8givrapd_policy_brief_lessons_from_jamaica-4b9d7bda9ad05fc0.pdf

This policy brief examines climate change adaptation in Jamaica, focusing on the Whitehouse region. It analyzes the role of institutional arrangements, social networks, and community empowerment in building resilience for coastal economies dependent on fisheries, farming, and tourism.

• Jamaica's coastal economies, particularly seafood production and tourism—the latter contributing 25% of the GDP—are highly vulnerable to climate change, with extreme events in the mid to late 2000s causing over one billion dollars in loss and damage.
• Government agencies hold central power in designing and implementing adaptation interventions, while community groups are well-connected but lack equivalent power. Information flow for local planning typically follows top-down structures from government departments to local governors and the private sector.
• Funding for adaptation is primarily available at the national level or through donors targeting government agencies, leaving local institutions with fewer resources for implementation.
• In the Whitehouse region, specifically Bluefields, adaptive co-governance models have emerged through formal and informal networks. This includes co-management structures between the Department of Fisheries and fishermen cooperatives, such as Bluefields Bay, to manage marine protected areas.
• The adaptive capacity of the Whitehouse community is severely limited by a lack of capital assets. Specifically, a lack of financial capital prevents investment in technology like greenhouses, drip irrigation, and fish aggregation devices, while a lack of personal insurance and public funds hinders innovative adaptation.
• Human capacity in Whitehouse is negatively impacted by high illiteracy rates and poor employment opportunities. To combat brain drain and out-migration, a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Education and Sandals Whitehouse established a HEART Trust Vocational Training Centre.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (n.d.). 8givrapd_policy_brief_lessons_from_jamaica-4b9d7bda9ad05fc0.pdf. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/8GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Lessons_from_Jamaica.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. 8givrapd_policy_brief_lessons_from_jamaica-4b9d7bda9ad05fc0.pdf. n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/8GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Lessons_from_Jamaica.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=8givrapd_policy_brief_lessons_from_jamaica-4b9d7bda9ad05fc0.pdf |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/8GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Lessons_from_Jamaica.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetworknd8givrapdpolicybrieflessonsfromjamaica4b9d7bda9ad05fc0pdf, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{8givrapd\_policy\_brief\_lessons\_from\_jamaica-4b9d7bda9ad05fc0.pdf}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/8GIVRAPD_Policy_Brief_Lessons_from_Jamaica.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }