A Blue Urban Agenda: Adapting to Climate Change in the Coastal Cities of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States

Abstract

a Creative Commons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ igo/legalcode) and may be reproduced with attribution to the IDB and for any noncommercial purpose. No derivative work is allowed.Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IDB that cannot be settled amicably shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the IDB's name for any purpose other than for attribution, and the use of IDB's logo shall be subject to a separate written license agreement between the IDB and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license.Note that link provided above includes additional terms and conditions of the license.The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inter-American Development Bank, its Board of Directors, or the countries they represent. CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA PROVIDED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FELIPE HERRERA LIBRARY Mycoo, Michelle.A blue urban agenda: adapting to climate change in the coastal cities of Caribbean and Pacific small island developing states Michelle Mycoo, Michael G. Donovan. TAbLE Of CONTENTS 3.3Urban Profile of Caribbean and Pacific SIDS Photo 0,10,23,37,Chapter 2,7 Chapter 4, 5, photo 44,45,46,47,52 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21. Guyana. June, 2010 Stabroeknews -www.Stabroeknews.com http://www.stabroeknews. com/2013/news/stories/04/29/high-tides-flood-parts-of-georgetown-westcoast. Author: Arian Browne Photo 24. Nassau, Bahamas. October, 2015 Source: IDB photogallery. Author: Willie Heinz Photos 25,27,28,29. Photos 30,31,32,33,34,43, Chapter 6. Bridgetown, Barbados Portfolio ESC. HUD Division. August 11, 2016 Regional Responses of Caribbean Agencies 13 LIST Of phOTOS Coastal cities of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island DevelopingStates (SIDS) are highly vulnerable and will be among the earliest and most affected by climate change in the coming decades. Approximately 29 million people reside in Caribbean and Pacific SIDS, 4.2 million of which reside in low-elevation coastal zones (LECZs) located less than 10 meters above the sea level. The cost of damage to critical infrastructure that supports human settlements along the coast that results from rising sea levels will be a financial burden to many SIDS. By 2100, the cost of rising sea levels as a percentage of GDP will be highest among SIDS and enormous relative to the size of their economies. Impacts could include a decline in national output, inflation, increasing debt, revenue loss, and employment decline. Adapting and improving the resilience of cities in coastal zones of SIDS, especially those experiencing rapid urbanisation, remains critical.The unique patterns of urban growth in SIDS increase their vulnerability to climate change. This model includes: SIDS can seize opportunities to minimise the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as rising sea levels and natural hazards on their ur...

Beyond 1.5 °C: vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies for Caribbean Small Island Developing States

“…Countries in the region will have to urgently access climate funds depending on whether the temperature change is rapid. The Addis Ababa Financing for Development process made it clear that there was a need for a 'call to action' in support of SIDS (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). The immediacy of impending SLR will require that multilateral and bilateral lending agencies increase budgetary allocations to finance protective structures that will be a burden for SIDS economies (Mycoo and Donovan 2017).…”

“…The Addis Ababa Financing for Development process made it clear that there was a need for a 'call to action' in support of SIDS (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). The immediacy of impending SLR will require that multilateral and bilateral lending agencies increase budgetary allocations to finance protective structures that will be a burden for SIDS economies (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). The European Commission in May 2017 pledged US$900 million over the next 3 years up to 2020 to help the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries address climate change impacts (Inter Press Service 2017).…”

“…A more balanced settlement system that encourages a reversal of the primate city 'syndrome' and stimulates the development of a system of secondary urban centres away from the coast is critical in adapting to SLR (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). SIDS such as Dominica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts are now embarking on the preparation of national spatial development plans which makes it timely to incorporate climate change policies.…”

“…SIDS such as Dominica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts are now embarking on the preparation of national spatial development plans which makes it timely to incorporate climate change policies. Additionally, although National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) have become a principal way of organising adaptation priorities in SIDS, most plans do not explicitly include urban projects and do not reflect local government perspectives (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). NAPAs should have a greater urban settlement focus and incorporate local government inputs so as to ensure buy-in of these plans.…”

“…In particular, the donor community has responded positively to the challenge of adapting to climate change in SIDS. It has provided US$55.6 billion in Official Development Assistance to Caribbean and Pacific SIDS between 1995 and 2015 nearly doubling average annual aid flows (in current prices) (Mycoo and Donovan 2017). The Caribbean has also leveraged green climate funding and secured US$460 million in green finance.…”