Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that effective climate adaptation in the Caribbean requires multi-level governance that integrates local actor networks, community-based vulnerability assessments, and adaptive capacity measurements to link local actions with national decision-making.

This working paper examines whether multilevel governance can facilitate coastal climate change adaptation in Jamaica, focusing on the role of diverse actors and institutions across different scales, levels of organization, and sectors.

The document introduces a case study on the adaptive capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica, as part of the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation Policy Development (GIVRAPD) project. It utilizes the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework, which evaluates five elements: asset base, institutions and entitlements, knowledge and information, innovation, and flexible forward-looking decision-making and governance. The paper aims to align the LAC framework with an evolutionary perspective on adaptive capacity and test the tool's applicability across different geographical contexts.

The document argues that while community-level action is important, national governments are essential for providing strategic oversight, accessing finance, and creating the enabling environment for large-scale climate adaptation in the Caribbean. It highlights the need to integrate climate considerations into sectoral policies and plans, as evidenced by a case study in Belize where a lack of sectoral integration hindered tourism resilience. The brief promotes the use of the CCORAL tool for policy screening and the ARIA toolkit for assessing institutional adaptive capacity, noting that assessments in Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia revealed gaps in vulnerability assessments and cross-sectoral coordination. Furthermore, it emphasizes the role of government as a 'bridge' to translate national priorities into local action through networked governance and public-private partnerships, citing the Sandals Whitehouse Special Fishery Conservation Area in Jamaica as a successful example of co-management.

The document analyzes climate adaptation in Jamaica, focusing on the Whitehouse region. It highlights the central role of government agencies in adaptation design, the importance of social networks and co-management in fisheries, and the significant barriers to local adaptive capacity, including a lack of financial capital and insurance.

The paper examines how multilevel governance can facilitate climate change adaptation in Jamaica's coastal-marine environments. Using a case study approach and Social Network Analysis (SNA), the authors identify the roles of various state and non-state actors. Preliminary findings highlight the importance of bridging organizations, such as the Department of Fisheries (DoFish), and the potential of the newly established Climate Change Focal Point Network to strengthen horizontal coordination among government agencies. The study argues for the need to strengthen vertical ties between national and local levels and to leverage public-private partnerships to enhance adaptive capacity.