Caribbean conference on climate change in the coastal zone

The Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute in partnership with the Natural Capital Project, World Wildlife Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, and The Nature Conservancy is hosting a three-day Caribbean Regional Conference entitled, “Integrating Climate Change Adaptation Planning into Coastal Zone Management using Ecosystem Services”. Presenters and participants are experts from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Columbia, Guatemala, Canada, the United States, and Belize. Participants will discuss practical ways that coastal and island states can adapt to changes in our environment, and how the natural resources can help.

The workshop goals include:

• Showcasing the Belize Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan as a regional model for sustainable planning.
• Sharing lessons and innovations across the Caribbean in developing and implementing coastal zone management and climate adaptation plans.
• Exploring the importance of ecosystem services for decision-making.
• Presenting practical tools and strategies for addressing climate change and coastal zone management.

The featured speakers include Dr. Wendel Parham, CEO, Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development; Dr. Leonard Nurse, member of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Dr. Mary Ruckelshaus, Managing Director of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University; Mr. Ronald Jackson, Director General at Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management; and Mr. Vincent Gillett, CEO, Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute