Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Grenada signs concept agreement for Climate Change Projects


St. George’s, November 1, 2011 - Environment Minister, the Hon. Joseph Gilbert, on Monday October 31, signed a five (5) million Euro "concept agreement'' for projects in climate change with German Government representative, Michael Scholze.

Mr. Scholze, who is leading a visiting mission to Grenada, signed the agreement on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

One of the main objectives of the new programme will be to deliver funds to local communities in Grenada to help them combat and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, such as droughts and sea level rise.

The concept agreement is titled “Programme of Integrated Adaptation Strategies in Grenada.”

 Mr. Scholze and his appraisal mission team, comprising representatives from the German Development Agency known as GIZ, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Climate Analytics, spent over a week in Grenada to jointly develop, with their Grenadian partners, an overall concept for the project. The exercise included a national stakeholders' consultation process.

The programme concept will be used by GIZ and UNDP as the basis for the preparation of their project offer that will be presented for consideration and approval to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Four proposed components for the programme – including the setting up of a Community Climate Change Adaptation Fund – were developed to utilize the 5 million Euros – EC$19 million – promised by Germany.

Component 1:         Strategic national approach to integrating and mainstreaming climate
resilience across sectors.

Component 2:          Climate resilient integrated Water and Coastal Resource Management.

Component 3:     Implementing pilot adaptation and climate resilience activities on the ground supporting communities to improve livelihoods and combat the effects of droughts, extreme floods and sea level rise.

Component 4:            Knowledge management and establishment of capacity to access climate
Finance.

The project will support an integrated approach to water and coastal resource management, mainstreaming climate change considerations into the water and coastal resource sector.
Included in the overall objectives of the programme are fostering inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration, and implementing concrete on-the-ground measures for climate change risk management in highly vulnerable communities.

Apart from a national consultation held on October 27 to develop the general concept of the project, the visitors’ itinerary included a field trip throughout the island and interviews with various government officials and technical partners. Several sites affected and vulnerable to future climate change were visited.

PHOTO: Joseph Gilbert and Michael Scholze shake hands after signing concept agreement


SOURCE: Kareen Morain, Ministry of Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development

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