Lanzan en Dominica un proyecto para reducir el impacto del cambio climático en la agricultura
Dominica launches project to reduce climate change impact on agriculture
A project aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on agriculture has been launched in Dominica.
The project was launched at workshop which will continue from today until 4th October, 2013.
It consists of three components. The first will be training of people in climate proofing, the second is the development of institutional capacities in climate development and agricultural policies; and the regional exchange and elaboration of the project proposal with strategic partners, will make up the third component.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the program, Technical Specialist of the Inter-American institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Kent Coipel, emphasized the vulnerability of the Caribbean region to the effects of climate change.
“We see it necessary and important for any change resilience to be built in systematically into our programs, strategies and our projects and we must recgonise that the decisions that we make today as it relates to our sector certainly determines the effect of our vulnerability to climate change,” he stated.
He added that it is expected of planners, technicians and people involved in policy including local government planners to incorporate adaptation strategies, and methods in designing a project which is expected to climate proof the sector.
“If we reduce the impact or reduce the vulnerability to climate change we will contribute to other critical areas of corporation which include territorial that is rural and sustainable development, natural resource management also agri business and commercialization.”
Director of Agriculture Ricky Brumant also spoke at the ceremony pointing out that the effects of climate change are impacting the way we live and conduct business in a serious manner. “It has become increasingly costly for us to do business,” he said.
Consultant Taihsa Hill noted that the objective of the workshop is to familiarize the participants with the tools that are necessary when developing a climate proof strategy.
“The expected outcome at the end of the 2 days is a completed framework for the development of a draft climate proof agriculture strategy. We are going to focus on 2 subsectors of agriculture; the green house vegetables and roots and tubers. .”
The project will be implemented in 6 countries namely the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia.
