PRESENTATIONS

QUICK CONTACT

For additional information contact:

ccarr@ub.edu.bs
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas

What is the CCARR Centre?

The Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research (CCARR) Centre at University of The Bahamas (UB) was established in 2019 in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. This unprecedented storm highlighted the significant vulnerability of The Bahamas and other small island developing states (SIDS) to the existential threats posed by climate change. The storm underscored the extreme risks facing human systems – such as communities, businesses, governmental and non-governmental organizations –  to both extreme events and slow onset changes like sea level rise.

In this context, the CCARR Centre was founded as a resource for SIDS and coastal communities throughout the world to effectively address the human dimensions of climate change. The Centre will focus on the impacts of climate change on societies in at-risk regions and how members of these communities can best prepare for and respond to the many risks posed by this pressing issue.

Vision

The CCARR Centre will be internationally known as a resource for small island developing states and coastal communities facing the threat of climate change through comprehensive research and guidance that focuses on the human dimensions of climate change to ensure climate-resilient futures for those most at risk.

Mission

The CCARR Centre is a University-wide effort to provide high-quality and evidence-based support for communities, governmental and non-governmental organizations and the private sector to prepare for the risks presented by climate change and address impacts holistically.   Working with global partners, the CCARR Centre conducts research, policy engagement, education and outreach to support small island developing states and coastal communities in addressing the existential threat posed by climate change.

Message from the Director - Dr. Adelle Thomas

Small island developing states (SIDS) have long been recognized as being on ‘the frontlines’ of climate change. High vulnerability and significant exposure to hazards such as tropical cyclones, sea level rise and ocean warming and acidification all lead to SIDS being at high risk to climate change. Within these countries, climate change is already having significant impacts, from extensive damage to communities and infrastructure caused by extreme events, to coastal erosion and salinization of water resources from slow onset events like sea level rise.

While there has been much research on the global scale about the causes and consequences of climate change, there is a paucity of research and support that focuses on SIDS. In particular, there is limited research coming from institutions and scholars in these vulnerable islands that experience first-hand the impacts of climate change and the challenges that are faced in addressing these issues.

The Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre addresses this research gap and informs evidence-based policies and programmes that improve the resilience of SIDS and coastal communities around the world. We focus on the human dimensions of climate change – how are communities, particularly social groups and society at large affected by climate change and how can we best respond? We focus on adaptation and disaster risk management, as SIDS are currently experiencing escalating climate change impacts and need support to address these challenges.  We also conduct research on loss and damage, a critical issue for which SIDS have been advocating since the initial development of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Importantly, our research is grounded in the SIDS experience, highlighting the thought leadership of scholars from SIDS regions while collaborating with international partners. As the CCARR Centre is a new initiative, we very much welcome collaborating with national, regional and international partners as we develop this hub for research, policy support, education and outreach on the human dimensions of climate change.

We conduct high-quality research in the small island developing state and coastal community context related to:

  • Climate change adaptation: anticipating the effects of climate change on human systems and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimize the damage impacts can cause;
  • Loss and damage: identifying the detrimental impacts – both economic and non-economic – of climate change that occur despite adaptation efforts;
  • Comprehensive disaster risk management: assessing, responding to, recovering from and reducing the risks of extreme events in an era of climate change.

We work with national and international public and private sector agencies to support the development of policies, plans, strategies and projects related to climate change adaptation, loss and damage and comprehensive disaster risk management in the small island developing state and coastal community context.

We host and participate in public events on current issues related to the human dimensions of climate change, with a focus on relaying current academic findings which are relevant to island communities and translating scientific research to layman’s terms. We serve as a resource on climate change issues for the public. We engage and collaborate with a broad range of international organizations including academia, private sector, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Risk Management and Climate Change Panel – January 2020

Director of the CCARR Centre, Dr. Adelle Thomas, took part in the Risk Management and Climate Change panel hosted by the Office of Enterprise Risk Management at University of The Bahamas. Her presentation on comprehensive risk management in coastal zones provides a framework for understanding how risk can be conceptualized and addressed holistically. A recording of the event is available here:

Happening now…Risk Management and Climate Change panel discussion.

Posted by University of The Bahamas on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

For additional information contact:

ccarr@ub.edu.bs
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas