How Small Island States Can Lead on Climate Adaptation
Ramping up climate finance flows for adaptation is critical to addressing the irreversible impacts of climate change, but this alone will not be enough to protect SIDS. Planning is crucial when making strategic choices for policies and programs for climate change adaptation.
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) completed a review titled Strategy and Planning to Redouble Adaptation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which assessed national strategic adaptation documents across three regions: the Caribbean; the Pacific; and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea (AIS).
It found that SIDS have made good progress in developing national strategies for adaptation to incorporate into their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs). As of January 2024, 35 SIDS had submitted at least the first version of their NDC and ten had submitted a NAP, however, the breadth and depth of these strategic documents, and the quality of the enabling environment to support adaptation investments, varies.
Despite significant progress in institutional development, just over half of SIDS have a mature institutional framework for climate adaptation action that involves other ministries and branches of government. Papua New Guinea (PNG) represents a great example of a comprehensive framework of offices and committees that collectively drive climate-related initiatives across all levels of government guided by the country’s Climate Change Management Act 2016, which serves as the principal regulatory framework for climate action.
Having a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for adaptation in place is critical for measuring progress towards adaptation goals. Despite this, 22 SIDS across the three regions have either only signalled their intent to develop an M&E system or have not provided evidence of initiating the process at all.
Disaster risk reduction
Climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) agendas overlap in several ways. Risk reduction cannot occur without the use of climate data; equally, successful CCA depends on risk reduction. For this reason, it is crucial for countries to integrate DRR into their adaptation planning documents. Combining resources and efforts, rather than addressing disasters and climate change separately, can lead to greater efficiency and impact.
As of January 2024, 23 SIDS have mentioned the importance of loss and damage (L&D) considerations within their strategic adaptation documentation. Some SIDS, like St. Kitts and Nevis, developed an L&D chapter in a strategic adaptation document and provided an overview of economic and non-economic loss and damage due to extreme events. Vanuatu developed a separate L&D section with clear goals, finance estimates, and connection with SDGs — showcasing the importance given by the country to the topic.
Adaptation across sectors and key focus areas
GCA’s review revealed that countries need to outline their priority sectors more clearly in their strategic adaptation documents. Among the 35 analyzed SIDS with identified priority sectors in their strategic adaptation documents, only 13 provide measurable goals to be achieved within respective sectors. Among the analyzed countries, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Palau, and Tonga stood out for having well-defined priority sectors and goals that are time-bound, demonstrate ownership, and include financial requirements.
The four most frequently identified prioritized sectors for adaptation across strategic adaptation documents of SIDS are Agriculture and Livestock (31), Water (27), Infrastructure (27), and Health (26).
When it comes to agriculture, SIDS are prioritizing actions like adopting better soil, land, and water management practices; promoting climate-smart livestock management; and developing educational campaigns for farmers/extension officers.
For infrastructure, there are a range of actions being prioritized by SIDS including enhancing building codes to reflect climate considerations; retrofitting existing critical economic and social infrastructure; and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments.
For water, SIDS are prioritizing building climate-proof and environmentally sustainable water infrastructure; retrofitting and rehabilitating water infrastructure per climate needs; and designing and implementing integrated water resources management (IWRM) programs in watersheds.
For health, SIDS are establishing early warning systems for monitoring specific diseases; retrofitting health facilities to meet climate change standards; and conducting public-awareness campaigns on climate-related health impacts.
There are important economic sectors that are vulnerable to climate change, that are yet to receive sufficient attention. Eleven SIDS did not identify Oceans and Coastal Zones as a priority sector. Human settlements and tourism sectoral plans are also underrepresented within NAPS.
Only ten SIDS out of 35 quantified their adaptation finance needs estimates. Despite challenges in accessing funding, Grenada’s NAP sets clear adaptation goals for all sectors with defined timelines and budget requirements. Prioritizing finance as an action program of its own, Grenada aims to secure external climate finance support by allocating $1.4 million for adaptation activities within its finance sector.
All but four SIDS mention a lack of funding as a barrier to carrying out adaptation actions. A lack of climate information also poses significant challenges to effective adaptation planning for SIDS. Finally, an inclusive approach – geographically and socially – is often missing in relation to adaptation planning.
Recommendations
- Enhance institutional arrangements for robust coordination and partnership capacity.
- Strengthen M&E systems for effective and transparent tracking.
- Quantify adaptation cost and need estimates for effective planning to gain greater access to adaptation financing.
- Strengthen considerations of all stages of disaster management – prevention, response, and post-disaster recovery – for a systematic response to climate shocks.
- Ensure greater inclusion of Ocean and Coastal Zones – in relation to human settlements and tourism – to increase coastal resilience.
- Invest in modernizing national data infrastructure and human resources for improved data access and management.
- Adopt a ‘Community to Cabinet’ approach.
Based on chapter ‘Strategy, Planning, and Governance’ by Daniel Flores and Julia Eichhorn (GCA)
The ideas presented in this article aim to inspire adaptation action – they are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Center on Adaptation.
