t
• 1 year project: got started around April 2013
• Funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)
• Implementation partners:
– Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) – regional NGO
– World Resources Institute (WRI) - involved in capacity building and
comparative research; developed the ARIA toolkit
– Saint Lucia National Trust - NGO
• Pilot countries: Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago

4. Goal and objectives
Goal: to improve the capacity of Caribbean islands to develop and implement
effective climate change adaptation policy and action.
Specific Objectives:
• facilitate and support participatory research by civil society on climate change
adaptation policy, institutions and actions
• analyse the current state of policy, institutions and actions
• identify high-priority and low-cost “next steps”
• influence policy and adaptation processes
• catalyse, facilitate and support opening of decision-making processes and action
to greater participation of civil society
• develop island-specific approaches to vulnerability assessment.

5. Approach
Promoting the use of the Adaptation: Rapid Institutional Institution Analysis toolkit
in the Caribbean.
Focuses on climate change adaptation readiness by examining the degree to which
there has been impact assessment, prioritisation, coordination, information
management and mainstreaming nationally.
Built around a framework of assessing capacity, comprehensiveness, transparency,
participation, accountability and enforcement.

6. Approach
ARIA toolkit :
Phase I: survey of institutional readiness for climate change adaptation
Phase II: in-depth review of three key priority sectors emerging from research in Phase 1 for
civil society advocacy
Saint Lucia - water resources, food security, and livelihoods and culture [2011 Civil Society
Climate Change Agenda]
Trinidad and Tobago - coastal zone, food production and tourism
The result should stimulate evidence-based advocacy and a greater participatory approach and
effort in policy development, institutional strengthening and participatory decision-making.

7. Advisory Panel
Purpose: to provide technical advice on the research and recommendations and to promote
implementation of the findings. Panel members serve as technical advisors, quality controllers,
champions and networkers.
Composition:
Persons from public sector agencies and civil society organisations (national and regional
experts - from Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago primarily and other countries).
Activities
- review the ARIA Phase I reports, including recommendations on the three Priority Areas for
focus in Phase Two of the project
- review the ARIA Phase II reports for validation of results and agreement on proposed target
audiences for communication of findings
- propose communication pathways and products for development for sharing the findings of
the research
- assist in promoting of the implementation of the findings of the research.

8. Outputs
• Technical reports on policy and institutional arrangements, with
recommendations for reform in policies, institutions and action in priority areas
• Advocacy products

9. Status
Saint Lucia:
Phase I survey completed and workbook reviewed (CANARI, WRI, Stakeholder workshop and
AP)
Phase II – surveys completed, workbooks and summary reports reviewed (CANARI,WRI,
Stakeholder Workshop )
Finalising Phase II workbook and summary reports, preparing workshop report and policy brief.
Trinidad and Tobago:
Phase I survey completed and report finalised after review (WRI, Stakeholder workshop and
AP)
Phase II – survey completed and report, with advocacy recommendations, reviewed (WRI and
AP). Finalising report and preparing policy brief.
Preparing technical report (WRI, CANARI and SLNT).
Reports will be shared with all institutions and stakeholders who participated in the project

10. Next steps
- Saint Lucia: Civil Society Coalition for Action on Climate Change to engage with
the relevant public sector agencies on CCA
- TnT: Final workshop to determine dissemination and advocacy strategy
- AP , including CCCCC, – promotion of the ARIA toolkit for use in other Caribbean
countries
- Training of trainers workshop to build CSO capacity in the use of the ARIA toolkit

11. For more information contact CANARI
terrence@canari.org
http://www.canari.org/cm2.asp