Work Order 13 Integrating Climate Change aspects in …...Work Order 13 Integrating Climate Change aspects in Dominica’s Land Use Policy and Physical Development Planning Vulnerability,

Work Order 13

Integrating Climate Change aspects in Dominica’s La nd Use Policy and

Physical Development Planning

Vulnerability, Impact and Adaptation Assessments Re port

(Activity 1 + 2)

prepared by

Hans-Peter Winkelmann

Key Expert on Climate Change

GCCA CSF

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Support to the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) under the 10th EDF Intra-ACP Financial Framework

Vulnerability, Impact and Adaptation Assessment Met hodologies applied to the

Mission

In order to prepare the mission, the expert conducted a comprehensive desk research

exercise. In a first step the provided literature related to Climate Change in Dominica was

thoroughly examined. Since a number of the literature which was included in the list attached

to the WO was not available, it was necessary to obtain it from other sources, for instance in

Dominica itself. The Junior Consultant was very helpful in this part of the preparation which

started already in November 2012. In addition to that, a couple of other critical studies and

reports related to Climate Change in Dominica was identified by the expert and carefully

scrutinized. A great number of documents were obtained from the UNFCCC Secretariat, e.g.

the Second National Communication on Climate Change which was submitted to the

UNFCCC Secretariat only in November 2012.

Relevant V&A Assessments for Dominica

Task 2 of the Work Order describes the mission to conduct a vulnerability assessment,

including the mapping of areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change,

classifying the mapped areas in different categories of vulnerability and describing for each

of these areas how the natural resources and the local population are affected (or likely to be

affected) by climate change and what measures should be taken to mitigate the negative

effects of climate change and thus to reduce vulnerability. Since a full vulnerability

assessment takes up to 2 years and requires lots of resources, it was agreed with the

beneficiary that a more feasible approach must be taken to reach the same desired results.

As the island of Dominica is one of the best studied areas in the world in terms of assessing

climate change vulnerability there are numerous studies and reports available that have

conducted vulnerability assessments in Dominica for different sectors. These assessment

reports were mainly carried out by prominent organizations such as the World Bank, the

OECS, CDERA, CARIBSAVE and others. The certainly most important vulnerability

assessment for literally all sectors in Dominica was recently carried out by the Government of

Dominica for the Second National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCCC in

2012. Due to this overwhelming existing information and data it was agreed to use the

existing vulnerability assessments rather than to duplicate them and to apply the

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findings on a local case study approach. As a result, the following V&A assessments have

been carefully studied and should be considered further in the project for the development of

a NLUP and NPDP:

• Second National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCCC, 2012

• CARIBSAVE Climate Change Risk Profile for Dominica

• The Implementation of Adaptation Measures in Coastal Zones Project Dominica, St.

Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines through the Caribbean Community Climate

Change Centre (CCCCC), 2012 (GEF/World Bank)

• PPCR Study (World Bank)

• STATUS OF HAZARD MAPS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND DIGITAL MAPS

DOMINICA COUNTRY REPORT, THE CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY

RESPONSE AGENCY (CDERA), October 2003

• DRAFT TOURISM MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN MERO, Organization of

Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), March 2013

Finally, the expert studied the various methodologies and approaches on V&A assessment

frameworks to identify the best suited methodology for the mission in Dominica. As a result

the expert proposed to the beneficiary a “bottom-up approach” on adaptation rather than an

impact oriented “top-down approach” including reviewing existing projects and analyses,

planning the approach to be taken, and planning and using stakeholder input. Since

adaptation frameworks are driven by need to supply useful information to stakeholders the

expert proposed a participatory approach to engage as many stakeholder groups as possible

during the mission and to focus on qualitative assessments.

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Case study approach

In order remain realistic in view of the limited time available the beneficiary agreed to focus

on the three major vulnerability areas in Dominica:

1) sea-level rise (SLR),

2) river flooding and

3) landslides.

For each of those vulnerability areas the beneficiary suggested at least one hot spot to look

at in detail: Portsmouth, Soufriere and Mero on SLR, the Layou river valley on flooding

and Campbell and the Northeast coast on landslides. The entire three weeks mission was

consequently conducted in accordance to this agreed approach.

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Engagement of stakeholders in the Adaptation Proces s

The chosen adaptation assessment framework is an explicitly stakeholder-driven approach

to climate change adaptation projects. Engaging stakeholders is a fundamental activity that

cuts across all components. Stakeholders can contribute significantly to understanding

current vulnerability and adaptation and to identifying necessary adaptation measures. At the

same time, their involvement in the project can educate them about the risks associated with

climate change, and can equip them to sustain the adaptation process. Done well, this

process of engagement can assist the implementation of adaptation policies and the

formation of an “adaptation community”, and can provide the momentum to carry the

adaptation process forward.

The role of stakeholders in national development pl anning,

Engaging stakeholders is a crosscutting component that involves an active and sustained

dialogue among affected individuals and groups, and is crucial to the successful

implementation of the NLUP and NPDP as a national adaptation strategy in Dominica.

In particular, we would emphasize local stakeholder engagement and the need to mobilize

local action to increase adaptive capacity.

Ideally, an “adaptation community” will be created – one that is capable of supporting the

adaptation process put in place by a particular application of the adaptation assessment

framework. At the end of the effort, both the team and the range of stakeholders should have

a better understanding of national strengths and vulnerabilities with respect to climate

change.

Stakeholder input is needed in order to determine project priorities and strategies. It is

preferable for stakeholder participation to be limited to a small core early in the process and

on an expanded scale later in the project. The process of setting objectives can be

accomplished using facilitated stakeholder fora (workshop), expert opinions and inputs from

policy makers.

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Dominica’s exposure to climate change

• Dominica is one of the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and as such

considered as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its mountainous

topography and heavy rainfall.

• Although amounts vary with the location, rain is possible throughout the year, with the

greatest monthly totals recorded from June through October.

• Average yearly rainfall along the windward east coast frequently exceeds 5,000 mm, and

exposed mountainsides receive up to 9,000 mm, among the highest accumulations in the

Caribbean and the world.

• Approximately 70% of the country’s 70,000 inhabitants reside in the coastal areas. Many

of these coastal settlements are extremely vulnerable to the disastrous impacts of climate

change, due to the high risk of inundation by sea surge associated with a rising sea level.

• Some inland settlements are similarly vulnerable due to their location in river valleys or

on steep slopes that are prone to landslides during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

Impacts of Climate Change in Dominica

“Something is changing”

Several meetings with relevant stakeholders from all different sectors in Dominica as part of

a participatory V&A assessment framework imply that there are evident changes which have

been observed in recent years:

1. The winter swell is now extended (Nov-Jun) and impacts the coast more than in the past

2. The loss of beaches which have been much wider is obvious

3. 90% of the traditional coverage of sea grass is gone, and a new species has taken over

4. Land slippage from an increase in rainfall causing even casualties recently

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5. The distribution of rainfall has changed

6. This change in rainfall patterns results e.g. in heavy rainfall during drought seasons

7. It is becoming more and more difficult to differentiate between the wet and dry seasons

8. In particular the rising temperatures have impacted farmers and the agriculture industry

and have caused negative effects

9. A change in the ecosystems (which has been brought the Giant Ditch Frog to the brink of

extinction)

10. Occurrence in pests and diseases as well as invasive species

11. Longer periods of droughts were observed recently, particularly at the West Coast

12. Farmers have noted crop depravation by wildlife. For example, the parrots are leaving

their natural food sources (seeds) which are in abundance and now eating agricultural

crops (citrus) and endanger food security

Stakeholder meetings

Stakeholders should be involved throughout the process. As early as possible in the process,

it will be essential to gather information on relevant stakeholders (key people that need to be

consulted during the vulnerability assessment, vulnerable population groups, participants in

the workshop, key people involved in the development of the NLUP and NPDP,...). In

particular they should be involved in determining what will e examined, what adaptations

should be considered, and in evaluating results. Engaging stakeholders requires an active

and sustained dialogue among affected individuals and groups. The stakeholder involvement

carried out in the V&A process during the mission combined a sensitivity analysis and an

evaluation of adaptive capacity.

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Governmental meetings

Meeting with the Minister for the Environment, Natu ral Resources, Physical Planning &

Fisheries

The expert met Governmental representatives of the Commonwealth of Dominica on two

occasions: One meeting was held on Friday, 26 April 2013 with the the Minister for the

Environment, Natural Resources, Physical Planning & Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Kenneth Darroux

and with the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Eisenhower Douglas, to discuss the overall objectives

of the mission and its linkages to the national policy of Dominica concerning climate change.

The role of Dominica in international climate policy negotiations in particular related to the

UNFCCC was addressed as well. Both the Minister and the PS expressed their gratitude

about the GCCA CSF mission as an important milestone for Dominica to become more

climate resilient in the National Land Use Policy. Furthermore, they underlined the wish to

continue the cooperation with the CSF under the umbrella of the GCCA and pointed out

future possible areas for follow-up activities.

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Meeting with the Permanent Secretary Ministry of To urism and Legal Affairs

The second meeting was held on Tuesday, 7 May 2013 at the Ministry of Tourism and Legal

Affairs with Claudia Bellot, Permanent Secretary and Edward Henderson, Chief Tourism

Officer. It was made quite clear that Dominica depends on nature for tourism as it is

promoted as the ‘nature isle of the Caribbean’. There have been impacts from climate

change some of which has affected the fauna of the island. The wildlife is promoted for

tourism. For example, The ‘crapaud’ or ‘mountain chicken’ was once a national dish but has

since diminished greatly. The increase in temperatures has caused the chytrid virus to

flourish. This is what has affected this crapaud. Most of the coastal properties such as hotels

have suffered serious impacts from climate change related events such as hurricane Lenny

1999 (Evergreen Hotel). Mero which is a small village on the west coast of the island is

constantly visited by tourists from cruise ships and also by locals for recreational purposes.

The OECS is assisting Dominica to conduct a study of the area. There is now an emergency

plan for that area. The Tourism Master Plan is also currently being updated but not yet

complete. It is clear as with many other stakeholders that there is now no clear differentiation

between the dry and wet season. For example May is supposed to be the driest month in the

year and has always been but a lot of heavy rain has already been experienced so far for

May.

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• Forestry Wildlife and Parks Division

This meeting was held on April 24, 2013 at 3pm.

Present were:

Minchinton Burton – Chief Forestry Officer

Ronald Charles – Forestry Officer

Hans-Peter Winkelmann – Climate Change Expert

Shari-Anne Gregoire – Physical Planning Division project coordinator

The representatives from the Forestry Wildlife and Parks Division explained in detail

that forests are of utmost importance to Dominica. This applies for the past but for the

future as well. It was discussed that the topography of Dominica was quite difficult

and as a result there was no commercial forestry. There is no practice of clear-felled

logging, only selective logging. For example there was a Canadian company in the

60s and 70s who tried to log commercially but this was closed because it was not

profitable.

Currently, the forestry division is looking at the forest as a service industry, for

example, biodiversity, tourism, soil stabilization, and water production etc.

The forestry officers did not feel that there was any noticeable physical impact from

climate change on the forest from climate change. Since there are no mangroves in

Dominica, there is no impact on forests by sea level rise (SLR) to be expected.

However, they have noted crop depravation by wildlife. For example, the

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parrots are leaving their natural food sources (seeds) which are in abundance and

now eating agricultural crops (citrus).

Another observation is land slippage from an increase in rainfall. The distribution of

rainfall has changed. As a result there has been an increase in invasive species. At

the same time longer periods of droughts were observed recently, particularly at the

West Coast. This might cause negative effects on the forests.

It is felt that there will be indirect effects from climate change on the forest. In the

event of sea level rise, populations may need to be resettled and the forests will be

affected through the cutting of trees and water catchments may also be affected.

Such development might be similar to the situation when the banana boom took place

(1985-1995) and many forests were cut down for banana plantations.

The officers felt that if the government changed the land use of its state-owned lands

it would be good for the forests. Non-allocated lands could be used as forest reserves

thereby allowing for greater protection of the forests. Land capacity studies could also

identify the most productive lands. Therefore the target for the National Land Use

Policy (NLUP) as well as a National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) from the

Forestry Wildlife and Parks Division’s perspective is clearly not to lose more forests.

The integration of agro-forestry would also serve as climate resilience (plant

commercially viable crops)

The Forestry Wildlife and Parks Division cooperates on an international level with the

regional FAO office in Barbados, with Fairtrade organizations and with forest research

institutes of the Commonwealth.

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• Dominica Red Cross Society

This meeting was held on April 25, 2013 at 3pm.

Present were:

Kathleen Pinard-Byrne – Director General


Shari-Anne Gregoire – Physical Planning Division project coordinator

The Red Cross Society in Dominica conducts vulnerability and capacity assessments

which utilized hazard mapping. Today, 17 communities have been mapped. As an

example the Mero Hazard Map was presented, showing the level of hazard exposure

of the entire community even on a household level (see picture).

Google earth has been used to conduct surveys and the information put onto hazard

maps. Information such as demographics and resources are mapped. As a result a

list of the most vulnerable communities in Dominica was published:

• Penville

• Vielle Case

• Anse de Mai

• Wesley

• Castlebruce

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• Rosalie

• Grand Fond

• Morne Jaune

• Wotten Waven

• Dubuc

• Belles

• Mahaut

• Massacre

As a next step the use of GIS (in particular Q-GIS as open source software) shall be

applied.

There was a project (in the three Caribbean countries Guyana, Dominica, and

Jamaica), funded by CIDA (Canada) to map 5 communities in Dominica and train 15

persons within them in disaster management. This was done in one year.

The Director General of the Dominica Red Cross Sociey felt that particularly in view of

hazard mapping (as an important tool for the for the National Land Use Policy (NLUP)

as well as for the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) a better sharing of

information among national, regional and local stakeholders is needed.

• Office of Disaster Management

This meeting was held on Friday April 26, 2013 at 11:30 am.

Present were:

Don Corriette – National Disaster Coordinator (Acting)

Steve Joseph - Program Officer (Acting)

Susan Crocetti – AusAid volunteer


Shari-Anne Gregoire – Project coordinator- Physical Planning Division

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At this time the ODM is trying to come up with one common template which can be

used for disasters in all communities around the island. The objective is to keep it

user-friendly for local people (poster plans for display). The work started at the most

vulnerable communities.

The office is responsible for disaster relief, disaster preparedness, mitigation,

readiness, etc.

The office does more than just respond to a disaster. They are working with the

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to create a

comprehensive disaster management strategy. This includes preparation, early

warning systems, response, readiness, rehabilitation. A new disaster legislation is

also currently under preparation.

The focus is on preparing from the community level upward. This includes hurricanes,

earthquakes, tsunami, floods, volcanoes, communicable and non-communicable

diseases.

The ODM feels that community response is important in an emergency as there is a

lack of services available on the island (police, fire, etc). Many operations also

operate as a single unit in Dominica.

The ODM stressed also the need to show the synergies between disaster

management and climate change policies. This work should be done in partnership

since different single organization is working for the same goal from a different

perspective.

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• Environmental Health

This meeting was held on Monday April 29, 2013 at 2: 15 pm

Present were:

Sylvester St. Ville – Senior Environmental Health Officer



This department deals with impacts of humans on the environment and how these

two sectors impact each other. For example water quality, liquid waste, solid waste,

housing, air quality and climate change.

The sewage system for the main town of Roseau is currently 150 meters out to sea.

The rest of the island uses a soak-away system which is found on site. Some areas

like the west coast of the island use a public convenience system and this comes with

issues. The solid waste aspect is managed by the Dominica Solid Waste

Management Corporation.

Urbanization is an issue in Dominica. There are many vulnerable areas such as

surrounding suburbs (Fond Cole and Kingshill) where the communities are built on

slopes. Waste is disposed on site and climate change could be an issue in terms of

heavy rains and the type of soil found in these areas. Other areas such as Good

Hope in the north east of the island are also vulnerable because of the soil type there

and saturation issues.

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Presently, the department is looking at the impact of climate change on health. In

particular vectors and vector-borne diseases like mosquitoes. The department is

conducting a sensitization program for health care workers. The aim is to get these

workers to be able to identify these diseases. Assistance is being received for this

from the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

In the near future it is hoped that vulnerability mapping can be conducted to develop

health profiles in communities. The department will look at environmental health

issues in these communities and work with policies and community programs to

reduce vulnerability.

Environmental Health works closely with other departments such as the Physical

Planning Division. They have a representative on the technical committee as well as

the Board which meets very regularly. They are mandated by the law to look at proper

disposal of waste.

The environmental health is also in the process of developing environmental health

national indicators which will identify trends in environmental health issues, for

example, water quality, air quality, food supply etc. These will then be circulated for

consultation and input.

There is no way to prove climate change impacts but the department is aware of it

and is preparing for it, for example malaria and dengue fever. The information

collected on vectors will be analyzed to determine if there is a link to climate change.

Note: Dominica is rated #35 in the world health system and the highest in the

Caribbean – World Health Organization (WHO).

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• Agriculture Information Communication technology Un it

This meeting was held on Monday April 29, 2013 at 11: 15am

Present were:

Adisa Trotter – Head of Unit



The Agriculture Division has observed an occurrence in pests and diseases such as

invasive species (Giant African snail, black sigatoka)

Documents suggested by Mr. Trotter for review include:

• Pilot Project for Climate Resilience – by George de Romily

• Caribbean Agro Meteorology Initiative - looking at the weather to improve

farming techniques. This was done by Adrian Trottman of CIMH Barbados. It

has been noted that there is a difference of 1 degree in temperature.

• OECS Land Management documentation review

Other studies have also included agro-ecological zoning to position crops based on

temperature and the environment.

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In 2010 there was a terrible drought which caused a reduction in export and an

increase in high food prices. Also in March 2013 there have been bushfires which has

been an issue for the west coast of Dominica.

Due to more expected droughts in the future particularly at the western part of the

island irrigation will become an important issue. So far there is no irrigation system in

place. However, putting irrigation systems in place would mean tremendous efforts

such as creating terraces for crop fields etc.

• Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme

This meeting was held on Tuesday April 30, 2013 at 9: 35 am

Present were:

Agnes Esprit – National Coordinator GEF SGP


Shari-Anne Gregoire – Project Coordinator- Physical Planning Division

There are five focal areas under the GEF Program. Climate change is one area and

the focus is on mitigation and adaptation.

The Small Island Developing States Community Based Adaptation (SIDS CBA) is a

program funded by the AUSAid and looks at adaptation to identify risks and

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vulnerabilities. For example, there is a project approved for one area in Dominica

which is prone to landslides (Campbell). This funding can approve of projects up to

US$50,000. There is a need for capacity building before finalizing projects.

The GEF SGP has worked for example with a school to install solar panels. The

school is now 90% solar energy.

The GEF SGP program does have challenges. There is only one person for this

program and quite a lot of times the program is dependent on volunteers. The office is

currently looking for external assistance. Some assistance was received from the

Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in Belize.

Other projects include a youth organization land rehabilitation project but this project

has been slow to move forward.

There is also a project in the Carib Territory to train officers to manage the forests

(Kalinago Forest Rehabilitation project). This project will also help the people who are

destroying the forests to be engaged in alternative jobs. There is one particular tree in

the forests which is now taking a lot more time to grow as it is constantly being cut

down.

The GEF SGP works mostly on a grass roots level building capacity.

• Fisheries Division

This meeting was held on Tuesday April 30, 2013 at 12: 30 pm

Present were:

Andrew Magloire – Chief Fisheries Officer



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In the 1990s a decision was made to move the fisheries away from the coast.

There are 2 aspects to fisheries:

Marine fisheries

Recreation – dive tourism. This is mainly dependent on a healthy marine environment

Offshore fisheries are very unpredictable as the current patterns are erratic. There is

no weather monitoring system so there is no evaluation taking place.

Currently, they are trying to document activities using a Fish Aggregating Device

(FAD). This submerged into the water.

They are also trying to include weather monitoring on FADS using GPS. The data

from the GPS can be used to determine the erratic nature of the currents.

One observation is that the winter swell is now extended (Nov-Jun) and impacts the

coast more. Impacts can affect infrastructure, coastal biodiversity (affects the

ecology), and the livelihood of communities. The increase in solid particles being

suspended also affects the physical structure of the reefs which will then make the

coastal defense weaker.

Invasive species are now thriving in the waters. For example, sea grass, 90% of the

traditional coverage is gone and a new species has taken over. This affects the

natural biodiversity to areas. This then negatively impacts the livelihoods of

communities.

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Currently, the division is now conducting more awareness programs.

It can also be noted that there is some political interference (socio-economic impact).

People do not take as much precaution as they used to in the past as they feel that in

the event of a disaster, the government will compensate them.

• Kalinago Chief

This meeting was held on Tuesday April 30, 2013 at 12: 50 pm

Present were:

Garnett Joseph – Kalinago Chief



It is currently difficult to differentiate between the wet and dry seasons. This has

impacted farmers and the agriculture industry.

Most of the damage in the chief’s opinion was caused in the 1990s with the banana

industry. There were a lot of lands being cleared and steep slopes were used to farm.

In the Kalinago Territory at that time consisted of the highest number of banana

farmers. Unlike other communities, banana cultivation actually took place within the

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community itself. Trees and windbreaks were removed. This caused erosion, siltation

of rivers, and affected the food source in rivers and the ocean.

There are 3 specific areas within the community where lands have been cleared and

the soil is unstable. This has caused huge cracks in the land.

• Portsmouth Mayor

This meeting was held on Tuesday April 30, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Present were:

Cleave St.Jean – Mayor of Portsmouth



The mayor noted that the beach used to be noticeably wider when he was a young

boy.

Currently the town is working in collaboration with the ODM assessing for the

possibilities of a tsunami.

There are many issues in the town. One solution near a famous river called the Indian

River is to create a groin. This is important as it is a tourist attraction.

There are many plans for future development of Portsmouth and this is one reason it

is a case study for this project. There is so much economic activity going on currently

and a lot more planned for the future.

*The mayor is in the process of arranging interviews with fishers in the area

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• Purple Turtle Beach Club

This meeting was held on Thursday May 2, at 1:30 pm

Present were:

Patricia Etienne – Owner

Joseph Fontaine – Senior Development Officer - Physical Planning Division



Whilst we were unable to speak with the fishers that day we were able to have a brief

but interesting meeting with the owner of this restaurant in Portsmouth (north of

Dominica).

She noted that the landscape immediately surrounded her place has changed quite a

lot in the time she has been situated there. She has been in that area since 1983 and

the beach has continually encroached on her property. The boundary of her property

is now way out into the ocean. At one time the ocean was very far away and the

sandy area of the beach was so wide that sporting activities were quite common. This

is no longer the case.

She also noted that during Hurricane Lenny (1999) the business suffered major

damage from the ocean coming into the restaurant.

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• Mero Project

This meeting was held on Thursday May 7, at 3:15 pm

Present were:

Marie Jose Edwards – Consultant (Eclipse Inc.)



Ms. Edwards noted that environmental issues are not necessarily mainstreamed into

policies.

She is in the process of doing some vulnerability assessment at Mero beach on the

west coast. This project is funded by the OECS and USAID. So far she has

completed a small vegetation study, a socio-economic study, and a baseline study of

the marine environment. There is also a disaster management plan and a mitigation

management plan being developed for the area. Some of the information used has

been provided by the Red Cross Society.

There is a disaster committee which has been reactivated but there has not been any

training done yet. Marie Jose noted that getting the population trained is a major issue

for the area.

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• Martin Esprit

This meeting was held on Friday May 3, at 2:30 pm

Present were:

Martin Esprit



We visited the Campbell area with Mr. Martin Esprit who is quite knowledgeable in

many areas. He is a hunter and very tuned in to nature and his surroundings.

We were shown the areas of water catchment areas and the path of the water from

the mountain to the land. We were able to view areas where landslides had occurred

in the past and possible destruction in the future with the right weather conditions.

Mr. Esprit has noted that areas around Dominica are now uncertain. For example

Belles, in the interior of Dominica, now bears avocadoes and mangoes and this was

not so in the past as the area was too cold.

Martin noted that some disasters are manmade and just cause the natural disasters

to be even worse.

• Soufriere Village Council

This meeting was held on Tuesday May 7, at 10:00 am

Present were:

Maria Nicholas – Office Clerk



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The Soufriere village is the most Southern point of the island of Dominica. It is very

vulnerable to SLR because of its location on the rim of an extinct volcano. For that

reason the Government has recently built a very long sea defence wall to protect the

village.

It was noted that the rain has affected what is known as the ‘cold soufriere’. There are

no longer any pools; these have been replaced with streams. This was an area of the

village used for medicinal purposes. The locals believe that the water has healing

properties. The hot sulphur springs are now too hot as well.

The farmers in the area have also noticed a change in their crop yield. They are no

longer harvesting as in the past.

• Mr. Boyd – farmer at the soufriere village council office

It was observed that the farmers are struggling with the weather and diseases presnt

in plants – bora bora, black sigatoka, tarnia crab, slugs. All of these events are tied in

to changes in the climate.

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Resources delivered

The following comprehensive Dominica Resource File containing materials on principles of

CC mainstreaming and CC vulnerability assessment as well as documents describing the

detailed methodology to be used for the vulnerability assessment was provided to the

Physical Planning Division:

1. Caribsave Climate Change Risk Atlas (CCCRA) – Snapshot Results/Summary

Document/CCCRA Risk Atlas (Full document)

2. Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: The Caribbean(Full document)

3. Klima-und-Raum.org – Glossar

4. UNFCCC Handbook (Cover page/1. Introduction/Attachment/2. Vulnerability and

Adaption Frameworks)

5. UNDP ADP User’s Guidebook (Full document) / UNDP APF (Internet Homepage) /

Executive Summary / Section I User’s Guidebook /User’s Guidebook (Erika Springer

et.al.) / Section II Technical Papers / 3 – Assessing Vulnerability for Climate Adaption

+ Annexes

6. 26 Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations

(Timothy Carter et.al.)

7. IPCC Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations

(WMO/UNEP) Full document

8. ICLEI Guidebook

9. Methodological Frameworks for Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change (Rekha S

Nair et. al.)

10. Coastal Vulnerability Assessment for Sea-Level Rise: Evaluation and Selection

Methodologies for Implementation (CPACC Project, March 1999)

11. CGE Hands-on training workshops on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments for

the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Ascuncion, 14 – 18 August 2006

12. MACC Climate Change Impacts on Land Use Planning and Costal Infrastructure

(NOS)

13. Vulnerability Assessment of Climate Risks (Lao Case Study)

14. Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Small Islands Developing States

(Background Paper, Dr. Graham Sem)

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Climate Change Vulnerability in Dominica

From the vulnerability assessments carried out the following sectors are being considered

vulnerable in Dominica:

• Forestry and terrestrial resources: Possible impacts of climate change on the country’s

forest ecosystems include: an alteration in the range of species; reduced water flow; an

increase in forest pests and disease; and reduced food availability for wildlife.

• Coastal ecosystems: A rise in mean sea level could cause a loss of beach area; rising

temperatures may damage coral reefs along with the island’s tourism sector and fishery;

and increased mortality of mangrove forests.

• Water resources: Depending on future changes in precipitation on the island, climate

change could result in flooding, landslides, reduced water for domestic use, and saline

invasion of drinking water.

• Human settlements and infrastructure: Dominica’s population is approximately 72,000

people, 90 per cent of whom live in coastal villages. Given that most of Dominica’s

infrastructure is located in coastal areas, more frequent extreme weather events and sea

level rise could adversely impact these human settlements.

• Agriculture: The country’s main economic sectors are rain-fed agriculture (with major

crops including bananas, citrus and coconuts.). Impacts could include: declines in the

country’s main crop, bananas, which are very sensitive to changes in precipitation; losses

due to extreme weather events such as cyclones; and changes in yield due to rising

temperatures and variable precipitation.

• Fisheries: The fisheries sector is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change as a result

of the expected consequences of rising sea temperatures on coral reefs.

• Tourism: The impact of climate change on coastal zones, fisheries, and coral reefs could

adversely affect this burgeoning industry.

29


Photos taken from damages at the Layou river on 26 April 2013 a few days after a severe

flooding caused by heavy rainfalls during the dry season

30


The area around the Campbell village is very prone to landslide because major parts of the

housing areas are located on the slopes of a huge catchment area. A large landslide has

caused recently casualties.

31


Flood protection walls are being built recently on a large scale in villages at the West coast to

protect people from flooding of little streams stemming from heavy rainfall in the mountains.

32


Landslides blocking roads and traffic are a serious problem in Dominica due to the unstable

geological situation and the increase in heavy rain falls. These two incidents happened

during the mission. Another landslide at the East coast caused the collapse of a road which

killed two people during this period.

33


Sea level rise and the loss of beaches is obvious in Dominica. As a result sea protection

walls are being built to protect 90 per cent of the island’s population which lives on the coast

lines.