Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment and National Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan to Address Climate Change in the Water Sector for Grenada

Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment and National Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan to Address Climate Change in the Water Sector for Grenada is a sectoral national plan of Grenada for the period of 2016-2021. Its main objective is to address the anticipated adverse effects of climate change on the water sector.
The specific aims of the document include improved policy, legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the water sector; improved technical and institutional capacity for the water sector; and enhanced and improved training and awareness in relation to climate change and the water sector. According to the Plan, based on the projected climate variability and change patterns, government institutions in Grenada will have to position themselves to adapt to the needs that will be generated by these potential impacts. It will also require an improved legal and regulatory system to guide and enforce the required actions. The focus of this outcome is therefore to ensure that the legal, regulatory, and institutional framework necessary for the protection of the water sector in Grenada is improved. The government will establish a central coordinating agency which will be responsible for the management of water resources and watershed areas in a holistic manner; establish framework and policy for water access and drainage system; establish a framework and policy for water access; and develop water balances for each major watershed. Further, it notes capacity building must be an integral component of any climate change adaptation strategy due to existing uncertainty within the climate models, particularly at local and national levels. local institutions (both formal and informal) play an important role in building resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change. They are also the principal vehicle through which external support for adaptation (e.g., training and capacity building, etc.) is and will increasingly be delivered. It further notes that there must be an increased awareness and sensitivity to climate change and its impacts on the water sector. Meaningful education and awareness programs should not only increase knowledge, but also create a better understanding of the consequences of one’s actions and their implications. The focus of this outcome, is therefore to ensure that there is an enhanced and improved education and awareness in relation to climate change and the water sector within the society (private, government and civil society).
The document notes that the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan has to be monitored and evaluated to ensure that the activities are successfully on track, and to ensure transparency and accountability. This will entail the monitoring of the actual implementation, and also evaluating and assessing the cause of any changes, both external and internal to the Strategy and Action Plan, to determine what corrective actions, if any, are needed. The results of this monitoring can then be incorporated into future planning and improvement of the Strategy and Action Plan. An implementation monitoring plan will be developed to monitor the progress of the activities and submitted to the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in Grenada. This will include an annual implementation report that will review the year’s activities and make recommendations for planning the activities of the coming year.