A strategy identifying key actions to be undertaken in order to cope with the effects of climate change in Guyana has been unveiled and is open for public comment.
The Climate Resilience Strategy and Action Plan (CRSAP) aims to provide a comprehensive and overarching framework for adapting and building resilience to climate change impacts. The CRSAP builds on the work that has been done in Guyana over the years and identifies key climate risks and prioritises resilience building actions. Accord-ing to the document, despite strides made, Guy-ana still requires an overarching framework for planning and implementing climate resilience actions so as to achieve the Govern-ment’s ‘Vision 2020’ for a green economy and the CRSAP fills this gap.
The strategy and action plan are underpinned by the five cross-cutting pillars of adaptation namely information, research and systematic observation; institutions and capacity building; policy and legal frameworks; infrastructure and technology; and finance.
Specifically, the CRSAP provides a roadmap for the next five years; Project Concept Notes (PCN) for four priority climate resilience programmes which can now be developed into full proposals and submitted for funding; a summary of the most significant climate risks and required resilience actions across 15 key sectors. These actions are proposed as the basis for the design of new interventions and a pipeline of projects which can be presented for funding and implemented within five years and beyond.
It also provides a set of capacity building actions that enhance Guyana’s capacity for national adaptation planning and becoming climate resilient to be undertaken within the next five years and a strategy to finance the CRSAP inclusive of the PCNs. The strategy will likely come up for discussion at global climate change talks in France later this year.
The CRSAP Roadmap summarises the key strategic actions that need to be taken to deliver the CRSAP and increase Guyana’s resilience to a variable and changing climate. It also articulates a timeframe for action focused on the next five years up to 2020 as well as a proposal for a review and iteration process in 2020. The roadmap recognises that building climate resilience is a journey that requires cycles of action, reflection and iteration as lessons are learnt about effective implementation and resource allocation.
To deliver the Strategy, an Action Plan has been prepared which includes the draft PCNs, detailed findings of the climate change vulnerability and risk assessment and identification of resilience actions in the form of 15 sectoral briefing notes.
A key component of the CRSAP has been to identify early-start, costed and evidence-based climate resilience programmes which can be moved quickly through funding, design and procurement stages and into implementation.
These early-start priority PCNs include ‘Building Climate Resilient Agricul-tural Systems’ by improving water management, developing climate proof sustainable farm systems and building the adaptive capacity of the sector to reduce the vulnerability of farmers (in particular small to medium scale).
Another PCN is ‘Guyana’s Sea Defence Enhancement and Maintenance’ which is to be done through coordinated and complementary actions of mangrove development and restoration and rebuilding the most critical sea and river defences in low-lying coastal areas. This will help increase the coverage of and strengthen the existing sea defence against high tide, which in turn will reduce flood risk in coastal communities.
The third PCN, ‘Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change’ seeks to strengthen national disaster risk management – with specific reference to health – and early warning response systems, enhance access by communities to clean water and sanitation facilities and food hygiene, reduce impacts of water-borne diseases, increase human and physical sectoral capacity and increase public awareness.
The final PCN, ‘Strengthening Drainage and Irrigation Systems’, seeks to improve the capacity of the network starting with the most critical areas, upgrade the existing drainage and irrigation system with a focus on the agriculture sector, institutional strengthening of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and development of a training curriculum on drainage and irrigation.
According to the CRSAP, the total financing need for all four PCNs is estimated at US$104.34 – 112.30 million. “This is but a fraction of the total financing costs for adaptation and resilience building actions. The CRSAP financing strategy has aims to prepare the infrastructure needed to finance the implementation of the CRSAP; to accurately capture climate-related expenditures in the national budgeting process; and that funding can be secured for the implementation of the PCNs,” the documents says.
It is open for public comment until December 18th and feedback can be sent to info@lcds.gov.gy
