The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) congratulates 11 organizations for their successful funding applications made under the CBF Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Facility’s 1st Call for Proposals. Grants totalling US$12 Million and ranging in size from US$ 260,000 to US$2 million will be provided for the implementation of EbA solutions within the marine and coastal zones of 10 Caribbean countries. “EbA has been recognized to be among the most cost-effective approaches in addressing climate risk” shared Karim ould Chih, Chairman of the EbA Facility Committee which has oversight responsibility for the Facility. “The EbA Committee is extremely pleased with the transparent and effective process employed in the identification and selection of projects” he added. The EbA approach employs the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people in adapting to the adverse effects of climate change
“We had a tremendous response to our first Call for Proposals resulting in a very competitive process” reflected Joth Singh, EbA Facility Programme Manager. “The 11 projects to be funded in the insular Caribbean will provide a range of actions including protected areas’ management, restoration and rehabilitation of ecosystems, reduction of land-based stressors, measures to reduce physical damage and pressures on ecosystems, installation of artificial reefs and hybrid solutions relevant to the EbA approach” Singh added. The projects will be collectively implemented in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago.
The successful lead agencies are (in alphabetical order): Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, Dominican Institute for Integrated Development, Fauna & Flora International, Fundación Grupo Puntacana, Fundación REDDOM Rural Economic Development Dominicana, Grenada Community Development Agency, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation On Agriculture, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, Mona GeoInformatics Institute – University of the West Indies, Saint Lucia National Trust, and the University of the West Indies – Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies. CBF Chief Executive Officer, Yabanex Batista, was delighted on completing the selection process. “We expect that
agreements with the selected organizations will be signed in November of this year leading to funds being disbursed soon thereafter” expressed Batista.
The EbA Facility aims to issue a second call for proposals in February 2020. The Facility’s resources are a contribution of the German Federal Ministry of Environment’s International Climate Initiative through KfW, the German Development Bank.
