National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach, covering the period between 2018 and 2030. This Strategy provides specific objectives and measures for adaptation across eight thematic areas and five cross-cutting areas to reduce vulnerability to the impacts from climate change and build resilience over the long term. The goals of this Strategy are: (I) to reduce the vulnerability of St. Kitts and Nevis to the adverse impacts of climate variability and climate change through cross-sectoral and multi-faceted measures that build adaptive capacity and resilience over the long-term, (II) to mainstream climate change adaptation into the national development agenda, including the planning, budgeting and implementation of new and existing policies, programmes and projects, (III) to ensure mitigation co-benefits, where possible, through prioritising adaptation measures that minimize greenhouse gas emissions and enhance natural ecosystems functioning as carbon sinks, and (IV) to mobilize external climate finance to support effective adaptation planning and implementation.
This Strategy highlights various sectors that are extremely vulnerable to climate change, including agriculture, water, tourism, fisheries, coastal and marine ecosystems, forest and terrestrial ecosystems, finance and banking, human health and infrastructure and physical development. Climate smart technologies and ecosystem based management will be integrated into agricultural development to ensure food and nutrition security and resilient livelihoods. Agricultural extension services and response mechanisms for agricultural risk and disaster management will be improved in small-scale farming, including early warning systems and insurance. The conservation and sustainable use and management of fisheries and coastal and marine ecosystems will be ensured and their resilience will be increased through ecosystem-based adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Research and monitoring of coastal and marine ecosystems to better understand climate change vulnerabilities and potential adaptation options. Fisheries extension services and technical support will be improved for enterprise and product development and disaster risk reduction mechanisms in small-scale fisheries, including insurance. Ecosystem-based management of coastal and marine areas will be promoted through investments in research and practices for integrated coastal zone management, ‘ridge to reef’ and watershed management, ecosystem approach to fisheries and marine spatial planning. The resilience of forest and terrestrial ecosystems will be increased through ecosystem-based adaptation, disaster risk reduction and their conservation, sustainable use and management. Climate change, ecosystem-based adaptation and disaster risk reduction considerations will be integrated into forest, conservation and environmental management legislation, regulations, policies and plans. The management of forest and terrestrial ecosystems and relevant species will be strengthened to reduce non-climate threats that weaken their resilience, including through reducing deforestation, soil erosion and loss and the spread of invasive species. The preparedness for and response to the adverse impacts of climate variability and change on human health and well-being will be improved. Water resources management will be strengthened in order to provide a safe and reliable water supply and ensure efficient water use to build resilience to climate variability and change. The legal and institutional frameworks will be strengthened for the sustainable use of water resources. Integrated water resources management will be promoted through policies and programmes for water security. The catchments and freshwater resources will be protected from pollution, including through suitable watershed, wastewater and solid waste management strategies, in close collaboration with the agricultural and tourism sectors. The vulnerability of the water supply system will be reduced through climate-proofing water storage, supply and distribution infrastructure. Energy efficiency and use of renewable energy technologies will be promoted to provide a decentralised and secure energy supply for water supply and distribution.
This Strategy adopts a participatory approach to gain input and recommendations from diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organisations, local communities and resource user groups such as farmers and fisherfolk, and the private sector. A comprehensive system of information management, research and M&E will be established to inform climate change adaptation planning and decision-making. Integrated adaptation and disaster risk reduction will be applied to save lives and protect property from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. Investment and economic planning will be strengthened to reduce the economic impacts of climate change, enhance recovery from impacts and increase opportunities. The linkages will be established between sectors to enable information sharing and effective coordination and implementation of climate change adaptation. Sectoral and cross-sectoral adaptation actions will be designed to be sensitive to differences in how women and men are impacted by and address climate change and promote gender equality and gender-responsive adaptation. In particular, gender-disaggregated information will be collected and analyzed as part of vulnerability assessments and analysis of options for adaptation and building resilience in St. Kitts and Nevis.