Guyana set to benefit from climate change adaptation programme

GINA, GUYANA, Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Guyana is among 10 countries that will be benefitting from a climate change adaptation programme that will be funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Head of Office of Climate Change Janelle Christian

The agency, in collaboration with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) is financing the programme that seeks to tackle climate change challenges in Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries.

Head of the Office of Climate Change, Janelle Christian told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that in January, consultation meetings were hosted to discuss the way forward for Guyana with agencies from the agricultural sector, development partners, Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

“The meeting was really to have an engagement on the climate change adaptation programme which is a regional initiative, to brainstorm and see how best Guyana can benefit under this, as we identify those areas for priority actions,” Christian explained.

Christian explained that another meeting was held on January 30, 2017 and at that session; they identified three thematic areas for piloting under this project. “Those areas are water resources management in Region Nine; the second has to do with climate smart agriculture, and the third is looking at early warning systems and community based disaster risk management. The next step would be for the respective groups to submit their concept notes and we would share that with the CCCCC,” Christian underlined.

The Head of the Office of Climate Change welcomed the support from USAID, noting the attendant benefits in addressing the gaps in climate change. She added that the office is also receiving support for the green Bartica initiative from the Project Management Unit of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of Barbados, with responsibility for oversight and implementation for the Japanese Caribbean Climate Change Partnership Project (JCCCPP).

The US$26 million programme was launched in November 2016 and is a four- year initiative benefitting Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur

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