The Adaptive Capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica to Climate Change

This working paper examines the adaptive capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica, to climate change as part of the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation Policy Development (GIVRAPD) project. It utilizes the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework to assess socio-cultural, economic, institutional, and ecological factors shaping local vulnerability.

• The Caribbean islands are projected to face rising temperatures and altered rainfall and wind patterns, leading to secondary effects such as sea level rise, ocean warming, coral bleaching, loss of marine biodiversity, increased landslides and coastal erosion, shifted growing seasons, and a higher prevalence of contagious diseases, invasive species, and pests.
• The study focuses on the Whitehouse Development Area, an administrative unit of the Government of Jamaica’s Social Development Commission (SDC) comprising Whitehouse, Bluefields, and Beeston Springs. Based on 2008 estimates, the populations of these areas were 3,476 for Whitehouse, 4,708 for Bluefields, and 1,989 for Beeston Springs.
• The research employs the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework, created by the Overseas Development Institute in 2010, which evaluates adaptive capacity through five elements: innovation, knowledge and information, asset base, institutions and entitlements, and flexible forward-looking decision-making and governance.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). The Adaptive Capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica to Climate Change. https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-whitehouse-jamaica-climate-change

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The Adaptive Capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica to Climate Change. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-whitehouse-jamaica-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The Adaptive Capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica to Climate Change |date=3 February 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-whitehouse-jamaica-climate-change |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017adaptive, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The Adaptive Capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica to Climate Change}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-whitehouse-jamaica-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }