Climate change poses an increasingly pressing threat to the coastal cities of the Caribbean. Rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and coastal erosion endanger not only lives and property but also the economies of these communities.
In response to this growing threat, the AdaptCCDR project has emerged as one of the standout initiatives within the Hit Reset Caribbean program. This initiative aims to support projects that develop innovations to enhance resilience in coastal communities of the Caribbean while strengthening the capacity of local and national institutions and governments to make decisions based on accurate information.
AdaptCCDR is revealed as a pivotal project to assist Caribbean coastal cities in facing climate change. Its primary focus lies in creating digital tools that will enable local authorities and the community to assess the risks and opportunities of climate change, providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making.
Regional Impact
A notable feature of the project is the replicability of the developed digital tools, meaning that other coastal cities in the Caribbean can benefit from them. Furthermore, the project serves as a generator of knowledge and a promoter of best practices in climate change adaptation.
Key Objectives
The AdaptCCDR project focuses on the following core objectives:
- Bayahibe Digital Twin: Develop a virtual representation of the city of Bayahibe that allows simulations and analysis of the impacts of climate change.
- Three-Dimensional Decision-Making Model: Create a three-dimensional model to facilitate decision-making in complex urban contexts, enabling the evaluation of various climate change adaptation scenarios.
- Urban Adaptation Scenarios Compendium: Compile a compendium of urban adaptation scenarios for climate change, serving as the basis for planning and managing adaptation in Bayahibe.
Participants and Financing
The AdaptCCDR project is one of the 9 winning projects of the Hit Reset Caribbean program and is funded by the European Union. Its implementation involves prominent academic and governmental institutions, including the Pontifical Catholic Mother and Teacher University (PUCMM) of the Dominican Republic, the University of the West Indies, Anton de Kom University in Suriname, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. The total budget of the project amounts to €512,109 euros, financed by the call for proposals and by the PUCMM. This project started in January 2023 and will last two years.
Potential Impact
The AdaptCCDR project has the potential to make a significant difference in Bayahibe and other coastal cities in the Caribbean. The digital tools developed will enable more informed decision-making for both local authorities and the community. Additionally, it will contribute to knowledge generation and the dissemination of best practices in climate change adaptation. The compendium of urban adaptation scenarios developed by the project will be a valuable tool for local authorities and civil society organizations working on climate change adaptation in the Caribbean.
The AdaptCCDR project represents an ambitious effort, but its potential success in adapting to climate change in Caribbean coastal cities lies in the fact that it will make available to communities and their inhabitants the information needed to continue their development in a changing climate context.