Planning under new extremes: resilience and the most vulnerable (original) (raw)

Planning for resilience: an integrated approach to tackle climate change in the Caribbean

United Nations, ECLAC, 2020

The Caribbean subregion is exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Vulnerability is a key multidimensional concept at the heart of resilience building, relating to each country’s multiple spatial and socioeconomic risks and conditions. In fact, due to its geographical location and concentration of population and activities in low-lying coastal areas, the Caribbean is the second most hazard-prone region in the world...Moreover, impacts of extreme weather events on Caribbean small economies are of national proportions. A new generation of Caribbean resilience planning policies will require strong institutional capacities, adjusted with effective communication and knowledge management platforms to manage information and coordination efforts. Therefore, integrated development planning methodologies must ensure availability and access to information and data for better decision-making, attracting the innovation and creative collaboration of all sectors of government and society, and enhancing innovation between technological and indigenous knowledge. Finally, it will be vital to attract investment and benefit from international exchange and best practice in climate resilient development suitable and adaptable for Caribbean SIDS.