Corals against the climate change

With German support, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund is launching its second Caribbean-wide ideas competition for projects that address adaptation to climate change.

In recent years, the Caribbean has seen an increase in the frequency of severe weather events such as hurricanes, which cause enormous damage. In 2019, the aftermath of hurricane Dorian made it clear that the resilience of the small island developing states must be strengthened, because SIDS, are extensively affected by the impacts of climate change due to their geographical locations.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) promotes the restoration and strengthening of natural habitats such as coral reefs and mangrove forests. Intact coral reefs, for example, act like natural breakwaters, helping to reduce coastal erosion. If the resilience of these ecosystems is improved, the inhabitants of the region will also be better protected from the negative effects of climate change. Ecosystem-based adaptation is therefore an important – and above all cost-effective – component of adaptation strategies.

Ideas competition for adaptation to climate change – applications can be submitted until the end of April

By their very nature, these measures need time to achieve their full impact and it can take decades for a natural coral reef to become established. They therefore require long term partnerships amongst different organizations as applied by the German Financial Cooperation with the Caribbean. In December 2019, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) therefore approved a second phase of 20 million euros for the IKI project entitled “Climate Change Adaptation in the Caribbean: The EbA-Facility”. The EbA Facility provides grants under the auspices of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

The second ideas competition was launched at the end of February 2020. It is aimed at public authorities, non-governmental organisations, universities and private companies, which may also be based in locations other than the Caribbean. Applications can be submitted by 30 April 2020. The funding volume amounts to between 250,000 and 2 million US dollars. The following are eligible to apply as project countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Regional projects may also be proposed for the two-stage selection procedure. More information about the competition can be found here.

Caribbean Biodiversity Fund supports and networks projects

German financial cooperation not only funds many effective projects, it also fosters the creation of a network between them and enables them to learn from one another. To this end, the winners of the first ideas competition were invited to a workshop held in the Dominican Republic on 26 February 2020. During the event, the German Ambassador, the Dominican Vice Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources as well as representatives of the KfW German Development Bank and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund officially launched the next round of the ideas competition.