The Cayman Islands Department of Environment along with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (UK) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (Belize) are hosting a workshop for local and UK Overseas Territories government planners from 2 to 3 June.
Titled ‘Preparing for and Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean’.
A number of distinguished speakers will visit Grand Cayman from 30 May to 4 June to participate in the workshop, meet with government officials and speak at other engagements aimed at the private sector and general public.
It is funded by the UK government’s Overseas Territories Environment Programme, managed jointly by the UK Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and will take place at the Marriott Resort Hotel, West Bay Road from 2 to 3 June.
The purpose of the two-day workshop is to communicate the science of climate change to government officials and decision makers in the UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean and to explore ways of preparing for and adapting to climate change.
Day one will look at climate science, future climate scenarios, impacts, vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the Caribbean.
Day two will see adaptation to climate change, lessons learned from adaptation to climate change in other Caribbean islands and sustainability planning.
Speakers and facilitators:
Mr. Dick Beales, Senior Natural Resources and Environment Advisor, Department for International Development, HM Government, London, UK.
Ms Judi Clarke, Consultant, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Barbados.
Mrs. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, Director, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government
Ms Lisa-Ann Hurlston, Environmental Assessment Officer, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government
Prof. Mike Hulme, Climate scientist, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK
Prof. Tim O’Riordan, Sustainability planner, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK
Mr. Fred Sambula, Senior Manager, Meteorological Services, Cayman Islands Government.
Dr. Emma Tompkins, Environmental economist, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK
Dr. Ulric Trotz, Climate change adaptation, Manager, Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) project, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, University of Belize Campus, Belize.
Prof. Andrew Watkinson, Coastal planner, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK.
The schedule
Day 1 – Climate change and vulnerability (Thursday 2 June)
8- 9am Coffee and pastries;
9- 9.10am Welcome Address (Governor of the Cayman Islands Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy)
9.10 – 9.20 Opening Remarks (Minister for Environment, Charles Clifford, Cayman Islands Government)
9.20 – 9.30 Overview of Project and Workshop Objectives (Mrs. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, Director, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government)
9.30 – 10.45 Keynote Address: Climate Scenarios, Impacts and Reasons for Concern with some scenarios from the region (Prof. Mike Hulme)
10.45 – 11.15 – Break
11.15 – 12.30 Climate science and Impacts – parallel discussion sessions.
1) Climate change, extreme weather and hurricanes (Mr. Fred Sambula)
2) What are the consequences of waiting for more accurate information to become available? (Dr. Ulric Trotz)
3) Climate skeptics’ arguments explained and countered (Prof. Mike Hulme)
4) Flood risk and coastal erosion threats (Prof Andrew Watkinson)
12.30 – 12.50 Feedback from groups (chaired by Prof. Mike Hulme)
12.50 – 1 Wrap up (Prof. Mike Hulme)
1- 2 Lunch
2 – 3 Keynote Address: How vulnerable are Caribbean islands to climate change? (Dr. Trotz)
3 – 3.20 Break
3.20 – 4.25 Vulnerability to climate change – parallel discussion sessions
1) How vulnerable is the Caribbean to sea level rise (Dr. Ulric Trotz)
2) Likely impacts of climate change on small Caribbean islands? (Prof. Mike Hulme)
3) Coral bleaching, tourism and climate change (Prof Andrew Watkinson)
4) Assessing vulnerability across the Caribbean (Ms Judi Clarke)
4.25 – 4.45 Feedback from groups (chaired by Dr. Ulric Trotz)
4.45 – 5 Wrap up and close (Dr. Ulric Trotz)
5 – 6 Drinks Reception – Peninsula Restaurant, Marriott Beach Hotel
Day 2 – Adaptation and sustainable development (Friday 3rd June 2005)
8 – 9 Coffee and pastries
9 – 9.15 Overview of Day 1 and Day 2 Objectives (Mrs. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, Director, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government)
9.15 – 10.15 Keynote Address: Adaptation in practice – Learning lessons from other Caribbean Islands (Dr. Ulric Trotz)
10.15 – 11.15 Setting priorities for adapting to climate change – work groups
Aim: setting priorities for adapting to climate change in different economic sectors (provisional groups: Fred – planning and construction; Mike – agriculture and land use; Ulric – risk management/finance/ insurance; Judi – tourism; Andrew – flood/coastal management; Emma – social planning/education/health; Lisa – infrastructure/roads/airports/ports; Tim – environment/natural resource management and planning)
11.15 – 11.40 Break
11.40 – 12 Feedback from groups (Chaired by Dr. Ulric Trotz)
12 – 12.15 Extension of Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change Project to UKOTs (Dr. Ulric Trotz and Mr Dick Beales)
12.15 – 12.30 Wrap up (Dr. Ulric Trotz)
12.30 – 1.30 Lunch
1.30 – 2.30 Keynote Address: Sustainability planning and climate change (Prof. Tim O’Riordan)
2.30 – 3.45 ‘No-regrets adaptation strategies’ – work groups
Aim: to develop draft climate change adaptation strategies that provide ‘no regrets’ policies which generate sustainable development and reduce sensitivity to climate change. Same groups as the morning session.
[Break to be taken during group discussions]
3.45 – 4.15 Feedback from groups (Chaired by Prof. Tim O’Riordan)
4.15 – 4.30 Wrap up (Prof Tim O’Riordan)
4.30 – 4.45 Close of Workshop (Mrs. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, Director, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Government).
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