Abstract

Caribbean coastal communities and the ecosystem services they depend upon are at the frontline of some of the most serious threats from environmental change. Anthropogenic activities related to fishing and tourism, and the environ-mental pressures of climate change poses challenges for coastal livelihoods, food security and conservation of marine biodiversity. The CARIBSAVE Partnership has embarked upon three coastal projects to assist communities confront the effects of climate change, by providing resources, training and support (financial, managerial, operational and tech-nical) to coastal micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) including fisheries and tourism. The Caribbean Fish Sanctuaries Partnership (C-FISH) Initiative works with four Caribbean countries and over eight communities to increase resilience through improved fish sanctuary management. The Greening MSMEs project assists MSMEs across Barbados (three communities) to implement technologies and behavioural changes in their businesses which reduce their overall carbon footprint and facilitate livelihood changes that are economically and environmentally sustainable. The Climate Change, Coastal Community Enterprises, Adaptation, Resilience, and Knowledge (CCCCE-ARK) project provides MSMEs from eight communities in four Caribbean countries the opportunity to exchange experiences, build networks and relationships, produce adaptation plans, and explore ways of adapting their livelihoods to climate change, under the guidance of experts at local institutions at the forefront of this work in the region. Preliminary insights of these three ongoing projects show that transformative impacts on livelihoods can be achieved through enhanced capacity, information sharing and strengthening opportunities for alternative livelihoods within and between sectors, thus encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to combating climate change.

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