1. REGIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION NETWORK IN LATIN AMERICA
October 2009,
Mexico City, Mexico
Hosted by the Government of Mexico and organized by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources through the International Institute
Mr. Adrian Shaw

3. Knowledge needs for national adaptation
What are the main impacts of climate change in Jamaica?
Jamaica’s coastal and marine resources will be impacted in the following ways:
Coral reefs, sea-grass beds and mangrove swamps will be inundated as a result of sea level rise;
Beaches including coastal lands will be eroded as a result of sea level rise and changing processes that affect the coastline;
Fish production will be reduced due to increases in sea surface temperatures and rise in sea level;
Fish kills and coral bleaching due to increases in sea surface temperatures.

4. Knowledge needs for national adaptation
Human Settlement:
There are several major communities located within the coastal region and some of them could be impacted negatively by the adverse effects of climate change. These effects could include:
The damaging effects of storm surges in association with changes in the frequency and intensity of severe weather events in particular tropical storms and hurricanes coupled with sea level rise on coastal property, utilities and infrastructure;
The direct impact of more frequent and intense severe weather events including floods, tropical storms and hurricanes.

5. Knowledge needs for national adaptation
Climate change will impact the agricultural sector threatening food security, disrupting employment and the generation of foreign exchange. The impacts are likely to be caused by the following:
Changes in rainfall frequency, pattern and distribution;
Increased demand for water and reduction in supplies during periods of prolonged droughts;
Increases in the occurrences of severe weather events in particular floods, tropical storms and hurricanes;
Changes in agro-climatic regimes;
Increases in agricultural pests and diseases;
Accelerated soil erosion and increase in soil salinisation

6. Knowledge needs for national adaptation
Potential impacts on Water Resources:
Changes in temporal and spatial distribution due to increased climate variability and occurrences of severe weather events in particular droughts and tropical cyclones;
Some of the expected features of this increased climatic variability predicted for Jamaica to occur by 2050 include:
Length of the rainy season – down by 7-8%;
Length of the dry season – up by 6-8%;
Increased frequency of intense rains – projected to increase 20% by 2050;
Strongest hurricanes more intense, increasing disaster losses
Contamination of ground water due to the intrusion of sea water into coastal aquifers as sea level rises;
Greater levels of sedimentation in reservoirs and dams as soil erosion increases with the greater incidents of more intense rainfall events;
Shortage of water during periods of prolonged droughts

7. Main constraints for adaptation actions
Policy-setting, planning, practice and integration into development processes
Good information that is scientific based on the potential impacts
Knowledge and understanding of the issues by all stakeholders including politicians, technocrats and general public
Strong institutional support with adequate staff and financial support

8. Expectations from Regional Adaptation Network
Involvement in knowledge sharing and information exchange
Involvement in capacity building (workshops short courses)
Technical support to aid in the used of knowledge for sustainable adaptation efforts
Financial support for capacity building and technical support

9. Thank You