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Caribbean Children Facing the Crisis UNICEF Climate, Environment and Energy (CEE) Landscape Analysis for Children - Eastern

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November 2019 Caribbean Children Facing the Climate Crisis UNICEF Climate, Environment and Energy (CEE) Landscape Analysis for Children - Eastern Caribbean

PUBLISHED BY UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean November 2019 LEAD AUTHOR: Joni Pegram (ProjectDryad.org) CO-AUTHOR: David Knaute (UNICEF)

COVER PHOTO: Turks and Caicos Islands: Destruction following Hurricanes Irma and Maria @UNICEF-UN0122368-Moreno Gonzalez

Disclaimer The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies of views of UNICEF. The text has not been edited to official publication standards and UNICEF accepts no responsibility for errors. The designations in this publication do not imply an opinion on legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or the delimitation of frontiers. 2 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Acknowledgements OVERALL GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION NGO partners: Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Dominica Non-State Actors Special thanks to Dr. Aloys Kamuragiye, Advisory Panel members (including Dominica Representative, UNICEF Office for the Youth Environment Organisation, Dominica Eastern Caribbean, and Muriel Mafico, Deputy National Council on Ageing, Dominica Fisher Representative, for supporting the preparation Folk, Dominica National Council of Women, Allied of this report and their leadership in ensuring the Workers Union). implementation of recommendations. University partners and researchers: University CONTRIBUTIONS, INPUTS AND/OR REVIEW of (CARICOM Research Office, Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship, UNICEF: UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean CERMES), Dr. Edmund Blades, Dr. Adrian (all staff); UNICEF Regional Office for Cashman. and the Caribbean; UNICEF Headquarters. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CHILDREN & Government partners: Various Ministries/ YOUTH Departments (Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Education, Youth Departments, Disaster Barbados: Boy Scouts of Barbados; Caribbean Management Departments) from the Governments Climate Change Youth Activists; CYEN Barbados; of , Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British First Year Students UWI; United Youth Leaders of , Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Barbados; UWI-Youth Development Programme; St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Grenadines, , and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Dominica: Students from Pierre Charles Secondary School (Grand Bay), Dominica Regional partners: Grammar School (), Isaiah Thomas Climate Change Centre (CCCCC); Caribbean Secondary School (St Joseph), and La Plaine Development Bank (CDB); Caribbean Disaster Youth (La Plaine) and school staff, with support Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); from Dominica Youth Environment Organization Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), and the Ministry of Education. Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). St. Lucia: Adolescents attending the Speech Development partners: Delegation of the Festival and CYEN members. European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/ Thank also to the almost 300 children and CARIFORUM; DFID Caribbean; Green Climate youth from various Eastern Caribbean countries Fund (Regional Advisor Caribbean). who replied to an electronic survey as part of the preparation of this report. UN partners: UNDP (including the GEF-SGP and JCCCP); UN Environment (Caribbean Environment Programme); UNESCO (Education, Cluster Office for the Caribbean); PAHO/WHO.

3 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Foreword

Natural hazards have long shaped the actions will be essential to achieve the Sustainable vulnerability of children across the Eastern Development Goals (SDGs). Caribbean, one of the world’s most hazard- prone areas. However, over past decades, major This Climate, Environment and Energy (CEE) environmental challenges linked to climate change Landscape Analysis for Children, entitled and various socio-economic developments have Caribbean children facing the climate crisis, is also emerged or intensified in the . All these intended to provide an initial contribution to these factors necessitate urgent action. efforts, presenting evidence – so far lacking or overlooked – that children across the Eastern As in every crisis, children are the most Caribbean are a particularly vulnerable group, vulnerable, and the climate crisis is no exception. and experience disproportionate impacts in Indeed, the devastating 2017 hurricane season relation to climate change and environmental served as a shocking wake-up call, demonstrating degradation. The report is solutions-oriented, the impacts of unprecedented extreme weather presenting an overview of key institutional events on children and their families and wiping frameworks, entry points to increase focus on out hard-won development gains within the space children’s rights, examples of best practice child- of days. The destruction caused in September sensitive policies and initiatives, and, perhaps most 2019 by Hurricane Dorian in also importantly, a call to action to all stakeholders, to was a tragic confirmation that such events could place children’s rights at the heart of their climate, keep happening with greater frequency. While environment and energy agenda. current responses to these complex new realities – including by UNICEF – remain insufficient at both For UNICEF, this report will serve as a guide national and regional levels, there can be no doubt towards mainstreaming consideration of CEE that strong, transformative action is essential to issues across child-focused sectors, from reduce these risks and increase resilience. education and child protection, to health, social protection and youth empowerment, embedding There are, however, grounds for optimism. these issues as cornerstones of our Multi-Country Governments in the region are taking firm steps Programme. UNICEF is also committed to walking to place resilience-building at the top of their the talk, by introducing and promoting greener national agendas, and UNICEF is committed to practices in our office, and within our homes and supporting these processes to meet the needs communities, in line with our mandate to build a of children. In addition, efforts to ramp up climate better world for children and for future generations. change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and environmental protection provide significant As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opportunities for countries and territories in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, let region. Beyond responding to threats, actions us ensure that children across the Eastern in these areas will bring about behavior change, Caribbean and beyond enjoy the right to the adoption of healthier and more sustainable live in a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable lifestyles, and increased focus on the needs of environment, now and for generations to come! the most vulnerable, including children. All these

Dr. Aloys KAMURAGIYE, Representative, UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean, November 2019

4 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Executive Summary The Eastern Caribbean region is among the most related (CEE) strategies, policies and legislation vulnerable in the world to the impacts of climate in the Eastern Caribbean (as much as they change. Increasingly extreme weather events, are absent from international CEE-related shifting rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures frameworks). This includes consideration of their and drought, to list a few, pose an unprecedented particular vulnerabilities, as well as their right to be threat to the region’s Small Developing heard and to participate meaningfully in relation to States (SIDS), whose vulnerability is shaped by these issues. This omission is exacerbated by and their small size and exposure to natural hazards, contributes to a paucity of disaggregated data and combined with socio-economic factors including child-specific information in this , hindering their reliance on climate-sensitive economic decision-making and the ability of interventions to sectors such as , agriculture and fisheries, effectively target children and meet their needs. limited resources and high levels of public Notwithstanding this overarching context, certain debt, water insecurity, environmental fragility sectoral strategies at the regional level are making and unsustainable exploitation of resources. In strides in advancing child-sensitive action on CEE 2017, two category five hurricanes (Irma and issues, particularly with respect to education and Maria) inflicted catastrophic social, economic child protection. These, along with a number of and environmental loss and damage across the good practice examples at the national level, region, affecting 143,000 people, including 39,000 provide a positive model that can be scaled up and children, and wiping out years of development emulated more broadly. gains. Under various climate projection scenarios, it is likely that such events will become more RECOMMENDATIONS common, while the effects of slow-onset events Children and youth in the Eastern Caribbean such as rising sea levels will become increasingly are already facing significant and mounting felt. risks due to the escalating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Urgent As in every crisis, children face particularly acute measures are required across sectors to keep risks. From heightened threats to their health, them safe and to enhance their resilience. education, access to water and nutritious food, and freedom from violence and abuse, this report The following recommendations represent a call explores the multiple impacts of climate and to action for national governments and regional environment-related harm on children’s rights in institutions in the region, with the active support the region. The poorest and most disadvantaged and participation of the international community children are particularly vulnerable, and this and other partners, to devote greater attention and represents a major concern in a region in which resources to shielding children and youth from children are disproportionately affected by poverty. these risks and to uphold their rights. As a cross- These children’s limited coping capacity is likely cutting priority, particular attention must be paid to to be further eroded, compounding hardship and addressing the magnified risks faced by the most inequities. In addition, greater numbers of children vulnerable children, and to meeting their specific may be pushed into poverty, as climate and needs. environment-related pressures take their toll on household and community livelihoods. Priority #1: Urgently address the omission of children and youth in CEE and Disaster Risk Despite these specific and heightened risks, Reduction (DRR) frameworks, mainstreaming children are largely overlooked in key regional child-specific and child-sensitive risk and and national climate, environmental and energy- vulnerability reduction strategies into relevant

5 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis regional policies and plans. Examples of good efforts are being made with respect to embedding practice are emerging and multiple opportunities disaster risk management, climate change and exist to introduce a focus on children and youth environmental issues in critical strategic and sector- in the formulation and implementation of the based frameworks at regional and national levels. key regional and national frameworks relating However, these are often dealt with separately at to disaster risk management, climate change the institutional level, creating artificial divisions. A and environmental and energy issues, based more strategic and coordinated approach to these on a child-sensitive analysis of disaster, climate issues, and between the national and regional and environmental risk. Adopting measures to actors involved, would assist in delivering the specifically target children and youth in design, holistic approach required to enhance children’s formulation, implementation and monitoring of resilience in the face of both sudden and slow- key CEE and DRR frameworks and interventions onset disaster, climate and environmental risks. has the potential to greatly enhance their effectiveness, reach and scale, contributing to Priority #4: Address the lack of disaggregated the region’s resilient development goals and child data, research and analysis to heighten rights obligations. These commitments should awareness among policy-makers and other be informed by the views of children and young key stakeholders, and inform child-sensitive people themselves and expressed in countries’ action on CEE issues. A structural lack of data international commitments, including through collection, analysis and monitoring of the situation monitoring and review processes. of children and youth with respect to climate and environmental issues hampers effective planning, Priority #2: Scale up and mainstream a child policies, monitoring and budgeting necessary to rights-based approach across sector-based target and deliver tailored action and resources strategies and interventions that address CEE to secure successful child-sensitive outcomes in and DRR issues. Encouraging progress has been both the short and long-term. Significant efforts made in addressing threats to children’s rights in are required to collect quality data with respect to the context of certain sector-focused interventions, the impacts of CEE issues on children’s wellbeing notably in relation to DRR in education and child across all areas highlighted in this report (water, protection, for example through the Caribbean food, health, education, child protection, etc.), Safe School Initiative and the Return to and to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness Happiness programme. These advances should of interventions over time. Data should be be consolidated, scaled up and accelerated and disaggregated by age, sex, location and other key additional emphasis must be placed on addressing social and demographic variables, including the slow-onset risks through climate change adaptation situation of poor and other particularly vulnerable and environmental sustainability, based on a children. The evidence base should be further comprehensive understanding of resilience which strengthened through participatory research fully encompasses both CEE and DRR issues. with children and youth and by establishing child The lack of focus on children and youth in other and youth-focused indicators within relevant critical sector-focused strategies and responses frameworks and policies. must be addressed, including in health, water and social protection. Priority #5: Equip children and youth with the knowledge and life skills required for Priority #3: Foster greater integration between resilience in a changing climate, including CEE and DRR-focused institutions and sustainable lifestyles. Numerous resources and interventions at national and regional levels, initiatives exist throughout the region to enhance with a view to facilitating a holistic and child- the awareness of children and youth on disaster inclusive approach to resilience. Considerable preparedness, climate change and environmental

6 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis protection, including both formal and non-formal community, national and regional levels should be programmes. However, the approach is in many established or strengthened to facilitate this and to instances ad hoc and children and youth consulted enhance accountability, and governments should for this report have overwhelmingly stated the consider providing direct support to civil society need for more education and awareness-raising organizations and youth-led networks working in interventions. A more strategic and comprehensive this area in particular. Where possible, the links approach across the region would facilitate greater between CEE and DRR issues and other priorities reach and impact, and help to support quality of for youth should be highlighted with a view to content and modes of delivery that are aligned with implementing ‘win-win’ solutions. For example, best practice environmental education objectives opportunities should be provided for youth to benefit and principles, including measures to reach out- from investment in skills and job creation in the of-school and other marginalized children and green economy, including efforts to foster youth- youth. In all cases, the potential of technology driven innovation and social entrepreneurship to and social media should be harnessed to facilitate shape solutions. access to information, peer-to-peer learning, and knowledge-sharing across the region. Priority #7: Mobilize financial resources at national and regional levels to support child- Priority #6: Strengthen child and youth sensitive interventions, and advocate for engagement and participation with respect to similar revisions in international climate CEE issues and action. Youth in particular have finance mechanisms. Implementing the been active and vocal in various international and preceding recommendations will require resources. regional fora regarding disaster preparedness, Child and youth-focused measures should be climate change and environmental issues, but incorporated in national and regional climate their absence from key policies, frameworks and finance budgets, as well as guidelines and criteria programmes speaks volumes. Younger children for national and regional funding mechanisms. are consistently excluded, violating their right Dedicated resources should be incorporated in to be heard. Efforts are required to strengthen climate finance proposals to international funding the active and meaningful participation of both mechanisms as well, and governments should children and young people with respect to CEE advocate for these funds to prioritize child- and issues, and to empower them as agents of change. youth-inclusive interventions. Formal consultation and feedback mechanisms at

Dominica: Disaster Risk Reduction activities @UNICEF ECA/Kreigg Harris/2018

7 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 3 Foreword 4 Executive Summary 5 Table of Contents 8 Figures 8 Acronyms 10 Introduction 11 Methodology 12 1. Climate, environment and energy situation in the region 13 1.1. Climate in the Eastern Caribbean 13 1.2. Observed and projected changes in the climate and related impacts 14 1.3. Key factors shaping vulnerability and risk in the Eastern Caribbean 15 1.3.1. High exposure to natural hazards 16 1.3.2. Small and concentrated climate-sensitive economies 16 1.3.3. High levels of public debt 17 1.3.4. Water insecurity 18 1.3.5. Other relevant environmental issues 18 1.3.6. High dependence on fossil fuels 19 2. Impacts of CEE issues on children 21 2.1. Children’s heightened vulnerability in the Eastern Caribbean 21 2.2. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 22 2.3. Adequate nutrition and food security 22 2.4. Health 23 2.5. Education 26 2.6. Child Protection 27 2.7. Vulnerable groups 28 3. Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues 34 3.1. International and regional frameworks 34 3.2. National frameworks 36 3.3 Institutional arrangements 38 3.4. Barriers to action on CEE issues 38 3.5. The CEE funding landscape 39 3.6. Do children benefit from investments and programmes on CEE? 41

8 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis 4. Non-State Actors’ engagement in CEE issues 42 5. Children and youth participation 44 6. Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? 49 6.1. Key sectoral interventions at the regional level 49 6.1.1. Education 49 6.1.2. Child Protection in Emergencies 53 6.1.3. Shock-Responsive Social Protection 54 6.1.4. Health 54 6.1.5. Water management 55 6.2. Best practice examples at the national level 56 7. Recommendations 59 8. Annexes 61 Annex 1: Country by country frameworks 61 Annex 2: Regional frameworks and entities 65 List of CEE-relevant conventions and declarations 65 List of CEE-relevant regional entities 66 List of CARICOM-related and other regional entities 67 Annex 3: Regional projects and programmes 70 Annex 3: Regional projects and programmes 71 Annex 4: National Youth Policies318 72 Annex 5: Results of youth survey on the climate change and the environment 72

References 73

Figures Figure 1. Countries and Territories covered by UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Figure 2. Children affected/social services restored (education and water) nine months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria Figure 3. Average loss and damage in OECS countries due to natural disasters (1997-2016) Figure 4. Youth ranges in national youth policy Figure 5. Comprehensive School Safety Framework pillars

9 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Acronyms

BVI CARICOM Caribbean Community CARPHA Caribbean Public Health Agency CBF Caribbean Fund CCCCC Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (“5Cs”) CDB Caribbean Development Bank CDEMA Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency CERMES Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies CSSF Comprehensive School Safety Framework CSSI Caribbean Safe School Initiative CEE Climate, Environment and Energy CNSM Caribbean New School Model COP Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC CSO Civil Society Organizations CXC Caribbean Examinations Council CYEN Caribbean Youth Environment Network DRR Disaster Risk Reduction ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ECOSOC Economic and Social Council GCF Green Climate Fund GEF Global Environment Fund HFLE Health and Family Life Education KAP Knowledge, Attitude and Practice MSSP Model School Safety Programme NAMA Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions NAP National Adaptation Plan NDCs Nationally Determined Contributions OECS Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States PAHO Pan-American Health Organization RtH Return to Happiness SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SIDS Small Island Developing States TCI Turks and Caicos Islands UNFCCC UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UWI University of the West Indies WHO World Health Organization WISS Worldwide Initiative for Safe Schools

10 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis Introduction All countries and territories in the Eastern to children and youth in the Eastern Caribbean, Caribbean region1 are classified as Small Island including: Developing States (SIDS), whose unique status has been acknowledged by the international w An overview of the most pressing CEE-related community due to their acute vulnerability to challenges facing the region; climate variability and climate change. Rising w Key factors shaping vulnerability and risk; sea levels, shifting rainfall patterns, drought w Analysis of how these challenges affect children and increasingly extreme weather events and youth; threaten to inflict substantial socio-economic and w An overview of regional and national environmental loss and damage throughout the CEE-focused frameworks and initiatives, and region, such as the devastation witnessed in the an assessment of the extent to which children wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. High and youth are currently considered within these exposure, combined with economic dependence or through relevant sector-based interventions; on climate-sensitive economic sectors such as w Examples of best practice in the region; tourism, agriculture and fisheries, high levels of w A set of recommendations, which are presented public debt, water insecurity and unsustainable to national governments,regional institutions, exploitation of local resources, further undermine development partners, and the wider the region’s resilience, and exacerbate socio- international community. economic challenges and inequities. The report finds that significant efforts are Against this backdrop, children and youth in required to mainstream a child rights-based the Eastern Caribbean face a perfect storm of approach to climate resilient development and challenges, which already undermines their most broader environmental and energy strategies and fundamental rights. In every crisis, children are interventions throughout the region. As children the most vulnerable, and climate change and and young people in the Caribbean and around environmental degradation are no exception. But in the world have shown, their creativity, energy, the Eastern Caribbean, these impacts compound authenticity and unique perspectives have the other major determinants of vulnerability, including potential to contribute immensely to tackling climate disproportionately high child poverty rates and change and environmental harm. Acknowledging weak social protection systems. In addition, despite and empowering them from the outset, and the serious nature of these specific and heightened recognizing their role as powerful agents of risks, children’s rights are largely overlooked in change in their own right, is therefore not only a national and regional climate, environment and moral imperative and fundamental to upholding energy-related (CEE) policies and frameworks, their rights, but it also represents an essential including their right to be heard and to participate intervention for improving the effectiveness, reach meaningfully in relation to these issues. and scale of interventions and outcomes, both for children and societies in the region more broadly. This report seeks to provide an overview of the current landscape on CEE issues as they relate

1 This report focuses on the twelve countries and territories covered by the UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean multi-country programme, namely: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. See Figure 1.

11 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis A child rights-based or ‘child-sensitive’ approach Methodology A variety of methods were employed during the Children are entitled to all human rights. In addition report preparation, including an extensive desk to these, they have specific rights because of their review and an analysis of regional and national particular stage of development. These rights are studies, reports, submissions, policies and enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of frameworks, as well as online and media content. the Child, the most widely-ratified human rights Research was complemented through meetings treaty in the world. All Eastern Caribbean countries and interviews with key stakeholders, including and territories covered in this report are parties to UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean staff, this Convention. other UN agencies and development partners, relevant government and regional entity officials/ agencies and research bodies, in order to further A child rights-based approach requires that understand existing priorities, future plans, and children are treated with dignity and respect for the current state of play regarding the CEE-child their abilities, taking into account the guiding rights nexus.2 All relevant government Ministries principles of the Convention (non-discrimination, were contacted with a questionnaire with a view to best interests of the child, respect for the views verifying information and supplementing available of the child and the right to life, survival and data. development). Significant efforts were made to gather direct For the purposes of this report, the term ‘child- inputs from children and youth themselves. sensitive’ is used to describe policies, initiatives Several groups of secondary school students or actions that consider, target or include children were consulted in Dominica, in collaboration with the Dominica Youth Environment Organization and youth, indicating that these incorporate certain in April 2019. Sessions were also conducted (but not necessarily all) elements of a child rights- with members from ten youth organizations from based approach. Barbados, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) members, and primary school students in St. Lucia. In addition, a discussion on climate change was facilitated during a regional Youth Forum on School Safety organized in St Vincent and the Grenadines. In total, 76 children and youth participated in these face-to-face sessions, while close to 300 children and young people from 15 countries responded to an electronic survey on climate change and the environment, circulated in May, in collaboration with CYEN and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) (see Annex 5).

Figure 1: Countries and Territories covered by UNICEF Office for 2 Key stakeholders and organisations are listed under the Eastern Caribbean ‘Acknowledgements’.

12 Caribbean children facing the climate crisis 1. Climate, environment Extreme weather devastation in the and energy Eastern Caribbean In 2017, two category five hurricanes made landfall in the Eastern Caribbean within the space of a fortnight, representing situation an unprecedented departure from historical records, and inflicting catastrophic social, economic and environmental loss and damage in the region, including numerous fatalities. In in the region Dominica alone, the costs of Hurricane Maria are estimated to have amounted to approximately USD1.37 billion, and to have wiped out more than a decade’s worth of development.6 1.1. Climate in the Eastern Hurricane Irma damaged or destroyed 95 percent of houses Caribbean in Barbuda, and the entire population was evacuated.7 Across Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Climate in the Eastern Caribbean region is Dominica and Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), approximately tropical, with fairly constant year-round warm 143,000 people were affected, including 39,000 children, of 8 conditions, and distinct wet and dry seasons that which over a quarter were under the age of five. In October 2018, Trinidad and Tobago experienced torrential rainfall, from May to November, and December to 3 receiving the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in just two April respectively. Climate variability in the region days. The resulting flooding and landslides affected 80% of the is strongly influenced by the El Niño Southern country and an estimated 150,000 people.9 Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, with El Niño episodes typically leading to warmer and drier than usual conditions, and La Niña episodes being 3 Caribbean Regional Climate Centre, ‘Caribbean Climatology’, http:// rcc.cimh.edu.bb/caribbean-climatology/. associated with cooler temperatures, heavier 4 Ibid. 4 rainfall and increased hurricane activity. 5 IMF (2016a), “Gone with the Wind: Estimating Hurricane and Climate Change Costs in the Caribbean,” International Monetary Fund Working Paper No. WP/16/199, October 2016. Note that the figure of US$52 The region is highly exposed to climate-related billion applies to just 148 disasters for which information on damages hazards including drought, heavy rainfall, extreme was available, so the overall costs are likely to have been significantly weather events and associated floods due to storm greater. Based on a study of 20 islands including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, , Barbados, British Virgin Islands, , surge. Many of the Eastern Caribbean islands lie , Dominica, Dominican , Grenada, , , at the very heart of the Atlantic hurricane belt, Montserrat, , St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, and Trinidad and Tobago. which arcs north of Grenada and to the northwest 6 IMF (2019), ‘Building a more resilient Caribbean to natural disasters and of Barbados. Between 1950 and 2014, records climate change’, available at: http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/ suggest that tropical cyclones caused 238 building-more-resilient-caribbean-natural-disasters-and-climate-change. 7 UNDP (2018), ‘From Early Recovery to Long-Term Resilience in the disasters in the Caribbean and cost the region in Caribbean. Hurricanes Irma and Maria: One Year On’. excess of US$52 billion in damages.5 8 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2018b), Situation Monitoring report, 28 May 2018. 9 UN OCHA (2018), ‘Trinidad and Tobago: Floods and Landslides due to intense rains’, 23 October 2018.

13 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region Figure 2: Children affected/social services restored (education and water) nine months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria10

1.2. Observed and projected changes temperatures of 0.19°C and 0.28°C respectively per 11 in the climate and related impacts decade since 1960. The number of very hot days and hot nights has increased, as has the occurrence of extreme events, including heavy rainfall, drought While the relationship between global climate and more intense hurricanes.12 Sea levels rose at a change and regional modes of climate variability is rate of 1.7-1.9mm per year between 1950 and 2009.13 highly complex, significant shifts in the variability As the following sections of this report illustrate, and extremes of temperature and precipitation are these changes are already leading to adverse effects projected for the Caribbean over the coming decades. on children’s rights and broader socio-economic Changes in the region’s climate have already been development in the region, and the magnitude of observed, including a mean warming in air and ocean these impacts are expected to escalate under higher surface temperatures of more than 0.5°C since 1950, emissions scenarios. and increases in average daytime and night-time

10 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2019), ‘UNICEF’s response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria – recovery, rebuilding and resilience’. 11 Taylor et al. (2018), ‘Future Caribbean in a World of Rising Temperatures’. 12 Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, ‘Caribbean 1.5 Degree to Stay Alive’. 13 Taylor et al. (2018), op. cit.

14 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region Increasing temperatures and decreasing Sea level rise precipitation The IPCC suggests that sea levels in the Caribbean Without concerted action to constrain global could increase by between 0.5-1m by 2100,18 although temperature rises, projections suggest that separate research has predicted a possible rise of up temperatures in the Caribbean could be 1°C-3.5°C to 1.4m, suggesting that IPCC projections may be higher than pre-industrial levels by 2100, with 95% of too conservative.19 In all cases, the impacts of sea all days and nights characterized as ‘hot’ (exceeding level rise are likely to be profound across the Eastern the 90th percentile of current temperatures).14 Caribbean region, with data finding that seven of the top 10 countries with the greatest Total annual rainfall is projected to decrease by up proportion of land area under five metres elevation in to 30 per cent, with the Eastern Caribbean region the Latin America and Caribbean region are found in predicted to experience more pronounced drying the Eastern Caribbean.20 than the regional average, and increased incidence of moderate to extreme drought, with implications for Increasing intensity and frequency of extreme water stress and agricultural yields, as well as wildfire weather events incidence. In Trinidad, rainfall is projected to drop by as much as 15-22 per cent, the largest fall in the The IPCC states that increasing sea levels and sea Caribbean, under global warming of 1.5°C-2C°C.15 surface temperatures in the Caribbean are likely to lead to an increase in the number of intense hurricanes, At 1.5°C of warming, 70-90 per cent of the world’s such as those experienced in 2017.21 Rainfall during tropical reefs are projected to be at critical long- hurricanes could increase by up to 20-30 per cent, term risk due to coral bleaching, rising to 99 per cent while maximum hurricane wind speeds may increase at 2°C.16 Approximately 7% of the world’s coral reefs by between 2-11 per cent.22 are found in the Caribbean and play a critical role in local ecosystems in the region, notably for fisheries, 1.3 Key factors shaping vulnerability while also providing an important natural defense system against coastal flooding and storm surges. and risk in the Eastern Caribbean Furthermore, the economic value of coral reefs in the Caribbean region is estimated at US$3.1-4.6 billion While all countries and territories in the Eastern annually in terms of their contribution to habitats for Caribbean are highly exposed to climate variability fisheries, shoreline protection, and tourism.17 and climate change, the exact degree to which these

14 Ibid. 15 Ibid. 16 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018), ‘1.5°C Special Report’. 17 World Bank (2018), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Systematic Regional Diagnostic. The report excludes the four UK OTs, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. 18 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013), ‘Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’. 19 Taylor et al. (2018), op. cit. 20 Development Bank of Latin America (2014), ‘Vulnerability Index to Climate Change in the Latin America and Caribbean Region’, based on World Bank data. 21 IPCC (2018), op. cit. 22 Taylor et al. (2018), op. cit.

15 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region impacts are and will be experienced is shaped by local While seasonal hurricanes are the most prominent form climatic variations, topography, resource management, of climate-related hazards, the Eastern Caribbean’s and political and socio-economic factors. Broadly location along an active continental plate also speaking however, limited adaptive capacity in the makes it susceptible to geophysical hazards such as region is linked to a number of shared traits, which earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, which undermine the region’s resilience, and shape socio- can be devastating. Montserrat for example is still economic challenges and inequities in the region, as recovering from the deep economic and demographic well as government responses. crisis caused by the 1995-1997 Soufriere Hills volcanic eruption.26 1.3.1. High exposure to natural hazards 1.3.2. Small and concentrated climate-sensitive The small size and geographical features of islands in economies the Eastern Caribbean restrict the area available for housing public infrastructure and development, and it Most Caribbean SIDS have gone through major is estimated that 60 per cent of the Caribbean region’s economic transformations over the past two to three population and 70 per cent of economic activity is decades, and all were severely impacted by the 2008 located within two miles of a coastline.23 In the OECS, financial crisis. Economic imperatives have therefore the figures are estimated to be even higher, with over long superseded other national priorities. 80 per cent of the population located in coastal areas.24 Certain impacts are likely to be experienced in different Many of the sub-region’s national economies are now ways across the region: for example, sea level rise heavily reliant on the tourism sector, which provides will cause coastal erosion, retreating and for a large share of (GDP) saline intrusion into shallow groundwater reserves and employment, ranging from a low of 7.7 per cent in low-lying Barbuda and the Grenadines, while of total GDP and 10 per cent of total employment in volcanic islands with narrower coastal zones, such as Trinidad and Tobago to a high of 98.5 per cent of GDP Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and and 72.8 per cent of employment in the British Virgin St. Vincent, are more likely to experience landslides in Islands (BVI).27 The sector places great demands mountainous or hilly areas.25 Many of these changes on energy, water and environmental resources, and are already taking place. The same topographical traits this reliance, coupled with the heavy concentration greatly limit adaptation options such as relocation, of tourism infrastructure on or near the shore, leaves and, as demonstrated so vividly by the catastrophic the sector and by extension the national economy, impacts of the 2017 hurricane season, few if any vulnerable to climate change. While the contribution locations on islands that lie within the hurricane belt of agriculture and fisheries to GDP has significantly can be considered absolutely ‘safe’ from the impacts declined in many islands over past years, these sectors of increasingly severe extreme weather events. Ageing nonetheless continue to represent important sources public infrastructure that has a high risk of structural of employment, particularly for poorer and vulnerable failure from hazards further compounds vulnerability segments of the population. in the region.

23 CDEMA (2014), Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy 2014-2024. 24 OECS (2018), ‘Regional Strategic Environment and Social Assessment – OECS CROP’. 25 Simpson, M., Scott, D., Harrison, M., Sim, R., Silver, N., O’Keef- fe, E., Harrison, S., Taylor, M., Lizcano, G., Rutty, M., Stager, H., Oldham, J., Wilson, M., New, M., Clarke, J., Day, O., Fields, N., Georges, J., Waithe, R., McSharry, P., (2010). ‘Quantification and Magnitude of Losses and Damages Resulting from the Impacts of Climate Change: Modelling the Transformational Impacts and Costs of Sea Level Rise in the Caribbean’ (Full Document). Available at http://crmi-undp.org/documents/documen- tos/88.pdf. 26 There are 19 live volcanoes in the Caribbean. Every island from Grenada to is subject to the direct threat of volcanic eruptions, however, islands which are not volcanic are subject to volcanic hazards such as severe ash fall and tsunamis. 27 World Travel & Tourism Council (2018), Country Economic Impact Analyses, ‘Contribution of travel and tourism to GDP and employment 2017’.

16 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region 1.3.3. High levels of public debt Monetary Fund estimates that average annual losses due to hurricanes in the Caribbean relative to GDP 31 The impact of natural hazards on small and could rise by a further 22-77 per cent by 2100. The concentrated climate-sensitive sectors are factors costs associated with individual events can exceed that contribute to levels of public debt in the Eastern annual GDP, such as the massive costs imposed on Caribbean region that rank among the highest in Dominica by Hurricane Maria (226 per cent of GDP), the world.28 Indeed, disasters are estimated to have by in Grenada in 2004 (150 per cent), cost the OECS countries an average 3.6 per cent of and Hurricane Georges in St. Kitts and Nevis in 32 GDP annually between 1997 and 2016 – more than 1998 (220 per cent). These crippling costs greatly three times the average for all small states, and more restrict economic growth and investment, limiting the than five times the average for the Latin America and fiscal space available to governments to instigate Caribbean region.29 In Dominica and Grenada, this interventions which could cushion the impacts of figure is as high as 8 per cent, placing these countries these shocks on vulnerable populations, and diverting in second and third rank respectively, globally, for attention and resources away from vital longer-term 33 loss and damage relative to GDP.30 The International development priorities.

Figure 3: Average loss and damage in OECS countries due to natural hazards (1997-2016)34

28 World Bank (2018), op. cit. Excluding the UK Overseas Territories, all countries in the sub-region had an above 60% debt-to-GDP ratio in 2017, with Barbados standing at 157% of GDP – see UNICEF Eastern Caribbean (2018) Country Office Annual Report. 29 Ibid. 30 Ibid. 31 IMF (2016a), op. cit. 32 Ibid. 33 IMF (2018), ‘Bracing for the Storm: For the Caribbean, building resilience is a matter of survival’, Finance & Development, 2018, vol 55, No 1. 34 World Bank (2018), op. cit. The data is based on Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2018.

17 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region 1.3.4. Water insecurity runoff are also significant sources of contamination, and studies suggest that approximately 85 per cent of The sustainability of safe water supplies is one of the wastewater entering the is untreated.41 most serious challenges facing the Eastern Caribbean In the Eastern Caribbean, this figure rises to 92 per region. Six of the sixteen most water-stressed countries cent and just 8 per cent of domestic wastewater is in the world are located in the sub-region, meaning treated.42 that these islands withdraw more than 80 per cent of available water supplies for agricultural, domestic Due to unique circulation patterns in the Caribbean and industrial use annually.35 This is due to a lack Sea, coastal zones experience a concentration of of freshwater ecosystems in many islands - leading pollution and runoff near human settlements, posing to near-total reliance on rainfall, in addition to poor a major threat to children’s health in these highly- management of resources. Effects have already been populated areas.43 Furthermore, while countries are observed, for example through decreased stream increasingly investing in costly and energy-intensive flows in Dominica, and in other islands throughout the desalination to increase water security, brine and other region in which water supply deficits are particularly by-products from this process contribute to further apparent during the dry season.36 Increasingly severe pollution and harm to coastal ecosystems.44 weather events also inflict serious damage to water and sanitation infrastructure. The 2017 hurricanes 1.3.5. Other relevant environmental issues destroyed 90 per cent of water supply systems in Barbuda, and damaged 43 of 44 water systems in The region’s acute vulnerability to climate- Dominica.37 In BVI, where desalination is the sole related pressures is exacerbated by locally-driven source of public water supply, production ceased due environmental degradation and mismanagement of to lack of electricity and damage to plants, and storage resources that go beyond impacts on water. Extensive cisterns were also contaminated.38 Potable water was development and increasing urbanization and also unavailable in TCI.39 industrialization, population growth, unsustainable agricultural practices, and the rapid growth of the Unsustainable extraction, particularly from the tourism industry in particular have led to significant tourism industry, contamination, and inefficient environmental challenges, including: systems represent additional threats to supplies. Poor infrastructure in existing water distribution networks is w Loss of biodiversity and declining fishing estimated to be resulting in 75 per cent water losses stocks, notably resulting from extensive damage to due to damaged pipelines.40 Wastewater from the marine habitats and coastal resources, such as coral agricultural sector (particularly due to increased use reefs and mangroves,45 as well as harmful fishing of agrochemicals) and industrial sites, inadequate practices that have decimated certain species.46 sewage and solid waste management, and stormwater Climate-related effects such as increasing water

35 Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, are jointly tied with the highest possible baseline water stress score. World Resources Institute (2013), ‘World’s 36 Most Water-Stressed Countries’. 36 Cashman, A. (2014) Water Security and Services in the Caribbean, Water, 6 (5): 1187-1203, doi:10.3390/w6051187. 37 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), ‘Overview of Situation: Hurricanes Irma and Maria’, October 2017 38 Government of BVI (2018), Recovery to Development Plan of the Virgin Islands. 39 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit. 40 OECS, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Climate Analytics (2018), ‘Eastern Caribbean Regional Climate Change Implementation Plan’. 41 Cashman (2014) op. cit. 42 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 43 Lewsey, C., G. Cid and E. Kruse (2004) Assessing climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure in the Eastern Caribbean, Marine Policy, 28 (5): 393-409. 44 OECS (2018), op. cit. 45 Ibid. 46 CYEN, CCA, UNEP (2008), ‘Global Environment Outlook for Youth in the Caribbean: A Vision for Change!’.

18 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region temperatures and damage to coral reefs are likely to w Impacts from extractive processes: Chronic further diminish fish populations.47 The region is also removal of sand for construction has reached ‘crisis faced with new and emerging threats from invasive proportions’ in many areas of the region, accelerating species, which threaten local ecosystems and the beach erosion and damage to coastal habitats.52 livelihoods and wellbeing of those dependent on While the local impacts of fossil fuel production in them.48 Trinidad and Tobago are not well documented, events such as the Petrotrin in 2013 had multiple w Poor air quality: Rising levels of air pollution adverse effects for the environment and communities, in the region are linked to increasing urbanization, including extensive damage to the rich local ecosystem polluting vehicles, and the burning of sugar cane and sizeable fishing community in the affected region. and domestic waste. In addition, rising temperatures Residents also reported health impacts due to toxic are expected to further exacerbate air pollution by fumes.53 increasing the concentration of certain pollutants such as ozone, a potent greenhouse gas which 1.3.6. High dependence on fossil fuels causes breathing difficulties and exacerbates asthma and other respiratory diseases.49 Another source of According to World Bank figures, the Eastern Caribbean poor air quality is Sahara dust, which is transported to has high energy access rates on average of between the Caribbean in large quantities by ‘’ from 90-100 per cent, although rates in certain rural areas the east, with the quantity of dust received increasing are significantly lower.54 With the exception of Trinidad greatly during drought events in the Sahel.50 and Tobago, which is a net exporter of oil and gas, all countries in the region are almost entirely dependent w Solid waste management: Waste management is on imported fossil fuels for power generation, exposing a particular challenge for islands in the region, due to them to sudden shocks and volatility in international limited land area available for disposal, lack of capacity oil prices.55 This dependency, combined with outdated to handle increasing volumes of waste, particularly and inefficient power systems, contributes to both local from the tourism industry, high importation rates of degradation and , and has food and other non-biodegradable goods, leading to a also resulted in some of the highest electricity costs in high level of waste per capita, and attitudes regarding the world.56 These present a disproportionate burden disposal.51 Poor waste management is associated for poor families, while simultaneously reducing public with air, water and soil pollution, and significantly funds available for crucial investment in renewable exacerbates flooding when solid waste blocks drains. energy, for which there is both strong potential and appetite.

47 Mycoo, M. (2018), ‘Beyond 1.5°C: vulnerabilities and adaption strategies for Caribbean Small Island Developing States’, Regional Environmental Change, 18 (8): 2341-2353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1248-8. 48 Caribbean Invasive Species Network, http://www.ciasnet.org/. For example, the Giant African Snail (A. fulica), native to East , has been introduced to the Caribbean, representing a threat to crops and health as a vector of disease such as eosinophilic meningitis. 49 Union of Concerned Scientists (2011), ‘Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution’. 50 Prospero, J. and Mayol-Bracero, O. (2013), ‘Understanding the Transport and Impact of African Dust on the ’, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00142. 51 For more details, see: UN Environment (2018), ‘Waste Management Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean’. United Nations Environment Programme, Latin America and the Caribbean Office. City, Panama. 52 Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network, ‘Beach Sand Mining’, available at: http://www.widecast.org/conservation/threats-and-solutions/ beach-sand-mining/. 53 The Guardian, ‘Petrotrin oil spill spreads to La Brea’, 18 December 2013, available at: http://guardian.co.tt/news/petrotrin-oil-spill-spreads-la- brea-6.2.412552.eb804c1e5d. 54 World Bank data, ‘Access to electricity (% of population)’, https://data.worldbank.org. For example, electricity access in rural areas was as low as 43% in Turks and Caicos Islands in 2016, and has been declining steadily since 1990. The figure is likely to have been negatively affected following the 2017 hurricane season. 55 Caribbean Climate Change Community Centre (no date), ‘Caribbean Needs $30 Billion Of Investment To Cut Fossil-Fuel Use’, https://www. caribbeanclimate.bz/caribbean-needs-30-billion-of-investment-to-cut-fossil-fuel-use/. Imports primarily comprise diesel fuel for electricity generation, gasoline for transport, and liquefied gas for cooking in households (IMF). 56 IMF Working Paper (2016b), ‘Caribbean Energy: Macro-Related Challenges’.

19 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region Despite these onerous costs, energy consumption to 90-95% of electricity infrastructure in Anguilla, in the region is estimated to have tripled between Barbuda, BVI and Dominica, and 20% in TCI.60 By 2002-2012, largely linked to increasing demands May 2018, power had been restored to the majority from the tourism sector.57 While the region is a of populations on these islands, except in Dominica, small contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in where only 30% of the population had regained global terms, significant diversity exists. Due to the access, and in Barbuda, where the electricity system important role of its oil and gas industry, Trinidad and was restored but households remained unconnected Tobago has the second highest per capita emissions to the grid.61 globally, preceded only by , while Montserrat has similarly high levels, reflecting its near-total reliance The impacts of climate change on the region’s energy on inefficient diesel generators.58 Montserrat and infrastructure pose an acute risk to energy access. other countries in the region have ambitious targets to Many power stations are located in low-lying coastal source large or total shares of their electricity supply areas and are vulnerable to flooding and inundation from geothermal energy in future, which will enable as a result of sea level rise and storm surges. During them to reap multiple co-benefits, including improved Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, damage occurred air quality.59 to 90-95% of electricity infrastructure in Anguilla, Barbuda, BVI and Dominica, and 20% in TCI. By The impacts of climate change on the region’s energy May 2018, power had been restored to the majority infrastructure pose an acute risk to energy access. of populations on these islands, except in Dominica, Many power stations are located in low-lying coastal where only 30% of the population had regained areas and are vulnerable to flooding and inundation access, and in Barbuda, where the electricity system as a result of sea level rise and storm surges. During was restored but households remained unconnected Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, damage occurred to the grid.

57 Ibid. The rate is even higher in Trinidad and Tobago, due to the abundance of energy available from its fossil fuel industry. 58 Ochs, A. et al. (2015), ‘Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS): Baseline Report and Assessment’. 59 OECS (2019), ‘Geothermal Roundtable Report Final Version’. 60 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean (2018b), op. cit. 61 Ibid.

Dominica: Child benefiting from UNICEF and DOWASCO water trucking in Loubiere @UNICEF-UN0126539-Moreno Gonzalez

20 Climate, environment and energy situation in the region 2. Impacts of CEE issues on children This section explores the intersection of climate, they are less able to regulate their body temperature environmental and energy issues in the region and than adults. In addition, children are more likely than the rights and wellbeing of children and youth. A key adults to be injured or to die during extreme weather observation is that there is a paucity of child-specific events such as hurricanes.63 Furthermore, common data in this area. child-specific behavior such as hand-to-mouth activity and spending time playing outdoors exposes them 2.1. Children’s heightened vulnerability to a variety of environmental hazards, and they are highly-reliant on their caregivers and communities to in the Eastern Caribbean protect them. The effects of environment-related harm on children can have irreversible impacts, including In the Eastern Caribbean, children face heightened disability and lifelong morbidity. risks due to climate, environment and energy-related impacts for multiple reasons. Crucially, children are In the Eastern Caribbean, these innate vulnerabilities still developing physically and emotionally. The unique are heightened by region-specific risks, as set out in window of rapid physical and cognitive development the previous section, and by compounding sources that occurs during childhood, particularly between of vulnerability which are concentrated on children, birth and the age of five, means that children are notably in the form of disproportionately high child particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures poverty rates. Children living in poverty, and other encountered during this time.62 For example, children’s (often overlapping) subgroups of particularly vulnerable developing immune systems, organs, and smaller children, face acute risks from environmental and airways are less-equipped to deal with contaminated climate-related shocks, which further entrench water and air, or to fight off vector-borne diseases. deprivation, marginalization and inequities. These Infants and young children are at particularly high risk heightened impacts are explored in Section 2.7. from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, as

62 WHO (2017), Inheriting a Sustainable World? Atlas on Children’s Health and the Environment. 63 UNICEF (2015), Unless We Act Now: The Impact of Climate Change on Children.

21 Impacts of CEE issues on children 2.2. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Potsworks Dam, left some families without water for weeks, diverting attention away from children’s As noted in Section 1, the sustainability and quality of educational needs.69 In Barbados, the shortage of water supplies is one of the most serious challenges water due to several seasons of drought resulted in facing the Eastern Caribbean region. Safe water is early or complete closure of many schools.70 essential for all life, and a prerequisite for food security and good health. Children are disproportionately In terms of sanitation, pit latrines and septic tanks vulnerable to poor water access and quality because are widely used across the region,71 and these can they require more water per unit of body weight, and also contaminate groundwater resources and spread absorb greater proportions of certain waterborne water-borne diseases, particularly following heavy chemicals than adults.64 A lack of access to clean rainfall and flooding. Indeed, while there is a high water, sanitation facilities and basic hygiene also average rate of access to improved sanitation facilities places children at risk of water-borne diseases such (90%) in the region, it should be noted that this term as diarrhoea, which is more likely to lead to serious covers a variety of facilities, and masks significant complications in children, and which represents a vulnerabilities and disparities. Unsurprisingly, it is more leading cause of death among children under the age common for poorer households, in which children are of five globally.65 disproportionately represented, to be among the least- served segments of the population.72 While there is little research regarding specific impacts of water-related challenges on children 2.3. Adequate nutrition and food in the region, evidence which may apply to the security broader region is available from certain countries. In Barbados, drought conditions have been linked to an Adequate nutrition is critical for children’s health, and increase in diarrhoeal illness, due to poorer hygiene a lack of sufficient protein, energy and micronutrients, practices being observed in households during times 66 particularly in young children, can have far-reaching of reduced domestic water supplies. In Dominica, the consequences for children’s development, including widespread devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma diminished learning and school performance, and lower and Maria to vital water and sanitation infrastructure future earnings. While progress on child undernutrition disrupted water supplies to all affected populations, 67 has been made in the Eastern Caribbean, persistent and was linked to outbreaks of diarrhoea. Beyond nutritional deficiencies remain. impacts on children’s health, it is reported that some children in the region were also forced to drop out Worryingly, the number of overweight and obese of school in order to help their parents collect water 68 children is escalating rapidly, representing a major during the 2009-2010 drought. According to the emerging public health challenge in the region.73 Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the impacts of In Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, drought conditions on the country’s water reservoir, six to 12 per cent of children under the age of five

64 WHO (2017), op. cit. 65 UNICEF Data: http://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/diarrhoeal-disease/. 66 CARIBSAVE (2012), Barbados country profile, Climate Change Risk Atlas (CCCRA). 67 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit. 68 Interview with Dr Adrian Cashman, University of West Indies, April 12 2019. 69 Government of Antigua and Barbuda response to UNICEF questionnaire, June 2019. 70 Government of Barbados response to UNICEF questionnaire, June 2019. 71 WHO/UNICEF JMP database, based on 2013 data (the most recent year for which data is available for all countries/territories): https://bit.ly/2HLrGWH. 72 Cashman (2014) op. cit. 73 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2016) Multi-Country Programme Document.

22 Impacts of CEE issues on children are overweight,74 while regional data suggests that fruit prices of almost 25 per cent were recorded in the approximately one-third of children and youth in the region.79 Similar price spikes occurred in St. Lucia Caribbean aged 4-20 are overweight or obese.75 The following in 2010 and in St. Vincent causes of undernutrition, overweight and obesity are and the Grenadines following the drought in 2009 due similar, and underpinned by interrelated factors such to shortages and the need to import produce from as poverty, lack of access to adequate diets, and the other islands.80 consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks. 2.4. Health Malnutrition in all its forms is intimately linked to food security, which faces multiple challenges from climate Vector-borne diseases variability, climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable farming practices. Declining Vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya agricultural capacity is a major contributing factor and zika are of great concern for children in the to increasing rates of food imports in the Eastern Eastern Caribbean, and it is anticipated that warmer Caribbean, which have risen drastically in recent temperatures and altered weather patterns will decades to more than 80 per cent of food consumed further increase their prevalence by lengthening the in the sub-region (compared to an average of 67.5 transmission season and expanding the geographical per cent in the wider Caribbean, and a global average range of these diseases. In addition, heavy rainfall 76 of just 7 per cent). Much of the imported food is and flooding increases the incidence of leptospirosis calorie-dense and highly processed, and cheaper due to the displacement of rodents into households, than healthier diets based on fresh fish, vegetables and contamination of water and food.81 Children are and fruit. Studies suggest for example that declining more vulnerable to infection as they are more likely to fish stocks and rising fish prices have led to shifts play, swim or fish in infested water.82 in dietary patterns in certain Caribbean households, 77 with fresh fish being substituted for imported foods. While information on the incidence of these diseases This decreased access and affordability is likely to is collected by the Caribbean Public Health Agency have disproportionate impacts on poorer children (CARPHA), underreporting is a challenge and data and communities that traditionally rely on fish as is rarely disaggregated by age or other indicators.83 78 a vital source of income and protein. In addition, According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate-related hazards pose a particular threat to children make up a large proportion of those requiring food security. Following Hurricane Irma, rises in fresh hospitalization for severe dengue each year.84

74 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for Barbados (2012), St. Lucia (2012) and Trinidad and Tobago (2011). 75 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 76 FAO (2016), ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’. Based on 2011 data for eight countries: AB (92%), Barbados (87%), Dominica (55%), Grenada (81%), St Kitts and Nevis (95%), St. Lucia (83%), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (68%), and Trinidad and Tobago (85%). 77 Bennett, A., Patil, P., Kleisner, K., Rader, D., Virdin, J., and Basurto, X. (2018). ‘Contribution of Fisheries to Food and Nutrition Security: Current Knowledge, Policy, and Research’. NI Report 18-02. Durham, NC: Duke University, http:// nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publication. 78 Caribbean Public Health Agency (2017), ‘State of Public Health in the Caribbean Region 2014 – 2016. Building Resilience to Immediate and Increasing Threats: Vector-Borne Diseases and Childhood Obesity’. Port of , Trinidad and Tobago. 79 Caribbean Network (2018) ‘Food prices increase on Saba after hurricane Irma’. Available at: https://caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl/2018/01/26/food-prices- increase-on-saba-after-hurricane-irma/. 80 CARIBSAVE (2012), op. cit. Country Profiles for St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 81 CARPHA, CIMH, PAHO (2018), ‘Caribbean Climatic Health Bulletin’. 82 Caribbean Public Health Agency (2017), op. cit. 83 PAHO/WHO (2017). ‘Countries and territories with autochthonous transmission of Zika virus in the reported in 2015-2017’. Epidemiological reports also cover circulation of dengue and chikungunya during this time period. 84 WHO, ‘Dengue and severe dengue’, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue; PAHO ‘FAQs about Chikungunya’, available at https://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9260:2014-preguntas-respuestas-sobre- chikungunya&Itemid=39837&lang=en.

23 Impacts of CEE issues on children Outbreaks of the disease in the Caribbean have which has been malaria- since the 1960s.91 As a risen in frequency and intensity since the , with leading cause of death in children under-5 globally, Barbados and TCI reporting more than 1000 cases interventions to prevent this from taking place are since 2012.85 A study in Barbados between 2006 and essential. 2015 observed that dengue predominantly affected children aged 0 to 15 and reported an upward trend Air quality in incidence of the infection, also concentrated on children. A significant correlation was found between Air pollution represents a significant problem in the the number of confirmed cases, rainfall and humidity.86 Caribbean due to urbanization, industrialization and Climate change is projected to increase dengue fever growing vehicle emissions, as well as significant transmission in the region by a further 300%.87 amounts of Sahara dust which travel to the Eastern Caribbean each year.92 The exact scale of the problem Chikungunya is also more likely to cause complications in the region is difficult to ascertain, as the majority in young children. Although local transmission of the of countries and territories do not have air quality virus in the Caribbean was only reported for the first monitoring programmes, and standards are either time in 2013, it has spread throughout the islands non-existent or not enforced. However, according and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to existing measurements of dust, concentrations has warned that it is likely to become endemic to the frequently exceed WHO guidelines for PM2.5 and region.88 During the 2014 outbreak of chikungunya in PM10.93 In addition, approximately 95 per cent of Dominica, a disproportionate number of those affected exhaust particulate matter emitted from cruise ships were children under the age of 9, and women and is PM2.5, with serious implications for children and girls were affected more than males.89 Although no families living near ports.94 fatalities were recorded, PAHO warned that this may be due to failure to correctly classify chikungunya- Children are highly vulnerable to poor air quality as their related deaths by health professionals.90 With respect respiratory tracts are more permeable and their lungs, to zika, its links to serious neurological birth defects brains and immune systems are still developing and are well-known. CARPHA notes that the prevalence of can be irreversibly damaged by harmful particulates.95 zika is likely to be underestimated in the Caribbean as Young children also breathe more quickly than adults, its symptoms are mild or non-existent in most people. taking in proportionally twice the air intake of an adult.96 Impacts on their cognitive development limits Finally, CARPHA has warned that rising temperatures their economic and social potential in life and has far- could see the reintroduction of malaria in the region, reaching societal ramifications. In addition, air pollution

85 Caribbean Public Health Agency (2017), op. cit. 86 Kumar, Gittens-St Hilaire, Nielsen (2018), ‘Long-term epidemiological dynamics of dengue in Barbados – one of the English-speaking Caribbean countries’, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 146, Issue 8. 87 PAHO (2018), ‘Caribbean perspectives of the impact of climate change on environmental determinants of health’. 88 PAHO/WHO (2015), ‘More than 1.6 million cases of chikungunya reported in the Americas since first appearance of the virus in 2013’, available at: https:// www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11329:2015-millones-casos-chikungunya-americas-desde-2013&Itemid=135&lang=en. 89 Ahmed, S., Francis, L., Ricketts, R., Christian, T., Polson-Edwards, K., & Olowokure, B. (2015). ‘Chikungunya Virus Outbreak, Dominica, 2014’. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 21(5), 909-911. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2105.141813. 90 PAHO (2015), ‘Report on chikungunya virus transmission and its impact in the region of the Americas, 54th Directing Council’, available at: https:// apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/313358. 91 CARPHA (2014), ‘World Health Day’, available at: http://carpha.org/articles/ID/14/World-Health-Day-2014. 92 Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Dust and Air Quality Forecasting Centre, http://dafc.cimh.edu.bb/. 93 Ibid. In the region, only Barbados measures dust concentrations. Based in part on this data, CIMH has begun to provide dust and air quality forecasts for the Eastern Caribbean region with a view to developing a health warning system for vulnerable persons. 94 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 95 UNICEF (2016), Clear the Air for Children. 96 WHO (2005), ‘Children’s Health and the Environment: A Global Perspective’.

24 Impacts of CEE issues on children is a major contributing factor to approximately half of 2011, some Caribbean beaches have been inundated child deaths due to pneumonia globally. Further study with up to 200 times the usual quantity of biomass.103 is required to assess the potential links between air As it decomposes, the plant releases hydrogen sulfide, pollution and other environmental determinants on the a toxic and malodorous gas that causes nausea, incidence of childhood pneumonia in the Caribbean, headaches, irritation to eyes, and respiratory and which is among the leading causes of death in infants heart problems.104 105 The specific impacts on children and children between birth and the age of 14.97 and the consequences of long-term exposure have not been studied. Asthma is also endemic in the Caribbean, affecting almost one-third of the population in some countries.98 Toxic chemicals and waste The incidence of asthma in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago increased 17-fold between 1973 and 1996,99 The improper use and poor management of pesticides with a high prevalence among primary (13 per cent) represents an important and underexplored threat and secondary school (25 per cent) students, and to children in the , particularly in rural and rhinitis in more than 30% of the student population.100 farming communities. The Caribbean has traditionally Air pollutants, particularly from ozone and vehicle been vulnerable to the entry of harmful, unregistered emissions, as well as mold and other allergens, have and unregulated pesticides, including banned been recognized as important triggers, while various products, which pose a risk to communities where regional studies have suggested that high levels of they are used and stored, and to those that consume dust may also be a contributing factor.101 In Barbados, treated food or contaminated water.106 Children are an increase in bush fires as a result of drought has highly vulnerable to pesticide exposure due to the been linked to an increase in the number of young small size of their kidneys and liver, which has the people suffering from respiratory infections.102 effect of intensifying toxicity of an ingested chemical by a factor of ten, compared to ingestion of the same An emerging challenge for air quality is also the amount by an adult.107 They are also more exposed excessive growth and influxes of the sargassum to inhalation or dermal contact with toxic chemicals seaweed in some islands, understood to result from due to their higher respiratory rate, frequent hand-to- a combination of rising sea surface temperatures and mouth behaviour, and because they spend greater high nitrogen loads due to agricultural run-off in the periods of time playing outdoors. Exposure to even South Atlantic where the algae fields originate. Since low levels of pesticides, through wind drift or food residues can disrupt children’s physiological and

97 CARPHA (2017), op. cit. 98 Gowrie, M. (2016), ‘Forecasting Emergency Paediatric Asthma Hospital Admissions in Trinidad and Tobago: Development of a Local Model Incorporating the Interactions of Airborne Dust and Pollen Concentrations with Meteorological Parameters and a Time-Lag Factor’, Open Journal of Air Pollution, 10.4236/ ojap.2016.54009. 99 University of the West Indies (2008), ‘Children and the Environment in the Eastern Caribbean – a Gap Analysis’ 100 Gowrie, M. (2016), op. cit. 101 Ibid. 102 Government of Barbados response to UNICEF questionnaire, June 2019. 103 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 104 British Virgin Islands Conservation and Fisheries Department (2018), ‘Sargassum Information Brochure’. 105 Desmarquis, M. (2018), ‘Impacts des algues sargasses sur la santé humaine’, available at: https://www.martinique2030.com/non-classe/impacts-des- algues-sargasses-sur-la-sante-humaine. 106 FAO (2017), ‘Eleven Caribbean countries remove significant amounts of obsolete pesticides stocks and hazardous wastes’, available at http://www. fao.org/americas/noticias/ver/en/c/1068631/. In 2017, a regional FAO programme oversaw the removal of 319 tonnes of obsolete hazardous pesticides and containers from 11 Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. 107 UNICEF (2018), ‘Understanding the impacts of pesticides on children: A discussion paper’.

25 Impacts of CEE issues on children mental development, potentially leading to long-term massive disruption to education systems through disease and disorder.108 Other effects include asthma, damage to schools and other essential services cancer and neurological damage.109 There is a paucity such as water, sanitation facilities and electricity, of regional (and indeed global) statistics on the number and through their impacts on children’s physical and of people, including children, that suffer from pesticide emotional health. More frequent water-borne and food- exposure. Given their widespread use in the Eastern borne disease outbreaks affect both students and staff Caribbean, however, it is highly probably that children attendance, while rising temperatures and reduction in the region are exposed to the potentially debilitating in food security and adequate nutrition undermine and lifelong effects of these chemicals. children’s ability to concentrate.

Another concern relates to significantly elevated The 2017 hurricanes imposed significant losses levels of mercury recorded in women of child-bearing on education systems in five islands across the age in the region, linked to frequent consumption of Eastern Caribbean, including destruction of school contaminated fish.110 Exposure to even small amounts infrastructure, equipment and teaching materials. In of mercury can cause serious health problems and Dominica, 83 per cent of schools incurred damage, 20 impair the development of fetuses and young children schools were taken over as shelters,112 and learning in particular.111 Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of time for students over the school year was decreased women in the Eastern Caribbean were found to have by 40 per cent.113 The majority of children across the levels of mercury exceeding the threshold at which islands affected were unable to attend school for at studies have suggested that harm can occur to an least one month, while some schools remained closed unborn fetus, ranging from 48 per cent in St. Lucia to for two to three months. As of April 2019, Ministries 79 per cent of women in Barbados. Particularly high of Education reported that certain students were concentrations (almost double the threshold) were still attending tented schools or schools hosted in found in women in Barbados (58 per cent), Trinidad community centres.114 Children from Barbuda and and Tobago (48.5 per cent), and St. Vincent and the Dominica were temporarily relocated to Antigua to Grenadines (48 per cent). attend class, imposing a significant burden on facilities and staff. Many schools operated a shift system, 2.5. Education leading to other challenges in certain instances, such as anti-social behaviour by students that were Climate, environmental and energy issues are intimately unoccupied due to reduced hours, and still attempting 115 connected to children’s access to education as well as to process their traumatic experiences. its quality. Education has a vital role to play in enabling children to equip themselves to be better prepared in Studies conducted elsewhere relating to children that the face of climate and environment-related hazards, have been displaced, or otherwise seriously affected by and to become environmental stewards themselves, climate-related events, have observed an increase in strengthening the resilience of societies more broadly. negative behavioural issues, lower school attendance At the same time, these same risks can bring about and performance, suspension, expulsion and higher drop-out rates, even several years after the event

108 UN Special Rapporteur on Hazardous Substances and Waste and Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Joint Report on Pesticides, A/HRC/34/48, para. 24. 109 UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment (2018), Report on Child Rights and the Environment, A/HRC/37/58. 110 Bell, L. IPEN (2018), ‘Mercury threat to women & children across 3 oceans: Elevated mercury in women in small island states & countries’. 111 WHO, ‘Mercury and Health’, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health. 112 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit. 113 Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica (2017), Post-Disaster Needs Assessment Hurricane Maria September 18, 2017. 114 Comments from Government representatives of British Virgiin Islands and Dominica during the 2nd Caribbean Ministerial Safe School Forum in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, April 2019. 115 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit.

26 Impacts of CEE issues on children has taken place.116 In addition, studies have identified economic hardship and chronic stress can also place a correlation between the impacts of climate-related children at increased risk of violence, physical abuse, disasters and young children’s cognitive capacity, child labour, and exploitation.121 including effects on memory, spatial reasoning and language development.117 The devastation in the Eastern Caribbean caused by the 2017 hurricane season brought many of these child Taken together, these impacts are likely to place protection issues to the fore.122 Thousands of children significant additional pressures on the educational endured harrowing life-threatening experiences during system in the region, and to undermine its ability to the storms, subsequently compounded by extreme achieve critical targets, such as improving educational hardship in the aftermath, such as relocation, loss of outcomes, strengthening support systems for students homes and possessions, and in some cases, living at risk to reduce grade repetition and drop-out rates, for months without power. Meeting the physical and and improving inclusive education opportunities for psychosocial protection needs of large numbers of the most vulnerable students, such as those with children simultaneously initially overwhelmed social disabilities.118 support systems across the islands. Against this backdrop, and given the high prevalence of sexual 2.6. Child Protection violence and domestic abuse in the region, thousands of children – especially girls– and young women Disruptions in children’s physical and social were at heightened risk of these forms of child rights 123 environment can be a source of significant danger violations. While data is not readily available for the and stress for children. Trauma connected to natural Eastern Caribbean, domestic violence and child abuse hazards, such as witnessing injury and death due organizations in Puerto Rico saw a dramatic surge in to extreme weather disasters, separation from – or requests for services following Hurricane Maria, and loss of – loved ones, and disruption of family and reported heightened levels of aggression towards 124 community networks, can have potentially severe and children. An increase in incest, sexual violence and 125 long-term mental health consequences.119 Studies pregnancies was also reported in Dominica. suggest that children affected by these situations are at heightened risk of suffering from post-traumatic In addition to exacerbating levels of violence stress disorder, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts perpetrated against children, climate-related disasters and increased substance abuse.120 Children that and environmental stress also heighten many of the become separated from their parents or caregivers, risk factors for high rates of interpersonal violence or that are displaced from their homes to shelters, among children themselves, such as poverty, are particularly vulnerable to experiencing fear and reduced access to education, high rates of youth feelings of disorientation. These situations, as well as unemployment, trauma, substance abuse and crime. heightened pressures due to loss of family livelihoods, This is a particular concern in view of the fact that

116 Unicef UK (2017), No Place to Call Home: Protecting Children’s Rights when the Changing Climate Forces them to Flee. 117 Aguilar, A. and Vicarelli, M. (2011), ‘El Niño and Mexican children: medium-term effects of early life weather shocks on cognitive and health outcomes’. 118 Key challenges identified in UNICEF Country Programme Document for the Eastern Caribbean (2016). 119 UNICEF (2015), op. cit. 120 OHCHR (2017), Analytical study on the relationship between climate change and the full and effective enjoyment of the rights of the child, A/HRC/35/13. 121 Ibid. 122 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2019), op. cit. 123 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit. In the Eastern Caribbean, it is estimated that between 20%-45% of children have been sexually abused (see Jones, A. and Trotman Jemmott, E. (2009), Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean. 124 Gonzalez-Ramirez, A., (2018), ‘After Hurricane Maria, A Hidden Crisis Of Violence Against Women In Puerto Rico’, available at: https://www.refinery29. com/en-us/2018/09/210051/domestic-violence-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-effects-anniversary. 125 Dominica News Online (16 October 2018), ‘Incest shoots up after Hurricane Maria’, available at: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/ news/general/incest-shoots-up-after-hurricane-maria/comment-page-1/.

27 Impacts of CEE issues on children assault is the leading cause of death among 15 to 24- 2.7. Vulnerable groups year olds in the Caribbean, with young men accounting for 90% of these deaths.126 While all children face heightened risks due to climate and environmental harm, certain subgroups While the impacts of extreme weather events on of children experience disproportionate impacts due protection issues are widely acknowledged, a growing to intersecting vulnerabilities. This includes, inter body of research highlights the importance of slow alia, poor children, indigenous children, migrants onset climate risks for child protection concerns as and displaced children, children with disabilities and well. Events such as rising temperatures and increased girls.130 The following seeks to highlight some of these rainfall are associated with stress, depression and heightened risks within the limiting constraints of other mental health issues, with disproportionate available evidence, data and research. impacts on women and low-income families.127 In addition, pressures on agricultural communities in Children living in poverty particular are likely to heighten the risk of child labour. While little data exists on this form of exploitation in While children constitute just over 30 per cent of the total the region, evidence from Trinidad and Tobago and population in the region, they are disproportionately St. Lucia suggests that child labour occurs more represented among poor populations.131 According to commonly in the agricultural sector than in others, and the most recent data available, 32.7 per cent of children 128 disproportionately affects poor children. in the region are living in poverty, compared to 20.6 per cent for adults,132 with the highest rates occurring in Another under-explored risk with clear climate and/ Grenada (50.9 per cent), Montserrat (47 per cent) and or environmental dimensions is that of accidental Dominica (38 per cent).133 Poor populations bear the drowning, representing a leading cause of death brunt of climate and environmental harm due to a myriad among both children aged 5 to 14 and youth aged of factors, including the fact that poor communities 129 15 to 24 in the Caribbean. In both cases, boys are are more likely to occupy environmentally-degraded affected more than girls, with as many as 90 per cent areas and land that is more exposed to climate-related of deaths in the 15 to 24 age bracket affecting them. impacts, to live in substandard housing, to lack access As the risk of flash floods and storm surges increase, to basic facilities and services, and to have lower it is likely that even greater numbers of children and resilience and coping capacity in the face of shocks. adolescents will be placed in danger. According to the World Bank, poor and vulnerable

126 CARPHA (2017), op. cit. According to UNDOC data, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago are listed among those with the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean (4th and 9th position respectively) – see Chioda, L. (2017). Stop the Violence in Latin America: A Look at Prevention from Cradle to Adulthood. Latin American Development Forum; Washington, DC: World Bank. 127 Obradovich, N., Migliorini, R., Paulus, M. P., & Rahwan, I. (2018). Empirical evidence of mental health risks posed by climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1801528115. 128 See UNICEF Eastern Caribbean (2018d), ‘Situation Analysis for Children in Trinidad and Tobago’ and UNICEF Eastern Caribbean(2018c), ‘Situation Analysis for Children in St Lucia’. Both countries, along with Grenada, are signatories to the Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour Regional Initiative, initiated in 2014 and coordinated by ILO. T&T has since signalled its intent to develop a national child labour policy. 129 CARPHA (2017), op. cit. 130 OHCHR (2017), op. cit. 131 OECS Commission and UNICEF (2017), ‘Child Poverty in the Eastern Caribbean Area, Final Report’. Poverty rate is defined as the poor population/ total population, and child poverty rate as the number of poor children/all children. 132 Ibid. 133 Ibid.

28 Impacts of CEE issues on children populations were twice as likely to need their house and climate change, while undermining their capacity to rebuilt following Hurricane Irma.134 adapt. Other challenges include a failure to recognize their specific rights in national laws and regulations In addition to deepening existing inequities, climate- with respect to decisions regarding natural resource related shocks can be expected to increase overall management within the Territory, and encroachment poverty rates as well. For example, Dominica estimates on their traditional lands by farmers, compounding that the poverty head count could have increased by land pressure due to increasing population density 14 per cent following Hurricane Maria, and that the of the community itself.139 The community faced number of people in extreme poverty could have devastation following Hurricane Maria, when around doubled.135 In Grenada, unemployment tripled between 90% of homes were flattened. Community 2000 and 2016 due to the devastating impacts of schools were used as shelters, effectively bringing Hurricane Ivan, followed by the 2008 financial crisis, education to a halt.140 Many of the inhabitants are causing much of the vulnerable population to slip back farmers and their crops were destroyed, resulting in into poverty. food shortages, while damage to the water system led to water shortages as well.141 Indigenous children Migrant children and ‘left behind’ children The only indigenous community living in the Eastern Caribbean region is the Kalinago , which Natural hazards, combined with high unemployment resides in St. Vincent and Dominica. In both cases, levels, are one of the main drivers of exceedingly high the communities represent a small minority (~2 and 4 levels of emigration from the Eastern Caribbean. The per cent respectively) and are among the poorest on proportion of the population from OECS countries the islands.136 In Dominica, the Kalinago community living abroad rose from 36 per cent in 1990 to 55 per lives in an indigenous Territory on the eastern part of cent in 2017, with women more likely to migrate.142 the island, and this territory is particularly vulnerable Remittances sent home by the diaspora accounted to landslides, sea surging and subsequent flooding.137 for 10 per cent of household income between 2005 While various efforts have been made by the and 2008 (increasing significantly in poor households, Government of Dominica to introduce policies that and to 20 per cent in Dominica, where the diaspora is benefit the Kalinago population, the community faces almost as large as the size of the local population).143 major challenges including high levels of poverty and While this source of income plays an important role in poor health status, poor housing conditions, reduced reducing poverty and providing an important cushion access to water and inadequate sanitation, and higher against shocks, the consequences for the wellbeing levels of food insecurity.138 These factors increase the of children left behind by parents are potentially community’s vulnerability to environmental degradation significant. Research conducted elsewhere suggests

134 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 135 Commonwealth of Dominica (2017), op. cit. 136 Minority Rights Group International (2015) ‘Dominica Caribs’ and ‘St Vincent and the Grenadines’. Available at: https://minorityrights.org/minorities/ caribs/ and https://minorityrights.org/country/st-vincent-and-the-grenadines/. 137 Dominica news online (2012), ‘Study of Climate Change in the Kalinago Territory’. Available at: http://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/ educationyouth/german-students-conduct-study-of-climate-change-in-kalinago-territory/. 138 Schnitter, R. et al. (2018), ‘An Assessment of Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation in Dominica’. 139 Minority Rights Group International (2015), op. cit. 140 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017b), ‘UN Secretary-General visits indigenous community in Dominica’. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/ easterncaribbean/ECA_Story_SG_Visits.pdf. 141 ECLAC (2018), ‘Caribbean Regional Report on the mid-term review of SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action’. 142 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 143 Ibid.

29 Impacts of CEE issues on children Dominica: Omar, 13, and Akeem, 6, were among the 90 percent of Kalinago people who lost their homes as Hurricane Maria tore through the island @UNICEF ECA/Andrew Ward/2017

for example that children’s educational outcomes children in an irregular situation. This limits their are negatively affected by climate-related migration access to basic services such as education, health and separation from parents – particularly in the and housing, and places many children and their absence of their mothers – and that they can also be families in unstable and precarious situations, with at heightened risk of abuse when left in the care of enormous impacts on children’s standard of living and extended family or friends.144 vulnerability to climate-related impacts.145 In TCI, the largest migrant group are Haitians, who account for Migrant and refugee children in the region also 56% of the poor population. They occupy around three face extensive challenges. Complex and restrictive quarters of defective houses in the territory, including migration policies leave many migrants and their low-quality, privately-rented properties, as well as illegal

144 Unicef UK (2017), op. cit. 145 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017c), ‘Study on Children in Situations of Migration and Statelessness in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories’.

30 Impacts of CEE issues on children constructions.146 Such housing is highly vulnerable to capacity and higher exposure to climate- and severe weather events. Following the 2017 hurricanes, environment-related harm.153 During emergencies, a number of Haitian and families insufficient consideration of accessibility in planning in TCI were reported as highly vulnerable and having for evacuation, response and relief efforts, can lead to no access to cash.147 Furthermore, it is estimated higher risk of injuries, disease and death among children that as many as 20,000 undocumented and stranded with disabilities.154 They are more likely to experience migrants in the territory could have been affected, even difficulty in reaching safe areas, while communication if their protection needs were not captured in official and mobility barriers can complicate the process of figures.148 Venezuelan refugee and migrant children reuniting with families and friends. They may also lose and youth in Trinidad and Tobago are likely to have vital assistance equipment, and encounter challenges experienced similarly difficult circumstances during in accessing information. Encouragingly, the recently- the 2018 flooding, given their low rates of access to developed Design Guidelines for Disaster-Resilient critical services.149 Schools in the OECS incorporate consideration of accessibility for people with disabilities, notably in Children with disabilities the context of sustainable site selection (at least 30 per cent of external or outdoor green spaces of the Children with disabilities represent one of the school site should be accessible), ergonomic design most marginalized and excluded groups in society indoors, and building configurations that provide for worldwide, and encounter some of the largest emergencies and rapid evacuation of people with barriers to realizing their rights.150 There is a low level disabilities.155 of information available regarding the situation of children with disabilities in the region, including a lack Girls and young women of accurate data and underreporting due to stigma.151 Reported challenges include difficulties in accessing As noted previously, children in the Eastern Caribbean the external support, education, care, or rehabilitation are faced with high levels of violence, often of a services that children with disabilities need.152 This is sexual nature, and girls and young women are particularly problematic for low-income families and disproportionately affected.156 For example, reports especially single parents. of sexual violence against children indicate that in Trinidad and Tobago, 25 per cent of young women Inadequate access to basic services, combined aged 18-29 years had experienced sexual violence with higher levels of poverty and socio-economic by the age of 18.157 This risk increases in the wake exclusion, are some of the key reasons why children of extreme climate-related events.158 In Grenada, child with disabilities are more likely to have lower adaptive sexual abuse became more visible following Hurricane

146 Ibid. 147 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2017a), op. cit. 148 Ibid. 149 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2018a), op. cit. 150 UNICEF, ‘Disabilities’, available at: https://www.unicef.org/disabilities/. 151 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area, see various Situational Analyses for the Eastern Caribbean region 152 ECLAC (2018c) ‘Disability, human rights and public policy in the Caribbean: A situation analysis’. 153 UNICEF (2017), written submission to the study of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on climate change and the full and effective enjoyment of the rights of the child, available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/ClimateChange/RightsChild/UNICEF.docx. 154 OHCHR (2017), op. cit. 155 OECS (2019a), ‘Development of Design Guidelines for Disaster-Resilient Schools in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’. 156 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2010), Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean. 157 Based on UNICEF Eastern Caribbean analysis of ‘National Women’s Health Survey for Trinidad and Tobago’ (2018). 158 Ibid.

31 Impacts of CEE issues on children Ivan in 2004, and a gender impact assessment of HIV.164 Nonetheless, adolescent and young women conducted following the event described gender- aged 15-24 are three to six times more likely to based violence as endemic with predominantly male contract HIV/AIDS than young men in the region.165 perpetrators and women and girls as the vast majority While HIV incidence is affected by a complex set of of victims.159 An increase in ‘transactional sex’ and factors, these can be compounded by climate and the sexual exploitation of young women was also environmental stress. For example, extreme weather observed, including by relief workers.160 Emergency events can disrupt treatment programmes and access situations also disrupt young women and girls’ access to care, reversing progress made under prevention to essential services, such as maternal healthcare and control efforts. Impacts on poverty, living for pregnant teenagers and young mothers, with conditions and displacement heighten risk factors for associated health risks for both women and children. infection such as sexual violence and transactional sex, affecting girls and young women in particular.166 There are clear gender dimensions to poverty Furthermore, children and adolescents living with in the region as well; in the majority of islands, HIV are also more vulnerable to diseases linked to children are more likely to be poor if living in female- degraded environments.167 headed households, with women more likely to be unemployed, to earn lower incomes, and to have lower Youth financial security, insurance coverage and ownership of assets.161 Caribbean women also tend to assume Climate and environment-related impacts on socio- heavier responsibilities in terms of family care, and to economic conditions in the region are likely to therefore experience disproportionate effects when disproportionately affect youth, for example by limiting impacts associated with environmental degradation growth and funds available for essential investment in and climate change affect the wellbeing of those in training and job creation, adding to high levels of youth their care, such as children and the elderly.162 unemployment and related challenges. According to Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) data, 31 per cent Children living with HIV of youth in the Eastern Caribbean are unemployed, compared to 15 per cent among adults, with significantly HIV is the third leading cause of death among children higher rates among young women than young men aged 1 to 4 and youth aged 15 to 24 in the Caribbean, (30 per cent and 20 per cent respectively across the and the leading cause of death among female Caribbean).168 Youth unemployment exceeds 40 per youth.163 The majority of new infections and deaths cent in Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the occur outside of the Eastern Caribbean, and several Grenadines.169 Long-term unemployment is particularly islands have eliminated mother-to-child transmission detrimental for young people compared to other age

159 World Meteorological Organisation (2017), ‘Caribbean Hurricane Season’. 160 Kempadoo, K. (2009), ‘Prostitution, sex work, and transactional sex in the English, Dutch, and French speaking Caribbean’. 161 Green Climate Fund (2016), ‘Enhancing Coastal Resilience Against Climate Change: Concept Note’. 162 Ibid. 163 CARPHA (2017), op. cit. The data excludes Haiti, which is the largest CARPHA member with relatively high HIV prevalence, and this is helpful to the extent that it does not ‘overshadow’ results from smaller territories. 164 Avert, ‘HIV and AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean: Regional Overview’, available at: https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/ latin-america/overview. 165 World Bank (2018), op. cit. 166 UNFPA (2009), ‘State of World Population. Facing a changing world: women, population and climate change’ 167 UNICEF (2016b), Strategic Framework on Environmental Sustainability for Children 2016 – 2017. 168 Caribbean Development Bank (2015), ‘Youth Are the Future: The imperative of youth employment for sustainable development in the Caribbean’. 169 World Bank (2018), op. cit.

32 Impacts of CEE issues on children British Virgin Islands: After-school club @ UNICEF ECA/Dame /2018

groups, with implications for their ability to obtain unemployment has also been linked to, inter alia, a decent work and salaries that last over the course of rise in delinquency and gang activities, increasing their working lives.170 In the Eastern Caribbean, youth exposure to crime and violence, and mental health issues.171

170 Ibid. 171 OECS (2019c), ‘Terms of Reference to develop a regional strategy for youth development work in the Eastern Caribbean’.

33 Impacts of CEE issues on children 3. Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues

This section presents policy and strategic frameworks All Eastern Caribbean countries have ratified key in the region as far as CEE issues are concerned. It Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), also covers bottlenecks impeding CEE action, and including the UN Framework Convention on Climate the funding landscape. It is important to highlight Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.173 that generally neither regional nor national CEE They have all submitted their Nationally Determined frameworks are child-sensitive. This assessment Contributions (NDCs), committing to relatively and more information on child-inclusive planning ambitious targets for GHG emissions reduction and processes in the region are elaborated in Section 6. adaptation. As of May 2019, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago had also ratified the Kigali 3.1. International and regional Amendment to the Protocol on the phasing down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).174 Meanwhile, frameworks most countries are essentially on track regarding their international reporting obligations. Still, only two At the international level, Caribbean SIDS have a countries, St. Lucia and Grenada, have completed long tradition of contributing to global norm-setting National Adaptation Plans, although processes in and decision-making on climate change and the other countries across the region are at an advanced environment. All countries in the Eastern Caribbean stage. Certain countries are also involved in various are members of the Alliance of Small Island States international initiatives, such as Antigua and Barbuda (AOSIS), an intergovernmental organization of low- and Trinidad and Tobago, which joined the UN lying coastal and small island countries founded Environment’s Clean Seas campaign in 2019, bringing in 1990, whose unique status and vulnerability to the number of countries involved in the world’s largest climate-related impacts and climate change has been alliance for combating marine to acknowledged by the international community.172

172 Wikipedia, ‘AOSIS’, available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Small_Island_States. 173 Full list available at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_environmental_agreements. 174 See https://kigali-amendment.openclimatedata.net/.

34 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues Caribbean children facing the climate crisis 34 sixty.175 In 2016, Barbados joined the UN Partnership climate change and environmental sustainability as for Action on the Green Economy (PAGE), which aims cross-cutting themes to be treated throughout all to put sustainability at the heart of economic policies stages and phases of implementation. Following and practices.176 the 2017 hurricane season, CARICOM Heads of Government mandated a review of the region’s Regional integration is a key determinant to understand resilience agenda, leading to development of the CEE responses in the region. The first major step was Caribbean Pathway for Building Resilience, which the adoption of the Barbados Programme of Action sets out recommended policy actions to achieve for the Sustainable Development of SIDS (BPOA) in progress on resilient development, including a pillar 1994, which identified climate change and sea-level on environmental protection and recognition of youth rise as key priorities. A series of regional projects was involvement as an enabling element (see Section subsequently implemented to mainstream climate 6.1.3).180 Within the OECS, Member States endorsed change adaptation strategies into the development the Saint George’s Declaration of Principles for agenda of CARICOM Member States.177 The BPOA Environmental Sustainability in 2001, with the aim was followed by the Strategy for the Further of minimizing environmental vulnerability, improving Implementation of the BPOA (MS/BPOA), adopted in environmental management, and protecting the 2005, and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action region’s natural resource base. The Declaration was () Pathway of 2014, which played a significant due to be revised in 2019.181 role in identifying SIDS priorities for the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, and which was Institutional arrangements reviewed by the UN General Assembly in September 2019.178 As indicated above, many regional frameworks are led by CARICOM and OECS.182 Other regional entities, In addition to this overarching SIDS framework, such as CDEMA and the Caribbean Community key regional strategies and initiatives include the Climate Change Centre (5Cs), also play a key role CARICOM Regional Framework for Achieving (see Annex 2 for more details). It is important to note Development Resilient to Climate Change (2009- that the UK Overseas Territories represent a special 2015), recently updated to cover the period 2018- case as they fall under the jurisdiction and sovereignty 2028,179 as well as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency of the (UK), without forming part of Management Agency’s (CDEMA) Comprehensive it. The territories are nevertheless included in UK’s Disaster Management Strategy (2014-2024), which GHG inventories (1990-2015) and projections, and provides guiding principles for implementation of also expected to make a strong contribution to the disaster risk management in the region, with the goal achievement of UK targets and agreements under the of realizing ‘safer, more resilient and ‘sustainable Convention on Biological Diversity, as described in the CDEMA Participating States through Comprehensive UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy (2009). Disaster Management’. The Strategy recognizes Several other MEAs have been extended to UKOTs.183

175 UN Environment (2019), ‘Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago and join Clean Seas campaign during UN Environment Assembly’, available at: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/antigua-and-barbuda-trinidad-and-tobago-and-paraguay-join-clean-seas. 176 Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), ‘Barbados’, available at: https://www.un-page.org/countries/page-countries/barbados. 177 See Annex 2, ‘Regional Frameworks and Entities’. 178 UN, ‘SAMOA Pathway High-Level Mid-Term Review’, available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sids/samoareview. 179 The updated Framework draws from global and regional agreements, frameworks, policies and plans as well as concerns directly voiced by CARICOM Member States. It details ten Strategic Elements and Goals to improve climate resiliency. The new document was not publicly available at the time of writing. 180 CARICOM (2018), ‘Building A Caribbean Pathway for Disaster Resilience in the Caribbean Community’. 181 Interview with OECS’s Environment and Sustainable Development Unit, April 2019. 182 CARICOM membership includes countries not members of OECS, and vice versa. 183 For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (IWC), the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972, commonly called the “London Convention” (LC) and the Ramsar Convention.

35 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues 3.2. National frameworks following the upcoming revision of the St. Georges Declaration. Environmental legislation, strategies and policies All countries have developed and regularly updated National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans and Environmental management, specifically strived to protect the environment through the environmental protection, has long been a national designation of protected areas. For instance, Grenada cause across the Caribbean, reflecting recognition of has committed to placing 25 per cent of its coastal the region’s fragile ecosystems and rich biodiversity. marine ecosystem under conservation management 185 Nevertheless, across the Eastern Caribbean, legislative by 2020. In 2016, the country also adopted a Blue frameworks related to environmental management Growth Coastal Master Plan to sustainably optimize its can be characterized as fragmented. Many laws coastal and marine resources. Various countries have are outdated, lacking, not properly enforced, or only also committed to combat deforestation. In 2004, the deal with narrow issues. This suggests that countries Tobago declared a moratorium on often do not meet their legislative reform obligations logging of both private and state lands on the island. under the MEAs to which they are signatories, The Government also pledged a considerable amount including those that relate to climate change. Over of funding to establish a National Reforestation and the past decade, most countries have still been in the Watershed Rehabilitation Programme, due to last over 186 process of developing comprehensive environmental ten years. In Dominica, where forests were severely legislation, based in some cases on the OECS Model stripped by Hurricane Maria, the government has Environmental Framework Legislation of 2007. This pledged to replant a million trees by the end of 2019. is often a slow process. The drafting of Antigua and Barbuda’s Environmental Protection and Management Waste management and in particular, the disposal of Act (2015) commenced in 2005. Only St. Kitts and plastics, is another area that has become the focus Nevis has significantly older legislation (1987). of increased attention. In line with existing legislation, all countries have developed waste management In Trinidad and Tobago, the National Environment strategies and initiatives, which take different forms. For Policy was first elaborated in 1998 (but was revised instance, Antigua and Barbuda established the Antigua in 2018) and provides an overarching environmental Barbuda Waste Recycling Cooperation in 2005 as a management framework for the country, embodying a national recycling facility that caters to plastics, glass, comprehensive approach to, inter alia, environmental and scrap metal. In 2019, the TCI planned to launch an health, natural resources, the green economy, and ‘Adopt a Highway’ initiative to enable citizens to play climate change. This is backed by comprehensive an active role in the upkeep and cleanliness of public environmental legislation, as well as a specialized spaces. The Government was also planning to develop 187 environmental tribunal.184 In OECS Members States, a waste management plan for the entire country. In the St. Georges Declaration (see Section 3.1) has St. Lucia, a National Wastewater Policy and Strategic guided the elaboration of National Environmental Plan (2017) is awaiting adoption. Additional impetus Management Strategies and Action Plans. Many was provided by the Second High-Level Forum for of these are outdated but expected to be reviewed Caribbean Ministers with Responsibility for Waste in

184 See Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Management Authority, ‘Environmental Management Act’, available at: https://www.ema.co.tt/index.php/ programs/legislation/147-environmental-management-act. 185 Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (2017), ‘Grenada launches its newest : Grand Anse’, available at: https://caribbeanbiodiversityfund. org/news/56-grenada-launches-its-newest-marine-protected-area-grand-anse 186 CYEN, CCA, UNEP (2008), op. cit. 187 Office of the Premier –Turks and Caicos Islands (18 June 2018), speech to the House of Assembly, available at: https://m.facebook.com/306013699517366/ photos/a.306763186109084/1728308633954525/?type=3.

36 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues 2018, in which Ministers endorsed a Caribbean Waste mandates towards DRR, reflected for example in Management Action plan.188 Grenada’s decision in 2005 to rename its National Emergency Relief Organization to the National Some environmental issues are addressed through Disaster Management Agency. Some governments specific policies. The TCI has for instance drafted are also working on improving linkages between DRR, a Sargassum Policy to address the problem of the energy and climate change adaptation, such as the increasing influx of Sargassum Seaweed on its decision by BVI to introduce the SMART concept into shores.189 its Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy and Programming Framework (2014-2018), linking Climate resilience strategies safe and green actions that underpin resilience and environmentally sound techniques. Since the early 2000s, Caribbean SIDS have all developed a set of national strategies and policies Energy promoting low carbon development, climate change adaptation and a green economy (see Annex 1). Some National targets for the energy sector are generally of these have been partly donor-driven or guided by defined in national resilience frameworks. Most international agendas. However, most have been countries have also recently updated their energy initiated at regional or country level and set as national sector policies in order to facilitate the transition priorities and visions, at the highest level, and as part of towards renewable energy, energy efficiency and long-term planning processes or in the wake of climate- provide a legal and regulatory framework where related disasters. Several approaches to formulation necessary. Countries are investing significantly in are usually combined, including the integration of wind and solar power as viable sources of renewable climate resilience objectives in national growth or energy to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. sustainable development plans, the incorporation As an illustration, St. Lucia completed a 3-megawatt of resilience components in existing sectoral plans solar farm in 2018, representing the first utility-scale and strategies, and/or the development of mitigation renewable energy project on the island.191 Hydro power and adaptation plans/strategies (generally focusing facilities are also being renovated where available. on priority sectors such as coastal management, Regarding geothermal energy, most countries are still agriculture/fisheries, water, tourism, fisheries, public in a planning phase. Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, infrastructure, and finance). This last approach has St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have recently gained impetus through the development of adopted or are in the process of adopting legislative Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)190 frameworks regarding geothermal energy development and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). and use, and some have already made progress, such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where a geothermal In terms of disaster risk management, policies and power plant is expected to generate approximately 50 strategies are in place in all countries and territories, per cent of national annual electricity consumption although the degree to which these are updated needs.192 Dominica and St. Lucia are also taking and implemented varies. It is noteworthy that steps firm steps.193 Finally, innovative solutions are being have been taken to reorient emergency response explored, such as Antigua and Barbuda’s goal to

188 UN in Jamaica (2018), ‘The future of the Caribbean is single-use plastic-free’, available at: http://jm.one.un.org/content/unct/jamaica/en/home/presscenter/ the-future-of-the-caribbean-is-single-use-plastic-free/ 189 UN Environment (2018), ‘Sargassum White Paper - Sargassum Outbreak in the Caribbean: Challenges, Opportunities and Regional Situation’. 190 CARICOM, Today (2019a), ‘Caribbean develop mitigation actions to access climate change financing’, available at: https://today.caricom.org/2019/05/16/ caribbean-develop-mitigation-actions-to-access-climate-change-financing/. 191 LUCELEC (2018), ‘3MW solar farm now feeding LUCELEC grid’, available at: https://www.lucelec.com/content/3-mw-solar-farm-now-feeding-lucelec- grid. 192 CARICOM Today (2019b), ‘CDB, partners support St. Vincent and the Grenadines in geothermal energy drive’, available at: https://today.caricom. org/2019/05/17/cdb-partners-support-st-vincent-and-the-grenadines-in-geothermal-energy-drive/. 193 The Voice (2018), ‘Geothermal exploration in St. Lucia today’, available at: https://thevoiceslu.com/2018/12/geothermal-exploration-in-saint-lucia-today/.

37 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues construct and operationalize a waste-to-energy plant return to their previous focus. Similarly, the TCI set up by 2025.194 The TCI have similar plans to promote a Recovery Task Force as a response to Hurricanes waste-based technologies. Some countries are also Irma and Maria – as it did after Hurricanes Hanna and exploring opportunities to benefit from renewable Ike in 2009. energy sources in neighboring countries.195 Generally, governments are aware that new institutional 3.3 Institutional arrangements and planning processes are required, involving more collaboration between sectors, and more efficient Environmental management and climate change use of expertise and available resources. In several issues tend to be housed within the same national countries (such as Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, institution in each country and territory.196 Separate Trinidad and Tobago), governments have appointed entities are usually in charge of the energy sector. or are planning to appoint sectoral climate change However, institutional fragmentation and duplication, focal points in different Ministries/Departments. Inter- as well as a lack of clear delineation of roles and Ministerial Climate Change Committees have been responsibilities, remain prevalent. In St. Lucia, for set up in Barbados, the BVI, Grenada, St. Kitts and instance, multiple committees and commissions co- Nevis, St. Lucia, and the TCI to facilitate collaboration. exist, such as on climate change, the environment, biodiversity, emergency management and SDGs. 3.4. Barriers to action on CEE issues Moreover, new institutions and structures are created regularly, and frequently lack human and financial Limited financing is commonly reported as a key resources. There are, however, cases of well- challenge to CEE action in the region. The cost of established institutions, such as Antigua and Barbuda’s adaptation and DRR investments per capita are Department of Environment. Created in 1996, it has relatively high, given these countries’ small populations, become a leading entity at the national level as well geographical isolation, poor resource base, and high as the regional level through its accreditation to the transport costs. For example, wind power is a feasible Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund in 2015 and desirable option in meeting the future electricity and 2017, respectively. demands of St. Kitts and Nevis, but the cost makes it challenging to attract investors. Vulnerabilities related In several countries, a revision to existing institutional to financing are amplified by the devastating impacts arrangements is under way. In Dominica, a Division of natural hazards on public finances, as set out of Environment, Climate Change and Development earlier. As a result, countries from the OECS region (DECCD) is due to replace the existing Environmental are borrowing approximately one third of their climate Coordinating Unit once the Climate Change, finance.197 In 2015, 91 per cent of Grenada’s capital Environment and Natural Resource Management Act budget for climate change was externally funded, 42 (pending since 2011) is adopted. This development per cent in the form of grants, 49 per cent as loans.198 was further delayed following Hurricane Maria, as the And while national budgetary allocation is lacking, Government decided to establish a new entity, the some donors still prefer to channel funds through Climate Resilience Execution Agency of Dominica regional organizations. Furthermore, not all countries (CREAD), until existing structures of government could have full access to international climate financing, and

194 Government of Antigua and Barbuda (2015), First Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC. 195 For example, Anguilla’s National Energy Policy promotes discussions with West Indies Power (Nevis) Ltd. and the Nevis Island Administration concerning access to geothermal-generated electricity from that island. 196 See Annex 1. 197 Stockholm Environmental Institute (2018), ‘Climate finance to the Small Islands of the Eastern Caribbean: An overview of financial support provided from 2010 to 2015’. 198 Government of Grenada (2017), ‘National Climate Change Adaptation Plan Grenada, and Petite (2017-2021)’.

38 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues processes for procuring climate-related funds require and Barbuda, data gaps have been addressed through technical expertise and are reportedly perceived as the development of a Geographic Information System tedious. (GIS) database, the Environmental Information Management and Advisory System (EIMAS). A lack of coordination and poor or insufficient planning and decision-making processes represent significant A final challenge is low public awareness and a lack impediments to implementation of much-needed CEE of behaviour change across the region. In 2018, actions at both regional and national levels. Many OECS States stated that public awareness remained policies and plans take a long time to be finalized or a major barrier for the widespread adoption of climate fully endorsed, delaying action. There is also a lack of action,199 and data from numerous Knowledge, regional and national mechanisms to ensure cohesion Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys carried out at and/or consistency among actors and strategies, and national and regional level suggests that respondents this is particularly problematic with respect to the are more concerned by issues such as unemployment design and implementation of holistic approaches to and crime than climate change.200 This is in spite of climate change adaptation and DRR interventions. numerous initiatives to raise public awareness and to engender the uptake of more sustainable practices Limited technical capacity and low technology transfer and lifestyles (see Section 6.2). Certain observers undermine the ability of countries and territories to have linked this challenge to rapid socio-cultural address emerging and increasingly complex scientific changes that have taken place in the region, such as and technical issues, and to meet and sustain their the influx of foreign cultures and new norms, leading commitments under international agreements. There to increased consumerism and consumption.201 is also limited in-country capacity for the systematic generation of climate change information, and 3.5. The CEE funding landscape the preparation of reliable budget and revenues calculations. As a result, many key reports and The top five individual bilateral donors to the publications are authored by foreign academic Caribbean region for the period 2010-2014 were institutions and researchers. , the European Union, Norway, Spain, and the , which together contributed 79% of total This lack of capacity is amplified by the absence commitments. A sample of fifteen countries received of appropriate, well-managed data collection and US$824 million worth of commitments, the top five management systems, including information relating to recipients being Dominican Republic, Haiti, , climate change impacts and adaptation interventions Jamaica, and Cuba.202 Together, commitments to these across sectors, as well as associated disaggregated countries accounted for 88% of total commitments to data concerning the situation of vulnerable groups. Caribbean SIDS. The Eastern Caribbean countries This in turn weakens monitoring and evaluation efforts reviewed by this report received the least. Barbados which could inform more targeted interventions. and Trinidad and Tobago, for instance, only received Certain exceptions exist, for example in Trinidad and commitments totaling US$0.1 million, although it Tobago, where data and information on climate change should be noted that these figures require updating is available through the website of the Meteorological and do not capture contributions from countries Service (although data and information from other such as the United Kingdom, which is another major relevant institutions is not readily available). In Antigua bilateral donor.203 UK programmes for the period 2018-

199 OECS, UK FCO and Climate Analytics (2018), op. cit. 200 OECS (2013), ‘Climate Change Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavioural Practices in the OECS: A KAP Survey of Six Member States’. 201 Interview with Reginald Burke, Caribbean Youth Environment Network, March 2019. 202 Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, , Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, , and Trinidad and Tobago. 203 See for instance recent USAID investments: https://www.usaid.gov/eastern-and-southern-caribbean/news-information/press-releases/dec-20-2018- usaid-continues-support-caribbean.

39 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues 19 include support to the development of cost-efficient Caribbean. National partner funds must create geothermal energy across the Eastern Caribbean and sustainable finance mechanisms to trigger a match climate resilient infrastructure investments. As part of to the CBF endowment resources.206 CARICOM has the DFID-funded SMART health care facilities project, actively pursued the establishment of a Regional health facilities are being assessed in terms of their Climate Fund following the December 2013 flooding infrastructure, services, disaster safety, and water and disasters in St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica, energy efficiency.204 and a similar idea was raised during the GCF-OECS Structured Dialogue in Antigua and Barbuda in April Various UN agencies and multilateral donors are 2017. Finally, in 2018, the Economic Commission for also key players in the region. The latter includes Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) took steps the World Bank, through the Climate Investment to advance its Debt for Climate Adaptation Swap Fund (CIF/PPCR) or the Global Facility for Disaster Initiative, as a way of assisting countries in the region Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Since 1992, with financing for adaptation and mitigation projects, Global Environment Facility (GEF) support has also jump-starting economic growth, and easing the burden been provided to government agencies, civil society of debt. organizations, private sector companies, and research institutions. While there has so far been little support In spite of challenges, many Caribbean SIDS also from the Adaptation Fund, support from the Green prioritize climate change and environmental protection Climate Fund (GCF) is picking up. in their national budgets.207 Some have successfully established national mechanisms. For example, Other donors – both regional and international – Trinidad and Tobago’s Green Fund provides financial include regional development banks, such as the assistance to organizations and community groups Caribbean Development Bank (accredited to the for implementing activities related to remediation, Adaptation Fund and the GCF), the Inter-American reforestation of the environment and conservation. Development Bank, and various private foundations Other examples include the Sustainable Island and international NGOs such as the Clinton Global Resource Framework Fund in Antigua and Barbuda; Initiative205 and The Nature Conservancy. In addition, the National Sustainable Development Trust Fund the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, in Grenada; the National Conservation Fund in St. established in 2007 under the technical leadership of Lucia,208 and the Climate Change Trust Fund in the the World Bank, acts as a regional catastrophe fund for BVI.209 Caribbean governments, to limit the financial impact of hurricanes and earthquakes. In addition, Governments are exploring innovative strategies for raising finances. For example, BVI’s In parallel, Caribbean SIDS are seeking more post-Irma Recovery to Development Plan is linked sustainable financing options. At the regional level, to its Medium-Term Fiscal Plan (2018-2020), which the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), established proposes a series of revenue-generating and in 2012, provides a sustainable of resources to expenditure-minimizing initiatives, with the aim of support activities that contribute to the conservation, providing more resources to the Plan. A perennial protection and maintenance of biodiversity in the challenge is that national funds remain fragile and can

204 Implemented by PAHO in Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 205 The Foundation is, for example, supporting solar energy in schools in Dominica, https://www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative/commitment/ solarizing-schools-dominica. 206 Donors to date include the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) — through the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — and The Nature Conservancy. 207 See for example the Government of St. Lucia (2017), Third National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCCC. 208 Plans to establish a Climate Change Adaptation Trust Fund are on hold. Interview with St. Lucia Department for Sustainable Development, April 2019. 209 The National Parks Trust is one of the oldest national trusts in the Caribbean region, created in 1961.

40 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues Dominica: Murvelle, 11, welcomes back the greenery after Hurricane Maria @ UNICEF ECA/Andrew Ward/2017

be easily dismantled. This was the case in the TCI, has been directed to the development of national and when the territory’s Conservation Fund was ended sectoral impact assessments, policies, and plans, as following budget cuts. The loss was highly significant well as hard infrastructure solutions, with little attention as the Fund supported much of the Department to tackling and planning for slow onset climate risks, or of Environment and Marine Affairs’ (DEMA) work, to adaptation in child-relevant social sectors, such as including operations related to the Protected Area health, education, or social protection.210 Programmes System and Community Conservation Projects. that do exist tend to focus on the school environment, and/or to take the form of small scale, ad hoc projects. 3.6. Do children benefit from For example, of 29 GCF projects focusing on Eastern Caribbean countries (including proposals, readiness investments and programmes on CEE? activities and concept notes), just three incorporate elements on children through school-related activities. Children, adolescents, and to a slightly lesser extent, Annex 3 provides an overview of major completed youth, are rarely targeted in CEE investments and and ongoing regional and multi-country projects and programmes in the region. Much of the funding and programmes, and highlights the degree to which effort to address climate change and natural hazards children and youth are considered.

210 Robinson, S. (2018), ‘Adapting to climate change at the national level in Caribbean small island developing states’, Island Studies Journal, 13(1), pp. 79-100, https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.59.

41 Strategic frameworks and arrangements concerning CEE issues 4. Non-State Actors’ engagement in CEE issues

The role of non-state actors, in particular civil society are found in Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad and organizations (CSOs), has been recognized as an Tobago, including the latter’s National Environment essential component of global efforts to safeguard Policy which expressly calls for ‘the meaningful the environment and combat climate change.211 participation of non-governmental organizations and CARICOM’s Charter of Civil Society makes direct community groups, especially those involving youth, reference to environmental rights, and certain Eastern in the conservation, management, monitoring and Caribbean countries have signed the recently- evaluation of biodiversity’.214 adopted Escazú Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Some governments also provide direct support to Environmental Matters.212 However, the general trend CSOs. In St. Lucia, for example, there are plans to in the Caribbean is that civil society has found limited provide fiscal incentives such as soft loans to community space for involvement in CEE-related governance.213 groups; climate change educational loans that can be claimed as tax credits; and tax credits and duty-free Nonetheless, national mechanisms are in place in concessions to civil society and community groups some countries to guarantee a minimum level of that participate in local environmental protection and consultation and engagement, including civil society climate resilience initiatives.215 Several civil society- representation in climate change or sustainable led environmental projects have also benefited from development committees. Country-specific initiatives Trinidad and Tobago’s Green Fund (see Section

211 See for example the position of the Global Environment Fund (GEF), in particular its 2017 civil society engagement policy: https://www.thegef.org/ partners/csos. 212 CARICOM (1997), ‘Charter of Civil Society for the Caribbean Community on “Environmental Rights” (Article XXIII)’, and ECLAC ‘Escazu Agreement’, available at: https://www.cepal.org/en/escazuagreement. Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia are among the first 16 countries to sign the agreement. 213 Hinds, K. (2019), ‘Civil Society Organisations, Governance and the Caribbean Community’. 214 Government of Antigua and Barbuda (2015), Third National Communication to UNFCCC; Government of Trinidad and Tobago (2018) National Environmental Policy. 215 Government of St. Lucia (2015), ‘Climate Change Adaptation Policy’.

4242 Non-StateClimate, environment Actors’ engagement and energy in CEE situation issues in the region 3.5).216 While the CSO landscape remains limited sector, including dive operators, who depend on in scope, most countries and territories have one or environmental quality and seagrass conservation for several prominent environmental NGOs.217 continued business.222 Similarly, the two dive shops in Montserrat are involved in coastal and marine Besides, youth organizations are involved in conservation.223 In Barbados, the solar water heater environmental conservation, clean-ups or other CEE- industry has been operating since the 1970s and has related activities, although usually not at a large-scale. emerged as a global leader, contributing to significant For example, 4H clubs in Dominica,218 the activities of reductions in energy use and emissions, equivalent the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) in to more than 5.5% of national carbon emissions.224 In some countries and other local youth-led organizations general, many areas of climate action, including the such as the Scouts conduct youth programmes on need for technology development and transfer, finance environmental issues.219 and capacity building, are implemented by or with the involvement of the private sector. Another potentially influential stakeholder group with the capacity to reach out to vulnerable groups Academia, in particular the University of the West and engender behavior change are faith-based Indies, is another essential civil society actor. In addition organizations. This group was identified as one of to producing vital research, universities provide St. Lucia’s targets for its national awareness-raising platforms to mobilize young people and train them campaign on climate change.220 In Trinidad and Tobago, on CEE-relevant disciplines. At a regional level, the faith-based organizations have also been involved in 5Cs collaborates closely with the Center for Resource biodiversity conservation, and in Antigua, the GEF is Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), funding a church that supports low income families which has supported more than one hundred Master’s with 2 to 12-year old children and the establishment students to date.225 In addition, the UWI-Youth of a safe house. This includes construction of a cistern Development Programme (UWI-YDP) supports youth to cope with drought, construction materials, and development initiatives for persons between the ages installation of a solar energy system. The building, of 15-35 in seventeen territories, and represents the once completed, will have a garden for the children.221 University’s commitment to influence the global youth development agenda.226 The private sector also often plays an important role at national and local levels, including as key consulted Another essential group of stakeholders is the press stakeholders on CEE-focused policies. In the TCI, and online media. Examples of how this sector has there is a strong stakeholder community in the tourism contributed to CEE-related public education and awareness are provided in Section 6.2.

216 CANARI (2014), ‘Policy Brief: Strengthening Institutional Arrangements in Trinidad and Tobago to Facilitate Climate Change Adaptation Policy Formulation and Execution’. 217 For example, the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua and Barbuda, or Environment Tobago, websites: https://www.eagantigua.org/; https:// www.environmenttobago.net/. 218 Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, ‘4-H Programme’, available at: http://youthdivision.gov.dm/programmes/4-h-programme. 219 Based on consultations with children and youth in Barbados, Dominica and St. Lucia. For example, see: yomagazine.net/2019/03/ready-for-earth- hour-connect-2-earth-relay-race/. 220 Government of St. Lucia (2014), ‘Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience: Public Education and Awareness Strategy Implementation Plan’. 221 The GEF Small Grants Programme, ‘Children’s involvement and participation in Climate smart Agriculture, Water Harvesting Technology and Renewable Energy’, available at; https://www.sgp.undp.org/~sgpundp/index.php?option=com_sgpprojects&view=projectdetail&id=22390&Itemid=272. 222 Baker, S. et al. (2014), ‘An ecosystems perspective for food security in the Caribbean: Seagrass meadows in the Turks and Caicos Islands’. Ecosystem Services (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.07.011i. 223 Government of Montserrat (2011), ‘Montserrat: 2011 Biodiversity snapshot’. 224 Ochs, A. et al. (2015), op. cit. 225 Interview with CERMES management team, April 2019. 226 UWI (2017), ‘The UWI Youth Development Programme’s Message for International Youth Day’, available at: https://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release. asp?id=11710.

43 Non-StateChildren and Actors’ youth engagement participation in CEE issues 5. Children and youth participation This section provides an overview of efforts that have Policy framework been taken in the region to enhance child and youth participation in relation to climate and environmental At the regional level, the 2010 Declaration of policies and processes. A number of key findings can be Paramaribo on the Future of Youth in the Caribbean highlighted: firstly, while there is increasing recognition Community affirms the rights of Caribbean youth to of the need to provide a space for youth with respect participate in decision-making on matters in which to climate and environmental policy-making and they have an interest and that affect them, and implementation, a systematic and strategic approach committed CARICOM Heads of Government to at regional and national levels is currently lacking. implement the recommendations of the CARICOM Certain policy developments that are underway Commission on Youth Development (CCYD).227 The should assist in addressing this gap. Secondly – and latter’s 2010 report calls on Governments to address linked to the first finding – youth are frequently invited the ‘lack of awareness and education with regard to attend numerous conferences and fora that address to environmental issues, in particular the effects of climate change and environmental issues, but these climate change.’228 CARICOM subsequently adopted opportunities tend to be ad hoc. In addition, in the a Youth Development Action Plan (2012-2017), which absence of links to formal processes or mechanisms, was recently revised to cover the period 2017-2022.229 these platforms rarely lead to change and run the risk In addition, the OECS is currently rolling out its OECS of being tokenistic. Finally, recognition of the role of Youth Empowered Society (‘OECS Yes!’) Strategy, children below the age of 15, and provisions to ensure which includes the environment and sustainable that their voices are heard, are almost universally development as one of seven key areas of focus.230 absent. This thematic pillar is expected to provide space for

227 CARICOM (2010), ‘Declaration Of Paramaribo On The Future Of Youth In The Caribbean Community’, available at: https://caricom.org/media-center/communications/statements-from-caricom-meetings/declaration-of-paramaribo-on-the-future-of-youth-in-the-caribbean- community. The 27th meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government held in July 2006 mandated the establishment of a Commission on Youth Development, tasked with undertaking ‘a full-scale analysis of the challenges and opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and making recommendations to improve their well-being and empowerment’. 228 CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (2010), ‘Eye on the Future: Investing in Youth Now for Tomorrow’s Community’. 229 CARICOM (2012), CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan 2012-2017. 230 OECS, ‘OECS Yes!’ available at: https://www.oecs.org/oecs-yes.

4444 ChildrenChildren and and youth youth participation participation organizations such as CYEN to facilitate more in- more strategic role for young people in climate change, depth youth engagement in key CEE and sustainable disaster management and ecological remediation and development initiatives.231 However, the framework restoration.233 does not provide for provisions targeting children under the age of 15. Regional youth movements

At the national level, National Youth Policies (see There are several regional youth leaders movements Annex 4) make basic provisions on the environment, in the region, such as the CARICOM Youth although there are certain exceptions. Dominica’s Ambassadors Corps, the Caribbean Regional Youth youth policy and that of St. Kitts and Nevis offer a Council (CRYC), the Commonwealth Youth Council more comprehensive coverage of the role of young (CYC) and the UWI Vice Chancellor’s University of the people in all aspects of environmental sustainability West Indies Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (UWI and climate change. In addition, Trinidad and Tobago STAT) Ambassador Corps. However, these groups has committed to ensure that ‘all efforts at education, are generally perceived as operating within a narrow awareness-building and meaningful participation sphere of influence, and with limited grounding in the in decision-making regarding environmental and/ issues that affect grassroots, fringe and underserved or development issues encourage and facilitate the youth populations. They are also constrained by inclusion of marginalized groups such as indigenous inadequate financing, and limited access to CARICOM peoples, the rural poor, children, youth, women, sick, organs and institutions. disabled and the elderly’.232 Once again, the majority of policies do not address younger children. One particularly active and more specialized regional network is the Caribbean Youth Environment Network Given recent climate-related disasters in the Caribbean, (CYEN). In a statement produced ahead of COP21, Governments are expected to give renewed focus to a

Figure 4: Youth ranges in national youth policy234

231 OECS (2018a), ‘Implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (S.A.M.O.A) Pathway: OECS Commission Actions’. 232 Government of Trinidad and Tobago (2018), National Environmental Policy. 233 Government of Trinidad and Tobago (2018), op. cit. 234 Caribbean Youth Policy Review (July 24, 2018), ‘Presentation to the Caribbean Forum on Population, Youth and Development 2018’.

45 Children and youth participation based on contributions from over 800 members thoughts, ideas and perspectives of young people in across 18 countries in the region, the network called preparation for the UN Economic and Social Council on Caribbean governments to create an enabling (ECOSOC) Youth Forum taking place later that month, governance structure that would facilitate the including inputs to the UN Secretary General’s Climate involvement and engagement of young people and in September 2019, to which 11 Caribbean youth organizations in climate-related dialogue and youth participated, and efforts to engage and mobilize action.235 CYEN also produces reports, such as the young people around the Summit. Starting in 2019, landmark Global Environment Outlook for Youth in the UN, through the Office of the Special Rapporteur the Caribbean, published in 2009, based on 9 years on Human Rights and the Environment, is supporting of consultation with children and young people.236 a Global Initiative to Advance Children’s Right to a The report specifically aimed at showcasing youth’s Healthy Environment, with a first regional consultation holistic vision and eagerness to initiate concrete action for Latin America and the Caribbean organized in May to address environmental problems and development 2019 in Bogota, , including representatives challenges, and to advocate for firm action by decision- from the Caribbean.239 makers. Regional level Participation by Caribbean children and There are many regional examples of Caribbean youth youth in CEE-related decision-making participation, however here again, few are targeted at processes children under the age of 15. For instance, the 2016 edition of the Caribbean Youth Leader Summit focused International level on climate change.240 Between 2014 and 2015, a series of youth climate change conferences was organized Caribbean youth are usually represented in international in Jamaica, focusing on advocacy and experience- climate change fora or other fora addressing CEE sharing.241 A more recent edition, in 2017, brought issues. This was the case at the 2018 Commonwealth together 600 youth from eight Caribbean countries Youth Forum, where environment and climate change (Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. were emphasized in the final statement.237 Recent Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname) examples include the speech given by a member of and Japan.242 In their final statement, youth committed CYEN Grenada on behalf of youth globally at a high- to leading, supporting and advocating for actions level meeting on climate change and future generations by their peers, communities, institutions, leaders in March 2019 at the UN Headquarters in .238 and policy makers on climate change. However, the In April 2019, Caribbean youth leaders joined an online authors of this report were not able to find any follow- dialogue session aimed at capturing the collective up to these conferences.

235 CYEN (2015), ‘Youth Caribbean Citizens Statement on Climate Change’. 236 CYEN, UN Environment, CCA (2008), op. cit. 237 The Commonwealth (2018), ‘Environment dominates agenda at Commonwealth Youth Council’, available at: http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/ environment-dominates-agenda-commonwealth-youth-council. 238 High-Level Meeting on the Protection of the Global Climate for Present & Future Generations of Humankind in the Context of the Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. See : https://www.un.org/pga/73/event/climate-and-sustainable-development- for-all/. 239 Global Initiative on Advancing Children’s Right to a Healthy Environment available at: https://www.childrenvironment.org/ 240 CARICOM Today (2016), ‘Regional Youth Leaders urged to help shape solutions for climate change and other issues’, available at: https://today. caricom.org/2016/09/30/regional-youth-leaders-urged-to-help-shape-solutions-for-climate-change-and-other-issues/. 241 Jamaica Information Service, ‘School zone – youth climate change sectoral debates’ (2014), available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7BOOrhGOnB0, and ‘School Zone Convos on Climate Change’ (10 September 2015), available at: https://jis.gov.jm/videos/school-zone-convos- on-climate-change/. 242 UNDP (2017), ‘Youth Statement on Climate Change: Our Climate, Our Voice, Our Change: Advancing Youth Action Through Partnerships for Global Impact’, available at: http://www.latinamerica.undp.org/content/rblac/en/home/library/environment_energy/youth-statement-on-climate-change.html.

46 Children and youth participation In April 2018, the UWISTAT Ambassadors Corps Councils, have reportedly weakened the youth lobby organized a virtual Climate Change Forum on the and influence on national and regional agendas.246 topic ‘The eye of the storm: the implications of the Paris Agreement/climate change and the “Right to Nevertheless, in some countries, children and youth Life” for Caribbean youth’, and set out the ambition are consulted on climate change, however sporadic this to “transform [over 50,000 UWI students] into Climate may be. For example, Trinidad and Tobago’s National Change Advocates”.243 Several months later, youth Youth Parliament appointed a Select Committee on leaders and representatives attended a series of Youth Climate Change in 2012 to solicit young people’s views Dialogues in preparation for the Caribbean Forum on nationally. Based on qualitative research, including Population, Youth and Development, and formulated interviews with various subject teachers at early recommendations, including requirements to build childhood, primary and secondary levels, it was found climate resilient young generations.244 More recently, in that children had limited knowledge about the cause, April 2019, a 2-day youth forum was convened ahead effects and implications of climate change. It was of the Second Caribbean Safe School Ministerial recommended to hold a Youth Forum, which brought Forum on School Safety, enabling CARICOM Youth together more than two-hundred youth delegates ages Ambassadors and other youth to express their views 13-25 from schools and universities across Trinidad on DRR and climate change impacts in the region. later on in 2012.247 Despite this promising initiative, no During the Ministerial Meeting that followed, they follow-up is known. In St. Lucia, youth are represented expressed their wish for youth to be more involved in on the National Climate Change Committee, as well school safety matters. Shortly after, St. Lucia piloted a as the SDGs National Coordinating Committee, and Caribbean Youth Conference, which brought together participate in various consultations, workshops and youth from St. Lucia and other countries around varied meetings.248 However, over the course of more than issues, including climate resilience and building a 20 days of consultation to support the country’s climate change advocacy roadmap.245 NAP preparation, none included children, and the Department of Education was only represented three National level times. The development of Grenada’s NAP also went through a broad consultation process, including input At the national level, child and youth participation from more than 160 national stakeholders from various processes encounter varying levels of support from ministries, the private sector, the T. A. Marryshow governments and development partners, and generally Community College, as well as NGOs and CSOs have weak administrative capacity and resourcing. including women and youth groups – but no children.249 They also do not focus sufficiently on enabling greater youth diversity, and reaching vulnerable and hard-to- In 2015, UNESCO supported a ‘Youth Ambassador for reach populations. Reduced activity by the Caribbean Climate Change’ project in St. Kitts and Nevis, which Federation of Youth, initially founded in 1987, and appears to have focused on climate change education many of the older and historically active National Youth rather than child and youth empowerment.250 In

243 UWI (2018), ‘Join in the Climate Change conversation with the VC and UWI STAT’, available at: https://sta.uwi.edu/news/notices/notice.asp?id=24800. 244 See ECLAC (2018b), ‘Caribbean synthesis report on the implementation of the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes’. 245 Caribbean Youth Conference St. Lucia (2019), see: https://pressroom.oecs.org/launch-of-the-caribbean-youth-conference-saint-lucia-2019#; https:// www.facebook.com/nycsaintlucia/. 246 ECLAC (2018b), op. cit. 247 Inter Press Service (2012), ‘Trinidad: Training the Leaders of “Generation Climate”’, available at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/02/trinidad-training-the- leaders-of-generation-climate/. 248 Government of St. Lucia response to UNICEF questionnaire, June 2019. 249 Government of Grenada (2017), National Adaptation Plan. 250 See CARICOM News (2015), ‘Attitude Change on Environmental Issues Fostered by Youth Ambassadors’, available at: https://caricom.org/ communications/view/attitude-change-on-environmental-issues-fostered-by-youth-ambassadors.

47 Children and youth participation Montserrat, an educational project entitled “school they wanted Montserrat and their communities to be visioning” carried a message from children on what like by 2020.251

Key messages by children and youth

The consultations organized during the preparation of this in environmental conservation or clean-up activities report (see methodology section) provided an opportunity routinely get harassed or made fun of by their peers or to collect the views of children and youth regarding other community members.253 There are also still many climate, environmental and energy issues. A first misconceptions, such as on the origins of climate change, finding was that while they view climate change and the or solutions to waste management. Consulted children environment as issues of concern, children and youth in and youth all insisted about the linkages between climate the region have numerous other pressing concerns, change and our lifestyles, which are causing greenhouse including access to the job market and education and gas emissions, pollution and environmental degradation. leisure activities, the cost of living, increasing criminality, and violence and abuse. A challenge is therefore to seek Finally, results from the survey indicate that children and holistic solutions to these issues where possible, and to youth are willing to act more. Their ideas are varied and highlight the interactions that exist between sectors. innovative, ranging from the need for more school-based awareness activities and the use of new technologies, A second finding is that there is considerable scope to support for youth-led eco-solutions and campaigning. to strengthen child and youth awareness and Their statements indicated that they perceive climate engagement on their role with respect to climate change as a real threat for future generations and have change and the environment. On the one hand, they low trust in the capacity of current decision-makers to are aware of the seriousness of climate change. They are take the required action. also keen to learn more about it and ask relevant (science- based) questions. The need for more awareness- 3% 12% raising and educational initiatives (both formal and non-formal) were consistently highlighted. Regarding the environment, their main concerns are littering and Do you consider that yes plastic waste, before air pollution, and harm to animals your government is doing enough to and plants. An electronic survey conducted by CYEN inform and educate no in April 2019 highlighted their willingness to support children and young 252 people on climate I’m using other policies promoting renewable energies. At the same change? time, children and youth that engage are confronted with sources a challenging environment. As much as resilience is at the top of national development agendas, those involved 85%

251 Government of Montserrat (2010), Montserrat Sustainable Development Plan (2008-2020). 252 CYEN survey report under preparation at time of writing. 253 Interview with youth from St. Lucia, April 2019.

48 Children and youth participation 6. Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? Despite the serious nature of the specific and and truly influences and leads to meaningful policy heightened forms of climate- and environment-related change. harm facing children and young people in the region, children’s needs and rights are largely overlooked in Notwithstanding this overarching context, certain the vast majority of existing CEE-related policies and sectoral strategies are making significant strides in frameworks outlined in Section 3, at both regional advancing child-sensitive action on CEE issues. This and national levels. This is both exacerbated by, and section analyzes various sectoral responses to CEE contributes to, a paucity of disaggregated data and issues, before turning to a number of best practice child-specific information in this area, undermining the examples of child-sensitive approaches and initiatives ability of interventions to effectively protect children’s regarding CEE issues from across the region. rights from climate change and environmental degradation. Similar challenges are likely to hamper 6.1. Key sectoral interventions at the the full realization of benefits to children from planned and ongoing investment in vital renewable regional level energy solutions. As noted in the previous section, young children in particular are rarely considered or 6.1.1. Education consulted as key stakeholders in decision-making on environmental issues, undermining their right to be The main regional initiative is the Caribbean Safe heard, and further efforts are required to ensure that School Initiative (CSSI), which is the Caribbean consideration and consultation of youth is sustained contribution to the Worldwide Initiative for Safe

4949 AreClimate, CEE-focused environment and/or and relevant energy sectoral situation policies, in the region strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? Schools (WISS),254 designed to assist participating The CSSI was officially launched during the first states to implement processes that result in safer Caribbean Safe School Ministerial Forum in April and greener educational facilities, building on the 2017, when twelve governments signed the Antigua three core pillars of the global Comprehensive School and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety in Safety Framework (CSSF) (see figure 5). the Caribbean, explicitly recognizing the region’s vulnerability to disasters and ‘the threats that climate

Figure 5: Comprehensive School Safety Framework pillars255

254 Caribbean Safe School Initiative: http://eird.org/americas/safe-school-caribbean/index.html. The Worldwide Initiative for Safe Schools (WISS) was developed in collaboration with partners from the Global Alliance on Disaster Risk Reduction Education and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES). It is a government-led global partnership for advancing safe school implementation at the national level. St. Vincent and the Grenadines was the first Caribbean country to sign up to WISS. 255 Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction & Resilience in the Education Sector , ‘Goals of Comprehensive School Safety Framework’, available at: https://gadrrres.net/resources/comprehensive-school-safety-framework. The pillars are underpinned by an ‘Enabling Environment’ pillar.

50 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? change and climate variability pose to the countries and to compile resources to support teacher training of the Caribbean and to the education sector in on the latter, and to establish a Youth Forum to particular’.256 The Declaration embraced the global advance DRR and resilience education. These CSSF and the CSSI, adopted a Caribbean Regional suggested activities represent important opportunities Road Map on School Safety,257 and pledged that new to embed a holistic understanding of ‘resilience’, fully and existing educational infrastructure and school incorporating dimensions of DRR, climate change facilities should be fully accessible to all, particularly adaptation and environmental sustainability more for people with disabilities. Implementation of the broadly. Under School Disaster Management (Pillar initiative is spearheaded by CDEMA through its Model 2), certain activities have been amended or added, Safe School Programme (MSSP) and Toolkit that was including consideration of ‘child protection, health developed in 2014, comprising elements on both safety and environmental footprint’ in the context of an and ‘greening’. In 2018-19, the MSSP is being piloted assessment of school structures and systems, and in in six countries.258 In 2019, OECS governments also the development of national Education in Emergencies adopted UNICEF-supported Design Guidelines for plans.260 In general, there is scope and indeed a critical Disaster-Resilient Schools, to guide implementation need to infuse climate change and environmental of Pillar 1 activities.259 sustainability across all three pillars in order to ensure that children and the education sector are protected The Caribbean Regional Road Map sets out a number in the face of future impacts linked to environmental of activities across each of the three pillars of the degradation and climate change, including slow-onset CSSF, as well as a set of actions aimed at fostering events. an enabling environment. Perhaps reflecting the need for the global CSSF to further embed consideration Formal and non-formal CEE education and of climate change adaptation and environmental initiatives sustainability as integral components to disaster risk management and resilience, the Road Map priorities There is a proliferation of diverse environmental do not explicitly address climate-related interventions. educational initiatives in the region. In terms of formal Under Risk Reduction and Resilience Education (Pillar education, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Three), for example, the Roadmap notes a ’suggestion is responsible for secondary education qualifications to include climate change adaptation’ as part of an across the Caribbean and has introduced a activity to audit existing disaster risk management standardized primary education exit exam as well. content in national curricula, with a view to developing The influence of these regional public examinations an agreed curriculum framework for all ages. However, has clear significance for CEE content in national as of the 2nd Safe School Ministerial Forum, held curricula, and for the common education strategy of in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in April 2019, this the OECS, which envisages greater integration and activity remains a suggestion. New additions include harmonization of curricula in the region.261 welcome proposals to define ‘resilience education’,

256 Caribbean Safe School Ministerial Forum, 3-4 April 2017. The Declaration was signed by Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Guyana, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands. 257 Caribbean Regional Roadmap on School Safety (2017), available at: http://eird.org/americas/safe-school-caribbean/forum/docs/Caribbean-Road-Map- on-School-Safety.pdf. 258 The toolkit is being updated at the time of writing. It comprises a policy that can be adapted by governments and Ministries of Education to ‘amend existing legislation to integrate disaster risk reduction and environmental protection measures’, a set of standards for school safety and ‘greening’, Safety and Green Assessment tools (checklists), and a template Emergency/Disaster Plan that can be adapted to a specific school’s situation and risk profile: https://www.preventionweb.net/files/temp/55182~modelsafeschoolstoolkitpart1.pdf. Pilot countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 259 OECS (2019a), op. cit. 260 Updated Caribbean Regional Roadmap on School Safety (2019), not yet publicly available. 261 OECS (2012), ‘Education Sector Strategy 2012-2021’. For example, the OECS Primary Science & Technology Teacher Manual covers certain environmental issues.

51 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? Formal CEE-related qualifications include Caribbean and Nevis will include resilience education as part Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) in of their current national curricula review processes, Environmental Science and Green Engineering. and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is developing Environmental topics are also included in several a national curriculum for climate change and DRR subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education in lower secondary schools and teacher training Certification (CSEC) and primary school levels, programmes.265 UNICEF is also supporting countries including in geography, the sciences, and social and territories to mainstream DRR and climate change studies. One of four thematic areas covered by the content in carrier subjects. CARICOM Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) regional curriculum framework is entitled “managing A potentially significant development is the recent the environment”, designed to enable the student to adoption of the CARICOM Human Resource “develop a basic understanding of the features and Development 2030 Strategy, which is intended to operations of natural environmental systems and the contribute to education and training reform in the threats to their sustainability”, although no reference region to embed skills and competencies required by is made to climate change.262 However, despite its 21st Century demands.266 The Strategy calls for the mandatory nature, this component is not delivered design and introduction of a Caribbean New School in some countries, indicating a need to increase Model (CNSM) to promote access, equity, relevance focus on teacher training and support in this area. and quality in education, including components on Mainstreaming consideration of DRR, climate change environmentally-friendly and resilient learning spaces, and environmental sustainability within delivery of this and reoriented curricula. According to CXC, the CNSM unit would have the major advantage of avoiding the should provide the skill set required for climate change need to create a new dedicated curriculum, given the adaptation.267 To date, initial meetings with Ministries reported reluctance of the CXC (and some national of Education and regional organizations have taken Ministries) to add additional content to a ‘packed place, and the OECS Commission sits on the CNSM programme’.263 task force.268

At the sub-regional level, the OECS is implementing Although there is currently no regional curriculum on harmonized curricula in core subjects at primary and climate change, the 5Cs has produced resources to lower secondary school level, although heightened support existing national curricula, as part of its strategy focus is required with respect to climate change, to embed the topic in the region’s education sector.269 DRR and environmental stewardship components.264 Multiple resources on disaster risk management are The ongoing OECS curriculum development reform also available from CDEMA.270 National resources represents an important opportunity to fully embed have also been developed, such as a climate change these issues, but progress may be swifter at the teacher’s toolkit in St. Lucia,271 a climate change and national level. For example, Dominica and St. Kitts

262 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean, CARICOM (2010), ‘Health and Family Life Education Regional Curriculum Framework’, for Ages 5-12 and 11-16. 263 Based on stakeholder interviews, March-April 2019. 264 Based on review of the 2018 OECS harmonized curricula at the primary level in Social Studies and Science, Mathematics and Language Arts. 265 Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2019), ‘Terms of Reference for National Curriculum Development in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Reference’, No.: SVGRDVRP–C–CQS-7 266 CARICOM (2017), Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy. 267 Interview with Glenroy Cumberbatch, Registrar and CEO of CXC, 13 May 2019. 268 CARICOM (2018), ‘Presentation on the Caribbean New School Model’, 8th meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Education, 4-5 October 2018. Available at: http://www.oas.org/es/sedi/dhdee/CIE-Octava-Reunion_Ordinaria/The%20CARICOM-NSM.pdf. 269 Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (2012), ‘1.5 to Stay Alive Education Initiative’, available at: https://www.caribbeanclimate.bz/ education/2012-1-5%CB%9A-stay-to-alive-education-initiative/. 270 See e.g. CDEMA (2015), ‘Disaster Risk Reduction Education Toolkit’: https://www.preventionweb.net/educational/view/60620. 271 Government of St. Lucia (2007), ‘Climate Change Teacher’s Toolkit: A Guide for Climate Change Education’.

52 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? health student workbook in Barbados,272 and a ‘Greenz school contingency plans, numerous regional and Climate Champion’ interactive toolkit for teachers and national actors target children and youth through primary school students and Climate Kids Adventure schools, clubs, churches and community initiatives. Book Series in Grenada.273 Some best practice examples are presented in Section 6.2. At the tertiary level, the UWI offers an undergraduate course on climate change, as well as a Masters in 6.1.2. Child Protection in Emergencies Natural Resource and Environmental Management, incorporating a module on climate change,274 and a Concerted efforts have been made to learn lessons Masters in Renewable Energy Management. from the 2017 hurricanes with respect to protecting children in emergencies. In particular, countries’ and In terms of non-formal education and initiatives, territories’ capacity to deliver psychosocial support diverse and long-standing activities for children and via UNICEF’s Return to Happiness (RtH) programme youth abound in the region.275 In addition to activities is being strengthened for future emergencies.276 underway as part of the Model School Safety Following a regional ‘strategic review’ meeting in Programme, such as the engagement of children in May 2018, Ministries of Education and Ministries of conducting hazard risk assessments and developing Social Affairs decided that teachers rather than child

Anguilla: Return to Happiness programme @UNICEF ECA/ Andrew Ward/2018

272 See WHO (2015), ‘Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health: Barbados’, available at: https://www.who.int/globalchange/projects/adaptation/ PHE-adaptation-final-Barbados.pdf?ua=1. 273 Government of Grenada (2016), ‘How to become a Greenz Climate Champion’, available at: https://www.gov.gd/articles/greenz-champion/greenz- climate-champions.html and Climate Kids, ‘Climate Kids Adventures’, available at: http://climatekids.gd/#home. 274 UWI, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies: https://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes/gp/nrm.aspx. 275 See for example an extensive mapping of environmental educational activities in the region conducted in 2008 in UWI (2008), op. cit. An informal ‘refresh’ mapping was carried out during the preparation of this report and will further inform UNICEF next steps in this area. This can be shared upon request. 276 The RtH programme is designed to provide children with psychosocial support in a safe environment through creative play and performance, helping to decrease anxiety and increase a sense of security, satisfaction, wellbeing and hope for the future.

53 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? protection workers should lead implementation of the rooms, as well as provisions for people with disabilities RtH programme going forward, given the sector’s and psychosocial support systems. While children are ability to reach a wider number of children requiring not explicitly addressed, and should be integrated as assistance. UNICEF is supporting efforts to train key stakeholders as part of implementation, many teachers and school counsellors across the region. of the recommendations will directly benefit them, The RtH programme is also being adjusted to extend such as proposals to strengthen poverty alleviation the target group to those under the age of 5, and to programmes, and to promote greater integration of adolescents, and to consider the specific needs of environmental information in informal education. The particularly vulnerable children, such as those with need to promote ‘life chances’ for youth, and to target disabilities. youth in efforts to encourage environmentally-friendly practices, are also recognized. In addition, in collaboration with CDEMA, UNICEF is developing guidelines on the integrated protection of Work in this area is already ongoing. Building on children and adolescents in emergencies, to be applied lessons learned from the first World Food Programme- across the region, and which will include specific UNICEF joint emergency cash programme in Dominica consideration of gender-based violence, children with following Hurricane Maria, UNICEF has been assisting disabilities, and those suffering from chronic diseases. Dominica to strengthen delivery of the country’s Public CDEMA is also developing a safeguarding policy, which Assistance Programme, its flagship cash transfer will outline elements for a code of conduct for post- intervention, which includes more than 1000 children disaster deployment teams, formal vetting processes in beneficiary households. Targeted interventions and training in countries. The policy will incorporate will be provided for children that face multiple social child protection issues. Importantly, many of these and economic vulnerabilities.278 UNICEF has also efforts and activities are being embedded within the been collaborating with the OECS to build capacity framework of the CSSI (see above), recognizing that on Shock-Responsive Social Protection in the region resilience-building necessitates a comprehensive and more broadly. intersectoral approach. 6.1.4. Health 6.1.3. Shock-Responsive Social Protection Generally, environmental issues are well-represented The region’s resilience agenda set out in the ‘Caribbean within the region’s health strategies and frameworks, Pathway for Building Disaster Resilience’ is built although the situation of children and youth are not around 5 pillars, including ‘social protection for the most explicitly considered in this context. The Caribbean’s marginal and most vulnerable’ and ‘environmental overarching regional approach to health is set down protection’.277 Youth involvement is also identified as in the CARICOM Caribbean Cooperation in Health one of a set of ‘foundational’ or reinforcing elements (CCH) agenda, which encompasses ‘safe, resilient, which enable delivery of each pillar. The framework healthy environments’ as one of five strategic priority recognises the disproportionate impacts of hazards areas, and seeks to improve regional health security on vulnerable groups and that recovery processes through, inter alia, actions to manage and mitigate can deepen inequities due to limited coping capacity the effects of climate change, reduce environmental among the poor. It proposes the broadening of social threats, and build a disaster-resilient health sector, with protection mechanisms to support the most vulnerable, an emphasis on vulnerable populations.279 At the sub- including measures to support low-income families regional level, the OECS Growth and Development and retro-fitting of homes and construction of safe Strategy Health Agenda 2017-2030 sets out a strategic

277 CARICOM (2018), ‘Building a Caribbean Pathway for Disaster Resilience in the CARICOM’. 278 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area (2018a), op. cit. 279 CARPHA (2016), ‘Caribbean Cooperation in Health Phase IV (CCH IV), Summary of the Regional Health Framework 2016 – 2025’.

54 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? framework to enable citizens to have longer, healthier Another identified action is the development of health and more productive lives. One of the framework’s four chapters in National Adaptation Plans (H-NAPs), a strategic clusters focuses on “healthy environments”. process which is already underway in certain Eastern The Fort de France Declaration on Health adopted by Caribbean countries. OECS Ministers of Health in November 2017 endorses this Health Agenda and puts forward a roadmap 6.1.5. Water management for ensuring Health for All through ten key actions, including commitment to ‘create healthy environments The CARICOM Regional Framework for Achieving through appropriate planning, development and Development Resilient to a Changing Climate community engagement.’280 identifies water as the highest cross-cutting priority for climate-compatible development in the region. Specific frameworks have been developed on health Despite this, regional governance of the water sector and climate change adaptation, building on the WHO is not well coordinated or organized, and progress to Special Initiative on Climate Change and Health in advance a regional water sector development agenda SIDS, launched in 2017 during the 23rd UNFCCC by CARICOM has stalled.283 The OECS developed a Conference of the Parties (COP23). The SIDS initiative common model water policy and legislation in 2013 aims to support national health authorities to better to ‘maximize the contribution of the water sector to understand and address the effects of climate change sustainable economic, social and environmental on health through political, technical, and financial development in an efficient and equitable manner’, support.281 As a direct follow-up, Grenada hosted the including consideration of climate change.284 However, third Global Conference on Health and Climate Change while many islands in the region have developed in October 2018, to develop a specific ‘Caribbean national policies on water management, enforcement Action Plan on Climate Change and Health’, which efforts remain weak.285 was subsequently adopted during the in May 2019.282 The Action Plan will run from UNICEF is collaborating with CDEMA to strengthen 2019-2023 and identifies various actions to be taken at ‘system-wide risk reduction, preparedness and local/national and regional/global levels, accompanied technical capacity in WASH’ to increase DRR activities, by indicators to monitor implementation over the period. coordination, quality emergency preparedness Areas of focus cover development of climate-resilient and capacity of national water, sanitation and health systems, increasing awareness, mainstreaming hygiene (WASH) coordination platforms to improve funding opportunities to support countries, and the effectiveness and reach of WASH assistance promoting intersectoral mitigation actions in the health provided to people affected by emergencies and the sector. Particularly relevant activities for children and humanitarian-development continuum.286 It will be youth include proposals to ‘strengthen educational important for climate change adaptation measures to institutional capacities and include climate change and be incorporated as integral elements to these efforts. health in all levels of national educational curricula’.

280 OECS (10 November 2017), ‘Fort-de-France Declaration on Health: A commitment to Regional Solidarity in the OECS’, available at: https://pressroom. oecs.org/fort-de-france-declaration-on-health-a-commitment-to-regional-solidarity-in-the-oecs. 281 WHO, Special Initiative: Climate Change and Health in SIDS: https://www.who.int/globalchange/sids-initiative/en/. 282 Caribbean Action Plan (2019) Available at: http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/38566/PAHOCDE19007_eng.pdf?sequence=19. 283 IDB & CWWA (2018), ‘Regional Process of The Americas World Water Forum 2018: Caribbean/Executive Summary - Sub-Regional Report, 2018’. 284 OECS (2013), ‘Model Water Policy- Water Sector Model Policy and Model Water Act for countries within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’. The document could not be found online. 285 OECS (2018b), op. cit. It was not possible to assess whether the policy addresses children, youth or vulnerable groups more broadly, due to the document being unavailable online. 286 UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area and CDEMA (2019) Memorandum of Understanding.

55 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? 6.2. Best practice examples at the Approach 2: Child-sensitive CEE plans. Most national level countries in the region are engaged in the development of NAPs, which identify priority sectors for adaptation. In St. Lucia, the NAP, which sets out a 10-year plan This section highlights some examples of best practice (2018-2028), prioritizes the education sector.289 St. child-sensitive approaches to CEE issues that are Lucia has also developed a National Environment being implemented across the sub-region, focusing Education Strategy (2012-2017), the first of its kind in on inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration; child- the region. In 2018, the Government also proposed sensitive CEE planning and policy formulation, and to target the education sector as a priority action for child-sensitive public awareness-raising and outreach mitigation, through its Nationally Appropriate Mitigation initiatives. Action (NAMA) entitled ‘Green Schools’.290 The NAMA covers renewable energy and energy efficiency Approach 1: Inter-sectoral coordination and solutions and technologies in school buildings, as well collaboration. As described in Section 3.3, many as strong training and capacity-building components governments have established planning and for students, companies and institutions, and a new coordination processes to facilitate better inter-sectoral curriculum on sound environmental management and collaboration and a more efficient use of resources sustainable development. to respond to climate change and other CEE-related issues. Several countries have established Climate Another example is St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Change Focal Points Networks, which facilitate the National Energy Action Plan, which proposes a focus coordination and monitoring of CEE-related activities on energy-related capacity-building activities at all across sectors, including some that are relevant to levels of education, from primary schools to colleges children and youth. For example, Grenada launched and universities, and which will be supported by its network in January 2019, including 25 focal points the Ministry of Education. In the BVI, the Recovery from various entities and representing priority sectors, to Development Plan proposes a number of child- including education and youth empowerment.287 sensitive priority recovery projects, including 11 Among the sub-region’s existing Climate Change projects worth US$56 million in the education sector, Committees, some include youth-focused members, alongside social protection projects.291 In Antigua such as the National Association of Youth in Agriculture and Barbuda, the Department of Education project in Dominica (among the Committee’s 19 members) ‘Grid-Interactive Solar PV Systems for Schools and and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Clinics’ provides schools children with grants for the Lucia (among 18 members). In the BVI, inter-sectoral installation of solar panels and the responsibility to coordination has allowed for direct collaboration lead an education awareness programme on climate between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of change and renewable energy.292 Health and the Department of Disaster Management, facilitating the adaptation of the SMART Health Care Child-sensitive public awareness- Facilities concept to the Education Sector to create a Approach 3: raising and outreach initiatives. While low levels of SMART Schools Programme.288 public awareness relating to CEE issues have been identified as a key challenge in the region (see Section

287 Now Grenada (28 January 2019), ‘Climate Change Focal Points improve integration of climate considerations’, https://www.nowgrenada.com/2019/01/ climate-change-focal-points-improve-integration-of-climate-considerations/. 288 PAHO (2016), ‘Adaptation of the SMART concept: The Virgin Islands Experience’. 289 Government of St. Lucia (2018), ‘National Adaptation Plan’, available at: https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NAPC/Documents/Parties/SLU-NAP-May-2018. pdf. 290 Government of St. Lucia. (2018), ‘’s Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action for Schools (Green Schools NAMA)’. 291 Government of BVI (2018), op. cit. 292 Government of Antigua and Barbuda response to UNICEF questionnaire, June 2019.

56 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? 3.4), numerous CEE-related public awareness and response to the increased potential of heat stress and outreach activities are taking place, including initiatives the threat of epidemics.298 that specifically target children and youth: w Civil society-led campaigns - Successful NGO- w Government-led campaigns - Various led campaigns also take place in the region. In Antigua governments in the Eastern Caribbean have and Barbuda, civil society networks have drawn public implemented public awareness campaigns on attention to a number of important environmental climate change and other CEE issues, and in the issues, such as sand mining, solid waste management aftermath of climate-related disasters. Campaigns and the destruction of wetlands, including through with the greatest impact are those that speak to the initiatives involving children. At the regional level, the population, including children and youth. In 2018, high profile ‘1.5 to stay alive’ campaign was launched St. Vincent and the Grenadines launched a climate in 2015 by Panos Caribbean, in collaboration with change public education programme, incorporating the 5Cs, CDB, the OECS Commission, CYEN and dissemination of posters and banners highlighting the Government of St. Lucia. The campaign brought climate messages, community engagement on together regional artists, media workers and climate climate impacts, and promotion of a climate song change negotiators to raise awareness of climate and video entitled ‘Climate Action’, on local radio and change issues and of the Caribbean’s stake and television stations. The campaign engaged youth with positions in international negotiations. a photo and video competition and several school visits.293 St. Lucia’s Climate Change Communications w School-based activities - School-based activities Strategy also incorporates child-sensitive elements.294 are the most direct way to engage children. Awareness In 2019, ‘A.C.T. Now’ became the rallying cry of a activities are often paired with educational activities, high-visibility awareness campaign on climate change as presented in Section 6.1.1.299 Examples include a adaptation in St. Lucia.295 An important feature of the World Ozone Day 2004 Poster Competition in schools campaign was a strong participatory approach with in Trinidad and Tobago, a school-based campaign influential groups such as schools and the calypso on energy efficiency in Grenada, and school-based fraternity. In addition, the Ministry of Education environmental awareness activities by the National supported an alignment of the campaign with the Trust in St. Lucia. Annual Schools Science Fair. The outcome was the participation of primary school children throughout the w Creative art-based activities - Creative art-based island in a competitive challenge, which concluded in activities can also be an effective way to reach out May.296 Some countries have specifically used public to children and youth. In St. Lucia, the Government awareness campaigns to reach vulnerable groups. In has partnered with artists and performers to produce the BVI, the Comprehensive Disaster Strategy (2014- creative work in many mediums to raise awareness of 2018) proposes to develop outreach programmes for climate change issues. For example, a logo acting as vulnerable groups, including non-English speaking a recognizable local visual identity for climate change immigrants.297 The territory’s Climate Change Green adaptation was created by local artist Alexandra Paper suggests outreach material for children and Grant.300 Previously, a competition among arts elderly populations, as well as their care-takers, as a students was organized to design a Climate Change

293 UNDP (2018), ‘St. Vincent & the Grenadines Climate Change Campaign Kicks Off in Communities’, available at: https://bit.ly/2MlIDqh. 294 See: www.climatechange. govt.lc/. 295 UNDP (2018), ‘“A.C.T Now St. Lucia” Climate Change Awareness Campaign Launched’, available at: https://bit.ly/2JsVmsv. 296 Ibid. 297 Government of BVI (2014), ‘Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy and Programming Framework III 2014-2018’. 298 Government of BVI (2010), ‘Climate Change Green Paper’. 299 A detailed annex with many examples from the region is available upon request. 300 NAP Global Network (2018), ‘Strategic Communications for the National Adaptation Plan Process in St. Lucia’

57 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? British Virgin Islands: Beach clean-up, as part of a UNICEF-supported after-school club @UNICEF ECA/ Laura Ivey/2018

Mascot.301 In Barbados, the government developed journalists. Ahead of COP21, it launched the ‘St. Lucia the ‘Ozzy Ozone’ character in the early 2000s, which Media Climate Change Challenge’, which encouraged subsequently became known internationally. In private media to report on climate change.302 Ahead various countries, calypso events, theatre plays, video of COP23, the country produced a series of ‘Fight competition, and YouTube videos have been used to Climate Change’ Public Service Announcements raise awareness about climate change. featuring government and civil society spokespeople explaining key issues that would feature at the w The role of the media and social media - The upcoming UN climate change conference.303 In St. media, and increasingly social media, are an effective Vincent and the Grenadines, young people indicated way to reach children and young people on CEE that they listen to some radio stations, particularly issues. Across the region, television, radio and print those that feature popular music, and suggested that have been used to communicate about disaster risks, they could be reached through this channel. Some climate change, and other environmental issues. In also indicated that they were always on social media, St. Lucia, the Government has continuously worked and would most likely pay attention to well-packaged to foster a dialogue on climate change issues with information.304

301 Government of St. Lucia (2014), op. cit. 302 St. Lucia News Online (13 October, 2015), ‘Government launches St. Lucia media climate change challenge’, available at: https://www.stlucianewsonline. com/govt-launches-saint-lucia-media-climate-change-challenge/. 303 Government of St. Lucia, ‘Climate Change in St. Lucia’: https://climatechange.govt.lc/media/fight-climate-change-public-service-announcement-surbance- mighty/. 304 UNDP-JCCCP (2017), ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Study on Climate Change, and the Grenadines’.

58 Are CEE-focused and/or relevant sectoral policies, strategies and initiatives child-sensitive? 7. Recommendations Children and youth in the Eastern Caribbean are already facing significant risks due to the escalating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Urgent measures are required across sectors to keep them safe and to enhance their resilience.

The following recommendations represent a call to action for national Governments and regional institutions in the region, with the active support and participation of the international community and other partners, to devote greater attention and resources to shielding children and youth from these risks, and to enhancing their resilience. As a cross-cutting priority, particular attention must be paid to addressing the magnified risks faced by the most vulnerable children, and to meeting their specific needs.

Priority #1: Urgently address the omission of children and youth in CEE and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) frameworks, mainstreaming child-specific and child-sensitive risk and vulnerability reduction strategies into relevant regional policies and plans. Examples of good practice are emerging, and multiple opportunities exist to introduce focus on children and youth in the formulation and implementation of the key regional and national frameworks relating to disaster risk management, climate change, environmental and energy issues, based on a child-sensitive analysis of disaster, climate and environmental risk. Adopting measures to specifically target children and youth in design, formulation, implementation and monitoring of key CEE and DRR frameworks and interventions has the potential to greatly enhance their effectiveness, reach and scale, contributing to the region’s resilient development goals and child rights obligations. These commitments should be informed by the views of children and young people themselves, and expressed in countries’ international commitments as well, including through monitoring and review processes.

Priority #2: Scale up and mainstream a child rights-based approach across sector-based strategies and interventions that address CEE and DRR issues. Significant progress has been made in addressing threats to children’s rights in the context of certain sector-focused interventions, notably in relation to DRR in education and child protection, for example through the Caribbean Safe School Initiative and the Return to Happiness programme. These advances must be consolidated, scaled up and accelerated, and additional emphasis must be placed on addressing slow-onset risk through climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability, based on a comprehensive understanding of resilience which fully encompasses both CEE and DRR issues. The lack of focus on children and youth in other critical sector-focused strategies and responses must be addressed, including in health, water and social protection.

Priority #3: Foster greater integration between CEE and DRR focused institutions and interventions at national and regional levels, with a view to facilitating a holistic and child-inclusive approach to resilience. Considerable efforts are being made with respect to embedding disaster risk management, climate change and environmental issues in critical strategic and sector-based frameworks at regional and national levels. However, these are often dealt with separately at the institutional level, creating artificial divisions. A more strategic and coordinated approach to these issues, and between the national and regional actors involved, would assist in delivering the holistic approach required to enhance children’s resilience in the face of both sudden and slow-onset disaster, climate and environmental risks.

59 Annexes Priority #4: Address the lack of disaggregated data, research and analysis to heighten awareness among policy-makers and other key stakeholders, and inform child-sensitive action on CEE issues. A structural lack of data collection, analysis and monitoring of the situation of children and youth with respect to climate and environmental issues hampers effective planning, policies, monitoring and budgeting necessary to target and deliver tailored action and resources to secure successful child- sensitive outcomes in both the short and long-term. Significant efforts are required to collect quality data with respect to the impacts of CEE issues on children’s wellbeing across all areas highlighted in this report (water, food, health, education, child protection, etc), and to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions over time. Data should be disaggregated by age, sex, location and other key social and demographic variables, including the situation of poor and other particularly vulnerable children. The evidence base should be further strengthened through participatory research with children and youth, and by establishing child- and youth-focused indicators within relevant frameworks and policies.

Priority #5: Equip children and youth with the knowledge and life skills required for resilience in a changing climate, including sustainable lifestyles. Numerous resources and initiatives exist throughout the region to enhance the awareness of children and youth on disaster preparedness, climate change and environmental protection, including both formal and non-formal programmes. However, the approach is in many instances ad hoc and children and youth consulted for this report have overwhelmingly stated the need for more education and awareness-raising interventions. One clear avenue is for delivery of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum to be strengthened. Broadly speaking, a more strategic and comprehensive approach across the region would facilitate greater reach and impact, and help to support quality of content and modes of delivery that are aligned with best practice environmental education objectives and principles, including measures to reach out-of-school and other marginalized children and youth. In all cases, the potential of technology and social media should be harnessed to facilitate access to information, peer-to-peer learning, and knowledge-sharing across the region.

Priority #6: Strengthen child and youth engagement and participation with respect to CEE issues and action. Youth in particular have been active and vocal in various international and regional fora regarding disaster preparedness, climate change and environmental issues, but their absence from key policies, frameworks and programmes speaks volumes. Younger children are consistently excluded, violating their right to be heard. Efforts are required to strengthen the active and meaningful participation of both children and young people with respect to the CEE issues, and to empower them as agents of change. Formal consultative and feedback mechanisms at community, national and regional levels should be established or strengthened to facilitate this and to enhance accountability, and Governments should consider providing direct support to civil society organizations and youth-led networks working in this area in particular. Where possible, the links between CEE and DRR issues and other priorities for youth should be highlighted with a view to implementing ‘win-win’ solutions. For example, opportunities should be provided for youth to benefit from investment in skills and job creation in the green economy, including efforts to foster youth-driven innovation and social entrepreneurship to shape solutions.

Priority #7: Mobilize financial resources at national and regional levels to support child-sensitive interventions, and advocate for similar revisions in international climate finance mechanisms. Implementing the preceding recommendations will require resources. Children and youth should be incorporated in national and regional climate finance budgets, as well as guidelines and criteria for national and regional funding mechanisms. Dedicated resources for child and youth-focused measures should be incorporated in climate finance proposals to international funding mechanisms as well, and governments should advocate for these funds to prioritize child and youth-inclusive interventions.

60 Annexes

8. Annexes Annex 1: Country by country frameworks

Country National Resilient Development Frameworks Priority sectors Vision for growth Anguilla Key focal agency: Department of Environment NA NA

Draft Environmental Protection Act (2008)

Draft Climate Change Policy (2012)

Developing an Adaptive Management Plan for Anguilla's Marine Park System and Associated Shallow Water Habitats and Fisheries 2015-2025

National Energy Policy (2009), accompanied by a phased energy transition strategy entitled Anguilla Model 2010-2020 Antigua and Key focal agency: Department of Environment Energy, Health, Tourism, The country’s Medium-Term Barbuda Agriculture, Waste, Water, Development Strategy (2016-2020) Environmental Protection and Management Act Transportation, Forestry and aims at transforming Antigua & (2015) Land Use Change.305 Barbuda as a within 15 to 20 years, guided by the vision of “A harmonious, prosperous and National Energy Policy (2011) followed by a modern Antigua & Barbuda founded on Sustainable Energy Action Plan (2013) intended the principles of sustainability and to serve as a road map for the period 2012-2030. inclusive growth; where equality of opportunity, peace, and justice prevail for all citizens and residents”. The Flagship Priority Three is to Transform Barbuda into a Green, Low Density, High-End Tourism Destination. Barbados Key focal agency: Environmental Protection Key industries for ‘greening’: In 2009, the Prime Minister of Barbados Department tourism, agriculture, fisheries, laid down the challenge of committing building/housing and Barbados to become the “most No comprehensive environmental legislation transportation.306 environmentally advanced green country in Latin America and the National Adaptation Strategy to Address Climate Caribbean” Change in the Tourism Sector (2009).

National Energy Policy (2017-2037), projecting a reduction in the importation of fossil fuels of 75% by 2037 and an increase in renewable energy by 75% by the same year with natural gas being used as a transitional fuel. There is also a Renewable Energy Roadmap. British Key focal agency: Ministry of Natural Resources Beach and Shoreline Stability, NA Virgin and Labour Coastal and Marine Islands Ecosystems, Forestry and Draft Environmental Management and Biodiversity, and Fisheries; Conservation of Biodiversity (2008) Tourism; Insurance and Banking; Food security: Climate Change Adaptation Policy and Strategy Agriculture; Human Health; (2012) Critical Infrastructure, Human Settlements, and Water Energy Policy (2016). Resources; and Energy.307

Recovery to Development Plan (2018)

A Resilient National Energy Transition Strategy (R-NETS) is also currently being finalized to guide the transition towards decentralised renewable energy and energy efficiency. The government envisions that by 2023, 30% of the Territory’s energy is supplied by renewable means.

305 Government of Antigua and Barbuda (2015), op. cit. 305 Government306 of Antigua and Barbuda (2015), op. cit. 306 Government Government of Barbados, of UWI, Barbados, UN Environment UWI, UN Programme Environment (2014), Programme ‘Green Economy (2014), Scoping ‘Green Study’ Economy Scoping Study’ 307 307 Government Government of the British ofVirgin the IslandsBritish (2012),Virgin Islands‘The Virgin (2012), Islands ‘The Climate Virgin Change Islands Adaptation Climate Policy’Change Adaptation Policy’

61 Annexes Dominica Key focal agency: Environmental Coordinating Coastal and Marine Dominica’s climate resilience planning Unit Resources, Agriculture, took a new turn as a result of the Human Settlements, Forestry devastating hurricane season of 2017. Draft Climate Change, Environment and Natural and Terrestrial Resources, The country aims to become the “First Resource Management Act (2011) Water Resources, Health, Climate Resilient Country in the World“. Tourism, and the Financial National Climate Change Adaptation Policy Sector.308 (2002). In the future, there are plans to revise it into a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan that will guide the development of Dominica's NAP and will include mitigation and cross-cutting issues.

Low-Carbon Climate Resilient Development Strategy (LCCRDS) (2012-2020)

National Energy Policy and a Sustainable Energy Plan (both 2014)

National Resilience Development Strategy (2018), a broad cross-sectoral framework providing a road map and guidelines for taking the country to where it ought to be by 2030. Grenada Key focal agency: Environment Division NA The GoG envisions that the “New Economy” will comprise a world class Draft Environmental Management Act (date tourism, yachting and marina unknown) destination, complemented by efficient business, finance and information National Energy Policy (2011) technology services, an efficient light manufacturing sector, a diversified The Grenada Vision 2030, passed in 2012, set out agricultural sector focused on “value an ambitious target of 100% share of renewable added” products, a dynamic oil and gas energy in electricity generation and transport by and renewable energy sector, and a 2030. highly efficient agro-industrial sector cluster dedicated to oils and flavour In 2017, the National Climate Change Policy extraction for health, food, cosmetic (2007-2011) was updated, with no major changes. and pharmaceutical applications. Grenada has no other viable option but National Adaptation Plan (2017-2021), providing to urgently transition to a “New a coordinated and coherent national-level Economy”. This transition, will unleash approach to existing sectoral and local area plans. forces of creative destruction leading to the replacement of some sunset (“Old A National Sustainable Development Plan (2030) Economy”) industries with sunrise process was launched in 2015, following a call by (“New Economy”) industries. Without civil society partners, who recognised a void in such a transition, the prospects for long term strategic development planning in economic growth, which closes the Grenada. Discussions are ongoing for climate- income inequality gap and reduces proofing the plan. levels of poverty, will continue to disappoint. For energy and energy development as a growth sector in the ‘New Economy’, attention will be accorded to energy conservation, enhancing the efficiency of energy utilization, reducing the cost of energy, and developing alternative sources of energy (geo-thermal, solar and wind)309 Montserrat Key focal agency: Department of the Environment Agriculture and fisheries, At national level, a key document is the biodiversity and ecosystems, Sustainable Development Plan (2008- Conservation and Environmental Management tourism, beaches, coastal 2020), developed with the input of a Act (2014) zone, access to critical wide cross-section of our society. The infrastructure, reefs and other involvement of all citizens, old and Sustainable Development Plan (2008-2020). In marine life, human settlements young, at home and abroad, ensured 2010, a National Climate Change Issues Paper and water/hydrology.310 that major issues were explored. The was developed. It was followed by the elaboration strategic direction outlined in the Plan of a Draft Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, would indeed ensure – “a healthy and which has seen limited progress since 2015. wholesome Montserrat” by 2020. It recognised the importance of The government has also indicated its objective to supporting and developing the mining develop renewable energy resources, and sector as one of the key drivers for improve energy efficiency, with a target of 100% economic growth, along with the other renewable electricity generating capacity by 2020, key sectors of agriculture, tourism, through the implementation of Montserrat Energy renewable energy and manufacturing. Policy (2016-2030). A National Energy Policy had Meanwhile, the government aims at

308 308 Government Government of the Commonwealth of the Commonwealth of Dominica (2002), of Dominica ‘National (2002),Climate Change‘National Adaptation Climate Policy’Change Adaptation Policy’ 309 Government309 Government of Grenada (2014),of Grenada ‘Growth (2014), and Poverty ‘Growth Reduction and Poverty Strategy Reduction (2014-2018)’ Strategy (2014-2018)’ 310 Government310 Government of Montserrat of (2011), Montserrat ‘National (2011) Climate, ‘National Change ClimateIssues Paper’ Change Issues Paper’

62 AnnexesAnnex 1: Country by country frameworks already been drafted in 2008 for the period until moving towards long-term budget self- 2027. Geothermal and wind energy development sufficiency while recognising the need were then prioritized as part of an action plan over for building human resource capacity 5 years from 2008 to 2012 (called Wave 1). The and improving transparency and following 5 year-periods dealt with transforming accountability. More recently, an the transport sector (Wave 2), future energy Economic and Growth Strategy and options (Wave 3) and greening Montserrat´s Delivery Plan (2017) was drafted to economy (Wave 4). propose an approach to build a ‘foundational economy’ - creating and sustaining good jobs, and encouraging people to live and work on the island through policies that work for all. St. Lucia Key focal agency: Department of Sustainable Enhanced sensitisation; food NA Development security; flood alleviation; enhancement of drainage; Draft Environmental Management Bill (date critical buildings, roads and unkown) bridges made more climate resilient; integrated slopes, Sustainable Energy Plan (2001), National Energy landslides and riverbank Policy (2010) and National Energy Transition stabilisation; rehabilitation or Strategy (2017), aiming to provide up to 35% of retrofitting of water supply electricity generation from renewable sources by systems; and grass root 2020. community-led activities.311

National Climate Change Policy and Adaptation Consultation workshop Plan (2002). The initial document was revised in conducted in May 2017: The 2011. In 2015, the NCCPAP was replaced with a water sector obtained the Climate Change Adaptation Policy (CCAP), in highest ranking; then effect until 2022. agriculture and fisheries; followed by a tie between National Adaptation Plan (2018-2028) infrastructure and spatial planning and natural resource Sectoral Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan for management (terrestrial, the Water Sector (2018-2028). coastal and marine); followed by education; and health. Sectoral Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan for Despite the ranking, the Fisheries Sector (2018-2028). stakeholders determined that all the sectors deserved critical attention.312 St. Kitts and Key focal agency: Department of Physical Agriculture, coastal and marine In 2014, the Prime Minister of Saint Nevis Planning and the Environment ecosystems, forest and Kitts and Nevis declared that there was terrestrial ecosystems, finance an opportunity “to create a new [green] National Conservation and Environmental and banking, human health, economy by making the Federation […] Protection Act (1987)313 infrastructure and physical one of the world’s first ‘sustainable development, tourism and island-states’”. National Energy Policy (2011). A Draft National water.314 Energy Action Plan, not yet approved, proposes a series of actions for 2010-2030 to implement the policies proposed by the NEP. It distinguishes between short-term (1–5 years), medium-term (5– 10 years), and long-term (10–20 years) actions.

National Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan for the Water Sector (2015-2020)

Initial steps were taken to develop a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, due to cover the period 2018-2030. Consultations commenced in 2017 and have led to drafting of a National Climate Change Policy (2018) St. Vincent Key focal agency: Sustainable Development Unit Agriculture, water, health, NA and the public infrastructure and Grenadines Draft Environmental Management Act (2009) tourism.315

National Energy Policy (2009) and Energy Action Plan (2010), describing scenarios for the country’s energy future from 2009 to 2030 including short (1-5 years), medium (5-10 years), and long (10-20 years) term actions.

311 311 Government Government of St. Lucia: https://climatechange.govt.lc/climate-change-programme/.of St. Lucia: https://climatechange.govt.lc/climate-change-programme/. 312 Government of St. Lucia (2018), National Adaptation Plan, op. cit. 312 Government313 of St. Lucia (2018), National Adaptation Plan, op. cit. 313 To be replaced To be by replacedNational Conservation by National andConservation Environmental and Management Environmental Bill. Management Bill. 314 314 CANARI (2018), CANARI ‘Draft (2018), National ‘Draft Climate National Change Climate Adaptation Change Strategy Adaptation for St. Christopher Strategy and for Nevis’.St. Christopher and Nevis’. 315 315 Government Government of St. Vincent of and St. the Vincent Grenadines and the (10 Grenadines April 2018), ‘National (10 April Adaptation 2018), ‘Nat Plan’.ional Adaptation Plan’.

63 AnnexesAnnex 1: Country by country frameworks National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) (2013-2025). Goal 4; ‘Improving Physical Infrastructure, Preserving the Environment and Building Resilience to Climate Change’.

In December 2018, a day of national consultation was organized to develop a Climate Change Policy and a Climate Change Strategy and Implementation Plan to mainstream climate resilience into the country’s development agenda. The overarching NAP would be implemented in phases (2018-2023, then 2024-2030) followed by the design and approval of a second generation of NAP before 2030. Trinidad and Key focal agency : Environmental Management NA The Vision 2030 : National Tobago Authority Development Strategy (2016-2030) lays the foundation and pathway for Environmental Management Act (2000) attaining developed country status by 2030. It builds on Vision 2020 that National Climate Change Policy (2011) resulted from extensive dialogue with civil society, academia, the private Green Government Policy (2011) sector and the public sector, culminating in over 80 consultations, as Framework for Development of a Renewable well as on the Comprehensive Energy Policy for Trinidad and Tobago (2011) Economic Development Plan for Tobago (2013‒2017). Besides, it Strategy for Reduction of Carbon Emissions in presents Thematic Areas including one Trinidad and Tobago, 2040 (2015), establishing a on Placing the Environment at the roadmap for the reduction of GHG emissions of Centre of Social and Economic the country’s electricity power generation, industry Development, and includes 24 short and transport sectors. GHG mitigation measures term goals to be achieved over 2016- will promote green jobs and decouple GHG 2020, 16 over the medium term (2016- emissions from economic growth because they 2025) and 16 over the long term (2016- are focused on developing alternatives to the 2030). current technologies and habits, through the implementation of efficient technologies, the reduction of the energy use or the development of awareness raising campaigns. The timeline of the strategy is 27 years, corresponding to an average of less than 75 million USD spent yearly. Turks and Key focal agency: Department of Environmental NA The government launched a public Caicos and Coastal Resources consultation for Vision 2040, a Islands document that will articulate the No Comprehensive environmental legislation aspirations of the Turks and Caicos Islands for the next 20 years toward the In 2018, TCI completed its first Climate Change attainment of a high quality of life to be Policy, with the following objectives: 1) to educate enjoyed by citizens, residents and the wider public on the potential impacts of climate future generations. It will focus on five change and the recommended CCA strategies. ; sustainable development dimensions 2) to ensure the protection and wise use of carbon which are the overarching goals for the sinks ; 3) to enhance and protect human health ; country: 1) high national income and 4) to conserve and guarantee a sustainable wealth; 2) a socially cohesive society; supply of fresh water ; 5) to increase resilience by 3) a healthy natural environmental, adapting to the adverse impacts of climate heritage and cultural assets; 4) citizen change ; 6) to achieve the objectives set in the TCI security and justice; and 5) good energy conservation policy and implementation governance. strategy ; 7) to reduce GHG emissions ; 8) to achieve greater food security through sustainable agriculture production ; 9) To encourage the use of green technology, and 10) to advocate sustainable tourism at all levels.

National Disaster Recovery Plan (2019), followed by an implementation action plan.

Resilient National Energy Transition Strategy (R- NETS) (2019), which consists in evaluating the country’s electricity system for the period 2019- 2040.

64 AnnexesAnnex 1: Country by country frameworks Annex 2: Regional frameworks and entities List of CEE-relevant conventions and declarations List of CEE-relevant conventions and declarations

Year Title/description Children/ youth focus 2018 https://www.cepal.org/en/escazuagreement NA : The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (“Escazú Agreement”) was adopted in March 2018 in Escazú, with the active participation of Caribbean countries. The Escazú Agreement is the only treaty stemming from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the first regional environmental treaty of Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the treaty’s article 11.2, the Parties shall give particular consideration to LDC, landlocked developing countries and SIDS from Latin America and the Caribbean. As of September 2019, seventeen countries had signed the “Escazú Agreement”: Antigua and Barbuda, , , , Costa Rica, , , Guyana, Haiti, , Panama, Paraguay, , St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, and . In April 2019, Guyana became the first Party to ratify it. 2014 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sids/samoareview NA SAMOA Pathway: The Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action – or SAMOA Pathway was adopted at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in 2014 in Samoa. It was coupled with the establishment of an intergovernmental SIDS Partnership Framework, designed to monitor progress of existing, and stimulate the launch of new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS. On 27 September 2019, the General Assembly held a one-day high level review of the progress made. The General Assembly decided that the high-level review would result in "a concise action oriented and inter-governmentally agreed political declaration". 2013 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnership/?p=2320 NA Caribbean Challenge Initiative Leaders Declaration: The Caribbean Challenge Initiative (2013- 2018) was launched at a summit of political and business leaders at Necker Island, British Virgin Island on 17 May 2013, regrouping Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was designed to accelerate and expand efforts to safeguard the region’s marine and coastal environment, further promote the sustainable use of those resources through new commitments to conservation action and/or scaling-up existing actions, including financial commitments, engage the private sector and partners in the Initiative, and expand it to include additional Caribbean governments 2012 http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?menu=1512 NA Barbados Declaration: The Barbados Declaration on Achieving Sustainable Energy for All in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was signed in 2012 by a number of SIDS, including Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In the declaration, the country made the voluntary commitment to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the national energy supply by 20% by 2020 and support the development of indigenous energy sources. 2009 https://caricom.org/media-center/communications/statements-from-caricom-meetings/liliendaal- NA declaration-on-climate-change-and-development-issued-by-the-thir Liliendaal Declaration on Climate Change and Development: CARICOM signed the Liliendaal Declaration on Climate Change and Development in 2009 that prioritises adaptation while insisting that mitigation be part of the regional climate change strategy. 2001 https://www.oecs.org/lsu-resources/cat-divisions/div-sdu/st-george-s-declaration NA St. Georges Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability: The St. Georges Declaration was signed in 2001 by OECS Member States, with the aim to minimise environmental vulnerability, improve environmental management and protect the region’s natural resource base for their optimal social and economic benefits. This document, which prescribes 21 principles that should govern the conduct of Governments in the OECS, is legally binding as per Article 24 of the Protocol of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union 1994 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/conferences/bpoa1994 NA Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA): The United Nations Programme of Action on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, referred to as the Barbados Program of Action (BPOA), is a policy document adopted in 1994, which both: comprehensively addresses the economic, environmental, and social developmental vulnerabilities facing islands; and outlines a strategy that seeks to mitigate those vulnerabilities. It remains the only internationally approved programme specific to SIDS, which has been collectively and unanimously endorsed by SIDS. It was followed by the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the BPOA (MS/BPOA), adopted by the international community at the International Meeting for the Review of the BPOA in January 2005 and the SAMOA Pathway of 2014. 1990 http://www.cep.unep.org/content/about-cep/spaw NA Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol: Adopted in Kingston, Jamaica by the member governments of the Caribbean Environment Programme on 18 January 1990, the SPAW Protocol preceded other international environmental agreements in utilizing an ecosystem approach to conservation. The Protocol acts as a vehicle to assist with regional implementation of the broader and more demanding global Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and its action component, the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCMN). 1986 http://www.cep.unep.org/cartagena-convention NA

65 AnnexesAnnex 2: Regional frameworks and entities List of CEE-relevant conventions and declarations

Cartagena Convention: The Cartagena Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region (the Cartagena Convention), which came into force in 1986, has been signed by almost all the Caribbean SIDS. The Convention is supported by three technical agreements or Protocols on Oil Spills, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife, and Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution. Under this Convention there are four Regional Activity Centres (based in Cuba, Curaçao, , and Trinidad and Tobago) offering assistance to Member States. It the only legally binding environmental treaty for the Wider Caribbean. The Convention and its Protocols constitute a legal commitment by the participating governments to protect, develop and manage their common waters individually or jointly.

List ofList CEE-relevant of CEE-relevant regional regional entities entities

Entity Description Children/ Youth focus CARICOM https://caricom.org/ The CDM Strategy places emphasis on The following CARICOM’s CEE-related policies/initiatives are noteworthy: the needs of vulnerable groups ● Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Framework (draft): The Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Framework was developed in 2017 as an integral part of the Caribbean Community Single Market and Economy (CSME), which officially commenced in 2006. The purpose is to provide an enabling framework for environmental and natural resources management in the Caribbean Community. https://caricom.org/caricom-environment-policy/ ● Strategic Plan For The Caribbean Community (2015-2019): Repositioning CARICOM, it establishes the building of environmental resilience as a strategic priority of the community. Within this framework, one of the stated strategic initiatives for members to pursue is to advance climate adaptation and mitigation. https://caricom.org/communications/view/strategic-plan-for-the-caribbean- community-2015-2019-repositioning-caricom ● Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management: The strategic period of the Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Strategy and Programming Framework 2014-2024 (draft) has been lengthened from five to ten years to reflect the reality that meaningful developmental change will be measured by actions at the community and sectoral levels. It also expands on the original key sectors embraced (Agriculture, Tourism, Health, Civil Society and Education) to include Finance/Economic Development and Physical and Environmental Planning. Additionally it places increased focus on integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change considerations and their impact on vulnerable groups. https://www.cdema.org/cdm ● Energy Policy: CARICOM adopted its regional Energy Policy in 2013 after a decade in development. The policy charts a new climate-compatible development path that harnesses domestic renewable energy resources, minimizes environmental damage, and spurs social opportunity, economic growth, and innovation. To translate these intentions into action, the CARICOM Secretariat commissioned the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS), designed to build on existing efforts in the region and to provide CARICOM member states with a coherent strategy for transitioning to sustainable energy. The suggested regional renewable energy target of 48% of installed power capacity by the year 2027 had already been approved by delegates of the Commission on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in 2013. ● Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy: The approval of CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy in 2011 at the 34th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED - Agriculture) elevated the concern for food and nutrition among its members. This endorsement implied that every member country of the CARICOM would undertake to develop a national policy on food and nutrition security. This commitment was reached against the backdrop of rising food prices, a high regional food import bill estimated at US$3.5 billion in 2008 and the continuing upward trend of same and a notable increasing trend of poverty ratios and the incidences of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Organisation of https://www.oecs.org/ NA Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) OECS was created on 18 , with the Treaty of . A revised Treaty of Basseterre to establish the OECS Economic Union was ratified on 18th June 2010. In carrying out its mission, the OECS works along with a number of regional agencies and institutions. These include the CARICOM and the CDB. The OECS has established an Environmental Sustainability Cluster and, also in 2016, a Climate Finance Working Group following an OECS Ministerial directive at the 3rd Council of Ministers of Environmental Sustainability (COMES). As part of its mandate, it develops model legislation for Member States to tailor and adopt for various issues, from health to trade, procurement, coastal zone management, environment, among others. One such model was legislation for supporting implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements. There is also an OECS Model Water Policy and Model Water Act 2015, and an OECS Building Code, which was updated in 2016. https://www.oecs.org/ccu- resources/oecs-building-codes/viewdocument

66 AnnexesAnnex 2: Regional frameworks and entities

In 2018, the OECS developed an Eastern Caribbean Climate Change Implementation Plan. The purpose was to formulate a regional approach in the OECS region, which may make projects more attractive to financial institutions. Initially, it was proposed that the submission of a Regionally Determined Contribution (RDC) could be the best path to formalise a regional agreement in the OECS region. According to the report, « in a similar fashion to NDCs, an RDC would take the form of a legally binding document that commits the Member States to certain climate change goals and implementing necessary initiatives to achieve them. An RDC in the OECS region would be one of the first-of-its-kind in the world ». However, it was not pursued as for one, there was uncertainty as to an RDC’s place with regard to pre-existing NDCs, including concerns that an RDC might appear to be superseding NDCs. Secondly, there was the legal issue that would face non-independent states (including Montserrat, British Virgin Islands and Anguilla), as they would not be able to be party to a legal RDC document. https://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/policies/v.php?id=58303 Economic https://www.cepal.org/en NA Commission for Latin America and the ECLAC publications: https://www.cepal.org/en/publications/list/topic/8204 Caribbean (ECLAC) ECLAC’s Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) was established in 1975 to promote and strengthen economic and social cooperation and integration among the countries of the Caribbean and to promote cooperation between them and the countries and integration processes of Latin America and the Caribbean. https://www.cepal.org/en/subsidiary-bodies/caribbean-development-and-cooperation- committee

In May 2019, Ministers and senior government officials from across the Caribbean called for repositioning vulnerable, indebted Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on the path to sustainable development during the 19th meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the CDCC. https://www.cepal.org/es/node/49009 . Climate resilience through green investment, the impact of de-risking and the promotion of sustainable economic growth were the center of focus at ECLAC’s fifth Caribbean Development Roundtable, which took place on 26 April 2018. https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/caribbean-development-roundtable-brings-together- ministers-discuss-economic-growth-and Community of Latin http://celacinternational.org/ NA American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Organisation of the http://www.oas.org/en/ NA American States (OAS) Association of http://www.acs-aec.org/ NA Caribbean States The ACS established a Directorate for Disaster Risk Reduction, which serves to foster co- operation among the organizations responsible for disaster planning and relief in the region. It also houses the Caribbean Sea Commission established in 2008 to “promote and oversee the sustainable use of the Caribbean Sea” as well as the countries contiguous to this resource of critical importance. SIDS DOCK https://sidsdock.org/ NA

Initiative among member countries of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to provide the SIDS with a collective institutional mechanism to assist them to transform their national energy sectors into a catalyst for sustainable economic development and help generate financial resources to address adaptation to climate change. It is called SIDS DOCK because it is designed as a “DOCKing station,” to connect the energy sector in SIDS with the global market for finance, sustainable energy technologies and with the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) carbon markets, and able to trade the avoided carbon emissions in those markets. A treaty establishing the SIDS DOCK entered into force on 30 September 2015. By the treaty, SIDS DOCK is established as an intergovernmental organization. The Prime Minister of Grenada was appointed President of the fourth SIDS DOCK Assembly in September 2018.

List ofList CARICOM-related of CARICOM-related and and other other regionalregional entities entities

Entity Description Children/youth focus

Caribbean Development www.cdb.com Support to the Safe Bank (CDB) School initiative CBD support to the Safe School initiative : https://www.caribank.org/newsroom/news-and- events/cdb-provides-grant-implementation-safe-schools-programme-six-countries

CDB-AFD partnership on climate resilience : https://www.caribank.org/newsroom/news- and-events/cdb-afd-and-eu-strengthen-partnership-build-climate-resilience

Caribbean Examination https://www.cxc.org/ Syllabus and Council (CXC) The Caribbean Examinations Council was established in 1972. Some of its services Curriculum include Syllabus and Curriculum Development and Development of Educational Resource Development and

67 AnnexesAnnex 2: Regional frameworks and entities 66 Materials. It has supported CEE-relevant activities such as Short Stories Development of (https://www.cxc.org/examinations/cpea/cpea-short-stories/), through which children may Educational speak about disasters or climate change; and the Green Engineering syllabus for 5th grade Resource Materials students (https://www.cxc.org/subject/green-engineering/).

Caribbean Disaster https://www.cdema.org/ Safe School Emergency Programme Management Agency The CDEMA was transitioned from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDEMA) (CDERA) in September 2009, reflecting a broader and more proactive role focused on risk management rather than on the more limited disaster response. CDEMA liaises with and supports the 16 national disaster management entities from each of its participating states.

On the Safe School Programme : https://reliefweb.int/report/barbados/cdema-launches- model-safe-school-programme-caribbean-inaugural-meeting-national-safe Caribbean Community http://caribbeanclimate.bz/ Climate change Climate Change Center curriculum (CCCCC) Headquartered in Belize, the 5Cs was established in 2005, with a mandate to provide climate change related policy advice and guidelines to the CARICOM Member States, and coordinate regional response. The 5Cs develops tools such as the Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaptation Tool (CCORAL), which aims at helping decision-makers look at programmes through a climate or climate change lens, and identify actions that minimise climate related loss. https://www.caribbeanclimate.bz/caribbean-climate-chage- tools/tools/

5Cs educational programme : https://www.caribbeanclimate.bz/education/online-bio- energy-course/ Centre for Renewable https://ccreee.org/ NA Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) The Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) was officially inaugurated in 2015 in Barbados. Under the SIDS DOCK framework, the centre will closely work with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) on common SIDS sustainable energy issues and solutions. The centres are part of a wider Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres which is created in cooperation with regional organizations and communities. After receiving a sufficient number of ratifications, the legal agreement establishing the CCREEE went into force on 19 May 2018. Between 2016 and 2018, CCREEE was headed by the Interim Executive Director, Mr. Al Binger. Mr. Gary Jackson was appointed as Executive Director in October 2018. http://www.bcrc-caribbean.org/ NA Regional Centre for Training and Technology The primary mechanism for assisting in the implementation of the Basel Convention and for the Caribbean its obligations is a series of Basel Convention Regional Centres for Training and (BCRC-Caribbean) Technology Transfer (BCRC). Established across the world under Article 14 of the Convention, these Centres are meant to provide for the effective implementation of the Convention at the national to regional levels. The Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean) serves the Contracting Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions within the Caribbean region and any other country consenting to be served by the Centre. The Government Trinidad and Tobago agreed in 1995 to the hosting of the BCRC-Caribbean. However, based on a Framework Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and the Secretariat for the Basel Convention (SBC) in 2004, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago then legally established the Centre as an autonomous institution with its own legal personality in April 2008. Caribbean Institute for http://www.cimh.edu.bb/?p=home NA Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) Caribbean http://www.cmo.org.tt/ NA Meteorological Organisation (CMO) Caribbean Regional http://rcc.cimh.edu.bb/ NA Climate Centre (CRCC) Caribbean http://63.175.159.26/~cimh/cami/ NA Agrometereological Initiative (CAMI) Caribbean Agriculture http://www.cardi.org/ NA Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Caribbean http://www.cehi.org.lc NA Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)

68 AnnexesAnnex 2: Regional frameworks and entities

Caribbean Public Health http://www.carpha.org NA Agency (CARPHA) CARPHA became the new single regional public health agency for the Caribbean in 2011 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement signed by Caribbean Community Member States and began operation in January 2013. The Agency rationalises public health arrangements in the Region by combining the functions of five Caribbean Regional Health Institutes into a single agency.

Inter-American Institute http://www.iica.int NA for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Regional Agricultural http://www.caricom.org/jsp/community/cfc.jsp?menu=community NA Development Agency (RADA) Water Center for the http://www.cathalac.org NA Humid Tropics of Latin America and The Caribbean (CATHALAC) Caribbean Food and http://new.paho.org/cfni/ NA Nutrition Institute (CFNI)

Caribbean Regional http://www.caricom-fisheries.com/ NA Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)

Caribbean Center for https://www.caricad.net/ Caribbean New Development School Model Administration CARICAD was formed in 1979 as the Caribbean Sub-Centre of the Latin American Centre (CARICAD) for Development Administration (CLAD). The Centre became fully operational in 1980 with Headquarters established in Barbados and is an Institution of the Caribbean Community under Article 21 of the Revised . Seventeen islands and countries of the Caribbean Area constitute the Member States of CARICAD.

From CARICAD’s Human Resource Development Strategy (2030) : https://today.caricom.org/tag/hrd-2030-strategy/

Open or innovative schooling is known to create more accessible learning environments and materials in technologically-enhanced schools that achieve significantly advanced educational delivery to a wider population of learners with different learning abilities, skills and experiences. Such innovative schools can be designed as prototypes of a new model for remodelling or building schools. The new school model concept which has been embraced in the United Kingdom, South , the South Pacific and the Middle East has introduced new ICT-enhanced pedagogical approaches and learning environments that are retrofitted with suitable modern ergonomic fixtures and furniture, appropriately efficient ‘green’ or environmentally friendly and powered built spaces and quality teaching and learning resources that are focused on delivery of the learning outcomes and competencies in a curriculum designed for individual learners. The Caribbean New School Model (CNSM) which has three prototypes that are based on four quadrants which address learning spaces, curriculum, ICTs and resources is being proposed as a new paradigm model for school effectiveness. Caribbean http://www.ctu.int/ NA Union (CTU)

CARICOM Competition https://www.caricomcompetitioncommission.com/en/ NA Commission The CARICOM Competition Commission was established by Article 171 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and is one of the key institutions in support of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. At its Tenth Special Meeting held in in November 2004, the Heads of Government took a decision, that the Commission would be headquartered in Suriname, and four years later, the Commission was inaugurated in January 2008. Caribbean Tourism http://www.onecaribbean.org/ NA Organisation (CTO):

Commonwealth http://thecommonwealth.org/climate-finance-access-hub-barbados NA Secretariat (Climate Finance Access Hub) National Climate Finance Advisers are based in Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda

69 AnnexesAnnex 2: Regional frameworks and entities

Annex 3: Regional projects and programmes Annex 3: Regional projects and programmes

Project name Period Brief description Children/youth Caribbean Planning for 1997-2001 CPACC consisted of four regional projects and five multi-country NA Adaptation to Global Climate (completed) pilot projects, including economic valuation of coastal and marine Change (CPACC) resources in Dominica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago + articulation of national climate change adaptation policies and implementation plans in 11 participating countries (http://www.cpacc.org/about-us/) Adaptation to Climate 2001-2004 The ACCC succeeded the CPACC NA Change in the Caribbean (completed) (https://www.caribbeanclimate.bz/2001-2004-adaptation-to- (ACCC) climate-change-in-the-caribbean-project-accc/) Mainstreaming Adaptation to 2004-2008 The project’s main objective was to mainstream climate change NA Climate Change (MACC) (completed) adaptation strategies into the sustainable development agendas of CARICOM States. MACC consolidated the achievements of CPACC and ACCC (https://caricom.org/mainstreaming-adaptation- to-climate-change-macc/) Special Programme for 2006-2010 SPACC aimed at supporting efforts to implement specific pilot NA Adaptation to Climate (completed) adaptation measures along coastal and near-coastal areas in Change (SPACC) Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (https://www.caribbeanclimate.bz/2007-2011-special-program-on- adaptation-to-climate-change-spacc/) PPCR: Caribbean Regional Since 2012 The PPCR316 , one of the CIF’s 4 programmes,317 supported SIDS, Support to the Strategic Program for (ongoing) with $250 million for nine Caribbean and Pacific island nations, 20 development of Climate Resilience (CSPCR) percent of PPCR resources. The PPCR is supporting six Caribbean DRR/CCA SIDS—Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. curriculum in SVG Vincent and the Grenadines—through CSPCR, a regional program comprised of individual country plans and a regional track for a total of $160 million in grants and near-zero interest loans (https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/country/caribbean-region) GCCA: Climate Change 2013-2018 The Global Climate Change Adaptation (GCCA) project focused on NA Adaptation and Sustainable (completed) Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Land Management in Land Management in the the Eastern Caribbean, with the OECS Commission serving as Eastern Caribbean Executing Entity. The specific objective was to improve the region’s natural resource base resilience to the impacts of climate change, through effective and sustainable land management frameworks and practices and through specific adaptation pilot projects focused on physical infrastructure and ecosystems. (http://www.gcca.eu/programmes/climate-change-adaptation-and- sustainable-land-management-eastern-caribbean) Integrating Water, Land, 2014-2018 Implementation of an integrated approach to water, land and NA Resources and Ecosystems (completed) ecosystems services management, supported by policy, institutional Management in Caribbean and legislative reforms; implementation of effective appropriate Small Island Developing technologies to accelerate contribution to global targets on access States (GEF- IWEco) to safe and reliable water supplies and improved sanitation and; contributing to improved ecosystem functioning in the Caribbean. Implemented by UNDP and UNEP and executed through CARPHA and UNEP CAR/RCU. GCF: Sustainable Energy Since 2016 Approved October 2016. Financing commercial Geothermal Energy NA Facility for the Eastern (ongoing) (GE) projects whilst strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks Caribbean (FP020) to underpin the development of GE potential in the East Caribbean region. Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (https://www.greenclimate.fund/projects/fp020) Japan Caribbean Climate Since 2016 The Government of Japan provides financial and technical support Green School NAMA Change Project (JCCCP) (ongoing) for the Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership under UNDP in St. Lucia and sub-regional office for Barbados. The project aims to support countries in the process of inclusive low emissions risk resilient development by improving energy security and integrating medium to long term planning for adaptation to climate change. Partner countries include : Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname (https://www.adaptation-undp.org/projects/japan-caribbean- climate-change-partnership)

Some projects focusing on schools : In SL, there is a focus on green school under both Outcome 1 (NAMA) and Outcome 2 (green

316 See map of PPCR countries : https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/sites/cif_enc/files/results- 316 See map2015/ppcr/index.html of PPCR countries : https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/sites/cif_enc/files/results-2015/ppcr/index.html and focal points for Caribbean Programming : and focal points for Caribbean Programminghttps://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/country/caribbean : https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/country/caribbean-region/caribbean-region-ppcr-programming.-region/caribbean-region-ppcr-programm ing. 317 317 See: https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/. See: https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/ .

70 AnnexesAnnex 3: Regional projects and programmes Annex 3: Regional projects and programmes

school project) https://www.adaptation- undp.org/resources/presentation/nama-stakeholder-consultation- st-lucia-green-schools-nama-presentation. There is also a project in Dominica (Community Highschool) and Grenada (St Andrew Anglican Secondary School). JCCCP promote renewable energy but also agricultural practices such as aquaponics https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/aquaponics. GCF: GEEREF NeXt : Since 2017 GEEREF NeXt is expected to finance more than 200 RE/EE NA Catalysing private sector (ongoing) projects in 30 countries through the course of its 15-year lifespan, investment for renewable including in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. energy and energy efficiency Vincent and the Grenadines. projects across the https://www.greenclimate.fund/projects/fp038 developing world (FP038) GCF: Integrated physical Since 2018 Approved March 2018. Three Eastern Caribbean islands, including NA adaptation and community (ongoing) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada participating in the resilience through an GCF Enhancing Direct Access (EDA) pilot under a Request for enhanced direct access Proposals issued by the GCF in 2016. The project is titled Integrated (EDA) pilot in the public, physical adaptation and community resilience through an enhanced private, and civil society direct access pilot in the public, private, and civil society sectors of sectors of three Eastern three Eastern Caribbean small island developing states. The Caribbean small island Eastern Caribbean EDA project is designed to enhance country developing states (FP061) ownership of adaptation by devolving decision making to the country and community level, thereby allowing greater involvement and input from communities vulnerable to climate change. (https://www.greenclimate.fund/projects/fp061) EU: Caribbean Regional From 2019 Largest grant-funded resilience building project in the Caribbean to Resilience Building Facility (upcoming) date, to be implemented by the World Bank and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). It will provide financial resources for technical assistance, disaster insurance and resilient investment facilitation.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press- release/2019/01/31/euro-30-million-to-help-caribbean-enhance- climate-resilience-and-adaptation

71 AnnexesAnnex 3: Regional projects and programmes

Annex 4: National Youth Policies318 Annex 4: National Youth Policies318

Status of National Youth Policies in the Eastern Caribbean Country Name of Document Policy Year Main Agency Status | Comments Anguilla Anguilla National Updated 2012 Department of Youth and Anguilla recently prepared a request (with Youth Policy Culture, Ministry of Social effect from May 2018) for technical Development assistance to review the NYP Antigua and Antigua And Barbuda 2007 Youth Department, Unknown Barbuda National Youth Policy Ministry of Social – Empowering Transformation and Tomorrow’s Leaders Human Resource Today Development Barbados The National Youth October 2011 Division of Youth Affairs, Policy implementation and impacts under Policy of Barbados Ministry of Culture, Youth national review preparatory to revision and British Virgin Virgin Islands National 2014-2019 Department of Youth and Active Islands Youth Policy and Sports, Ministry of Strategic Framework Education and Culture Dominica The Commonwealth 2017-2022 Youth Development Draft replaces the 2003 Policy. Awaiting Of Dominica Division, Ministry of Youth, official Cabinet approval. National Youth Policy Sports and Constituency Empowerment. Grenada National Youth Policy 2015-2020 Ministry of Youth, Sports Approved by Parliament on Dec. 18, 2015. and Ecclesiastical Affairs Active Montserrat National Youth Policy None Ministry of Education, Several National Drafts with effect from Montserrat Youth Affairs and 2004. Most recent (2nd Revised Policy Draft) April 2013 St. Kitts and Nevis St. Kitts and Nevis 2017-2022 Youth Policy Draft completed in March 2017. Policy Federal Youth Policy Ministry of Education, read and approved in Parliament in Youth Sports and Culture November 2017. St. Lucia National Youth Policy 2016-2021 Department of Youth and Draft Policy completed in 2016. – A Shared Vision and Sports, Ministry of Equity, Public consultations on draft completed in Commitment for Social Justice, May 2018. Policy to be submitted for Achieving the Full Empowerment, Youth Cabinet approval Potential of Young Development, Sports and People in St. Lucia Local Government St. Vincent and the St. Vincent and the 1996 Ministry of National Outdated. Efforts ongoing to secure Grenadines Grenadines Youth Mobilisation, Social technical assistance for policy review Policy Document Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Youth Trinidad and Republic of Trinidad 2012-2017 Ministry of Sport and Island-wide consultations are currently Tobago and Tobago National Youth Affairs ongoing (May 2018) to commence the Youth Policy NYP review and redrafting with effect from September 2018 Turks and Caicos Turks And Caicos 2012 Department of Youth Policy active. Scheduled 5-year revision Islands Islands National Youth Affairs Ministry of currently under consideration. Policy Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

Annex 5: Results of Youth Survey on climate change and the Annex 5: Results of youth survey on the climate change and environment the environment A stand-alone document providing a detailed summary of responses received to the youth survey can be found here. A stand-alone document providing a detailed summary of responses received to the youth survey can be found here.

318 318 Source: ECLAC Source: (2018b), ECLAC op. cit. (2018b), op. cit.

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