Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Jamaica using a participatory approach

The research paper details a participatory approach using stakeholder mapping and 'barrier cards' to identify obstacles to climate adaptation in Jamaica. Findings across the agriculture, fisheries, and tourism sectors reveal a disconnect between national-level planning and local-level implementation, with funding and political leadership identified as primary barriers. The paper argues that involving local stakeholders in devising practical, surmountable solutions can build climate resilience and reconcile national policies with local actions.

• The participatory methodology revealed that climate adaptation planning in Jamaica is dominated by national government and agencies, with local actors remaining limited in their inclusion.
• In the agriculture sector, the primary barrier to implementing adaptation is a lack of funding for planning and responses, driven by factors such as short political cycles and a lack of strategic coordination. The proposed solution is to improve the evidence base for investment decisions, specifically the monetary value of adaptation interventions.
• The fisheries sector identified a lack of political leadership as the most significant barrier to local adaptation, attributed to short political timeframes and a reluctance to make long-term decisions. Recommended actions include creating formal mechanisms to integrate climate change into local policies and increasing civil society participation.
• The tourism sector's main barrier is the poor integration of adaptation across different tiers of government, caused by outdated legislation, resource constraints, and poor communication of climate science. The group proposed the creation of an integrated climate change action plan to address this.
• Across all three sectors, international donors are the primary source of adaptation funding, but these funds are concentrated at the national level and rarely reach local actors directly.
• The study concludes that many identified adaptation barriers are surmountable using existing internal capacities without needing external consultants, and that prioritizing these 'easy wins' is essential for building resilience.

APA

STANTON, M. B., & DOWNING, T. E. (2014). Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Jamaica using a participatory approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Jamaica-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf

Chicago

STANTON, Muriel BONJEAN, and Thomas E. DOWNING. Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Jamaica using a participatory approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Jamaica-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=STANTON |first1=Muriel BONJEAN |last2=DOWNING |first2=Thomas E. |title=Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Jamaica using a participatory approach |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Jamaica-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stanton2014identifying, author = {STANTON, Muriel BONJEAN and DOWNING, Thomas E.}, title = {{Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Jamaica using a participatory approach}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Jamaica-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }