Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Caribbean Risk Management Tools Featured at UNFCCC Workshop

October 2011: The Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recently held a workshop to identify challenges and gaps in the implementation of risk management approaches to the adverse effects of climate change. The workshop included presentations on regional and national experiences on approaches to, and tools for, risk management, such as the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility.

The workshop, which was held from 10-12 October 2011 in Lima, Peru, was organized in response to the request by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) for the Secretariat to organize the workshop, building on the lessons learned and practical experience of international, regional and national organizations and the private sector. Its aim was to provide an opportunity for representatives from Parties, relevant organizations, regional centres and networks, academia, civil society and the private sector to: share information on the current practices, approaches and institutional frameworks for managing climate-related risks at different levels, sectors and regions; and identify region-specific gaps and challenges. The workshop also aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of a possible range of options to address climate-related risks facing countries.

The workshop included a presentation by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) on the Caribbean Risk Management Guidelines for Climate Change Adaptation Decision Making, which were developed to assist risk management practitioners in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in the selection and implementation of feasible options for climate change adaptation.

Other presentations included: the intent and practice of integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Caribbean region, by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); Pacific regional and international frameworks for mainstreaming climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); and sovereign climate risk management in practice, by the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). More