STARTING today, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) will host a one-week regional training workshop intended to educate CARIFORUM countries about conducting vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) studies.

The workshop, which takes place in the Dominican Republic, is the second of a two-part programme that seeks to build resilience and climate change adaptation within and among the selected countries. The first part, convened in Suriname in April, targeted southern Caribbean countries, while the second is aimed at those in the northern half of the sub-region.

During the course of the programme, 10 vulnerability assessments will be conducted in the field, the outcome of which will inform future land-use planning, zoning and development planning. A number of risk and hazard assessments will also be carried out and topographic maps indicating risk areas and levels will be produced.

According to a release from 5Cs, the emphasis of the proceedings will be on process as opposed to a recipe of steps.

“This is important as VCA and adaptation planning cannot be a one-size-fits-all mechanism, but one of situation-specific applications,” the regional climate change centre said.

The VCA training sessions will focus on:

* The types of information that should be gathered;

* How to manage relevant stakeholder processes;

* Some of the tools that can be used to analyse the information gathered;

* Useable products for decision-making;

* How to organise data into a graphical map-based format (using GIS);

* Identifying hotspots and priorities for adaptation strategies; and

* Prioritising capacity and vulnerability reduction needs.

Programme Manager Joe McGann says he expects over 20 participants, who will bring a wealth of experience from their respective countries and from previous participation in similar activities.

“The training programme furthers efforts under the Caribbean component of the European Union-funded Intra-ACP Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) programme to mainstream and improve VCAs and implement a range of adaptation options and projects,” the organisation said in the release.

GCCA, it explained, seeks to develop vulnerability and risk-assessment techniques and methodologies, as well as to train people in the application of the new methodologies.

The 5Cs coordinates the region’s response to climate change. Officially opened in August 2005, the centre is the key mode for information on climate change issues and the region’s response to managing and adapting to climate change.