Last updated: June 2024
Resilient Islands is a project thought and directed by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 3 Caribbean island nations. It is a project at the intersection between conservation and disaster risk reduction and it comprises actions implemented in the Dominican Republic, Granada, and Jamaica. The negative impacts of climate change are already affecting people, homes, businesses and infrastructure in Caribbean nations. In response to increasingly dangerous hurricanes and rising vulnerability, Resilient Islands will address the need for urgent action by developing adaptation toolkits, best-practice models and access to funding. Caribbean nation islands are the world's most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Coastal flooding and erosion caused by hurricanes and severe storms threaten lives, homes, jobs, and infrastructure. Grenville is a coastal town, the second largest town in Grenada, with a population of around 2,400. It is highly susceptible to flooding and has seen increased coastal erosion in recent years due to the degradation of the fringing reefs, its first line of sea defence. Since 2017, TNC and the IFRC have collaborated with governments, communities, and partners in Grenada and Greenville to develop national plans for a more sustainable future through nature-based disaster risk management and there this is how this intervention was born. (1,4)
Promotion of natural biological growth and accretion of coral and crustose coralline algae
Source: Ref. 3
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastlines
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Coastal landscape management or protection, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
An increase in the frequency and intensity of storms on the coast of the island has been detrimental to inhabitants and determined coastal flooding and drought. Probably one of the most known examples would be Hurricane Ivan which in 2004 alone caused damages of over 200 per cent of GDP. Grenada has recognised this by placing climate resilience at the centre of its policy-making and forging strategic alliances with key global climate finance providers. This intervention has been part of a larger initiative supported financially by the government of Germany's climate initiative. To be more precise the present intervention aims at:
1. To improve legislation so that it emphasizes nature as an important tool in achieving coastal resilience for Grenada - Integrate ecosystem-based adaptation strategies into existing and future policy and planning at local, national and regional scales.
2. To build local capacity, awareness, and buy-in through specialized training for local government officials and community leaders and the creation and dissemination of educational materials for the broader community.
3. To co-create comprehensive portfolios of actionable, nature-based solutions with each community, tailored to local needs and risk assessments.
4. To restore mangroves, coral reefs, and other natural systems (Grenada + other 2 nations)
5. To improve resilience against intense waves and storm surge.
6. To protect people from increasingly severe coastal flooding and erosion.
7. To incorporate the protection and restoration of critical natural systems not only to strengthen coastal and community resilience against the dangerous impacts of climate change, but also for providing habitats for ecologically, commercially, and recreationally important fish and wildlife.(1,2)
Implementation activities
In 2015 an analysis of vulnerability was conducted. For Greenville, an analysis of vulnerability was conducted by intersecting three spatial layers: social sensitivity, community adaptive capacity, and community exposure. The Nature Conservancy began implementing the At the Water's Edge (AWE) project working with communities to strengthen their resilience to climate change in Grenville Bay. 30 meters of hybrid pilot structures were installed on the northern reef. They are stable, are attracting a plethora of marine species such as lobsters, conchs (Lambie), sea urchins and blue-spotted stingrays, to name a few. In 2017, The Nature Conservancy and partners launched Reef Week, a biennial event held in the Grenville Bay Area to raise awareness of the importance of mangroves and coral reefs in local communities and schools. (2,4)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
- Protect coastal and freshwater ecosystems to prevent coastal erosion and pollution
- Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore valued species
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
- Multilateral organisation
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) initiated Resilient Islands project, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. Alongside these institutions the implementing partners were: Grenada Red Cross Society, Grenada Fund for Conservation, local schools in the Grenville Bay area, Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Sports, Culture, The Arts, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Climate Resilience and the Environment (1) Project partner the Grenada Fund for Conservation will also gain the tools and build their capacity to become ambassadors and implementers of EbA actions within the country. (2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(One of the sources mentions that part of the goals of the intervention is to "collaborate with governments, communities, and partners in each of these countries (i.e.: the 3 targeted island nations) to develop national plans for a more sustainable future through nature-based disaster risk management." This being said Grenada has a National Climate Change Policy for 2017-2021, implemented in 2017 and the policy itself discusses ecosystem-based solutions at a national level. The national policy was developed under the Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (ICCAS) project, again with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). (5))
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Other
Economic impacts
- Generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
References
1. Nature (no date), Resilient Islands, a partnership for climate readiness, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
2. Coastal Resilience (no date), The Resilient Islands project, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
3. Grenville, Grenada: Resilient Islands (no date), available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
4. Nature (2020), Resilient Islands, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
5. Government of Grenada (2017), National Climate Change Policy for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique (2017-2021), available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
6. International Climate Initiative (2021), Resilient Islands by design: Integrating ecosystem- and community-based approaches to enhance climate change adaptation in the Caribbean, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
7. UN (no date), Implementing Ecosystem Based Adaptation approaches to both mangrove and coral reef restoration in Grenada with a focus on sustainable livelihoods and co-management, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
2. Coastal Resilience (no date), The Resilient Islands project, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
3. Grenville, Grenada: Resilient Islands (no date), available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
4. Nature (2020), Resilient Islands, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
5. Government of Grenada (2017), National Climate Change Policy for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique (2017-2021), available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
6. International Climate Initiative (2021), Resilient Islands by design: Integrating ecosystem- and community-based approaches to enhance climate change adaptation in the Caribbean, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
7. UN (no date), Implementing Ecosystem Based Adaptation approaches to both mangrove and coral reef restoration in Grenada with a focus on sustainable livelihoods and co-management, available at Source link (accessed 5-11-2021)
Promotion of natural biological growth and accretion of coral and crustose coralline algae
Source: Ref. 3
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.