BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) — The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the German Financial Cooperation (KfW) have signed a programme geared towards reducing the risks of climate change on the Caribbean's coastal population.

The approximately six-year Ecosystem-Based Approaches for Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Zones of Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean (EBACC) programme, which is slated to start later this year, will be implemented in Jamaica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The main components of the programme are investments in sustainable improvements of coastal ecosystems, relevant for climate change adaptation, and knowledge management, project support and monitoring.

Under the first component, the programme aims to invest in measures related to protection and sustainable management, rehabilitation or substitution, and monitoring of coastal ecosystems in an effort to assist the participating countries to mitigate climate change-induced risks to livelihoods and development prospects.

The second component of the programme will assist the countries in the preparation and implementation of the local adaptation measures, monitoring of project goals and impacts, and the systematisation and dissemination of project experiences.

"These four participating countries were selected because the programme seeks to establish synergies with the Caribbean's Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR). However, mainly because of the limited financing, not all the participating Caribbean PPCR countries will be involved in EBACC, " said Dr Mark Bynoe, the centre's senior economist and head of the programme development and management.

Executive director of the CCCCC, Dr Kenrick Leslie, said "the EBACC programme is part of the implementing phase of the landmark Regional Strategic Framework to address climate change".

The programme, which will be funded by the German government to the tune of ¤ 10.8 million, and ¤1.47 million from the Centre and participating countries through a mix of in-kind and financial support, will operate under a facility approach.

This arrangement will allow both governmental and non-governmental institutions in the four participating countries to seek funding for Local Adaptation Measures (LAM).

The agreement, signed on Friday by the Dr Leslie, and KfW's Sector Economist Dr Josef Haider, marks the conclusion of KfW's appraisal mission, which included meetings in Jamaica and St Lucia.