The week of November 18, was buzzing with activities as the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society (ABRCS) embarked on a Climate Action Journey (CAJ) workshop, bringing together key partners and stakeholders in discussions, collaboration and skill-building aimed towards a more climate-resilient future.
Facilitators from the Climate Center were on hand to guide the discussions, carry out assessments and offer solutions towards improving community resilience through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change (mitigation) and addressing the impacts of climate change (adaptation). Climate-smart programme and operations to improve forecasting were another focal point of the discussion.
Participants discussed integrating available climate and weather information, both short-term weather and seasonal forecasts, and long-term climate projections, in designing and/or adjusting all programmes and operations to ensure that, at a minimum, they do not place people at increased risk from new climate extremes and once possible and/or appropriate, empower communities to anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate shocks and long-term changes.
In keeping with the theme of locally-led climate change adaptation, a number of stakeholders took part in the workshop. These included, inter alia, the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services, UWI Center of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and Development Control Authority (DCA).
The President of the ABRCS, Dr Jose Humphreys, expressed his elation at the nation-wide collaboration between stakeholders in tackling this climate crisis, and pledged the ABRCS’s continued support and involvement in championing locally-led climate resilient programmes.
