4givrapd_policy_brief_reconciling_national_adaptation_policies-28643e3440775dc2.pdf

This policy brief from the GIVRAPD project examines the disconnect between national climate adaptation policies and local-level implementation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It highlights the need to reconcile top-down national planning with local community needs through participatory planning and collaborative governance to overcome adaptation barriers.

• Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have made progress in creating national adaptation policies, such as the St Lucia National Climate Change Adaptation Policy, but gaps remain in mainstreaming these into sectoral goals and linking them to local development needs. National programs often focus on vulnerable sectors like agriculture, fisheries, water, and forestry, yet they frequently lack local input, creating a disconnect between national policy and the local level where impacts are most felt.
• Local implementation of adaptation is hindered by an 'adaptation deficit', scale mismatches, sectoral approaches, and diverse stakeholder needs. These barriers can be biophysical, political, financial, sociocultural, or institutional. However, research through GIVRAPD workshops suggests many of these barriers are surmountable using existing resources without external international expertise; for example, data gaps on local vulnerabilities could be solved by strengthening national units and using citizen science.
• The Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) in St. Lucia serves as a case study for achieving 'governance fit' by evolving from a top-down state institution into a collaborative multi-stakeholder association. Effective strategies for addressing global changes identified through the SMMA include public-private and community partnerships, local empowerment, and integrative approaches that recognize human-nature interactions across different scales and ecosystems.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (n.d.). 4givrapd_policy_brief_reconciling_national_adaptation_policies-28643e3440775dc2.pdf. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Reconciling_National_Adaptation_Policies.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. 4givrapd_policy_brief_reconciling_national_adaptation_policies-28643e3440775dc2.pdf. n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Reconciling_National_Adaptation_Policies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=4givrapd_policy_brief_reconciling_national_adaptation_policies-28643e3440775dc2.pdf |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Reconciling_National_Adaptation_Policies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetworknd4givrapdpolicybriefreconcilingnationaladaptationpolicies28643e3440775dc2pdf, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{4givrapd\_policy\_brief\_reconciling\_national\_adaptation\_policies-28643e3440775dc2.pdf}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/4GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Reconciling_National_Adaptation_Policies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }