al protection, and a terrestrial component, CATS-1, which leads all projects related to adaptive measures in agriculture, forestry, and water/wastewater management.
The CATS programme is executed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German federal ministry for economic cooperation and development (BMZ) and by the Environmental Health and Sustainable Development Department of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on behalf of CARICOM.
CATS adopts a 'ridge-to-reef' approach that follows many of the lessons learnt and approaches from the GEF-funded integrating watershed and coastal areas management (GEF-IWCAM) project -- guided by a deep understanding that agricultural, forestry and water/wastewater management operations upstream exert a direct influence on coastal and marine ecosystems.
CATS-2 focuses on marine protected areas (MPAs) in five Eastern Caribbean countries, namely, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Hence, in keeping with the integrated watershed and coastal areas management 'ridge-to-reef' approach, CATS-1 centres its activities on the watersheds upstream, adjacent to the respective MPAs.
Additionally, CATS-1 supports adaptive measures in agriculture, forestry, and water management in Jamaica, Belize and Guyana. Between April and June 2014, CATS-1's principal advisor, Eva Maria Näher (GIZ), organised and conducted two-day planning workshops with various stakeholders from the agricultural, water and forestry sectors in the five CARICOM member states of Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The aim was to identify priorities with regard to adaptation measures to climate change in agriculture and forestry and to formulate an operational plan for each country.
As part of the two-day workshops, the stakeholders participated in field visits to the MPAs and adjacent watersheds for on-the-spot discussions on the linkages between agricultural and other land use activities, and the adverse effects of land degradation and water pollution into the coastal areas. All projects and activities developed will be undertaken in a practical and hands-on manner and collaboratively by farmers groups located in respective watersheds, while being actively supported by dedicated national liaison officers and project implementation teams.
The main activities identified by stakeholders in the countries include (i) training to improve capacities and the development of demonstration plots for good agricultural practices, (ii) establishment of agroforestry-systems, (iii) reforestation of degraded areas, (iv) implementation of water conservation measures (including rainwater harvesting and storage techniques), and (v) land capability assessments to inform land use optimization and (vi) investments in alternative livelihood solutions.
To complement the national planning workshops and foster collaboration among key regional agencies concerned with agriculture, forestry, water and rural development, a focus-group regional agency meeting was held on July 10 at CARPHA's headquarters in Trinidad.
Participating agencies included the Caribbean Farmers Network (CAFAN), the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Inter- American Institute for the Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the University of the West Indies (UWI).
The objective of this focus-group meeting was to exchange experiences and expertise in the field and to assess prospective partnership opportunities with the CATS Programme. CATS-1 is aiming to foster strong partnerships and generate valuable synergies between stakeholders whose livelihoods depend on the conservation and sustainable use of fragile and vulnerable marine and terrestrial resources and ecosystems, and the organisations both at the nati