Project Detail

Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction of Persons with Disability and other Vulnerable Groups in Jamaica

Climate change impacts are particularly felt by vulnerable groups such as youth, women, children and persons with disabilities (PWD?s). Jamaica?s Disaster Response system has limited provision for PWD?s (estimated at 10 per cent of the population) therefore leaving them extremely vulnerability to death, injury and abandonment during disasters. Additionally, their needs are mostly unmet re climate adaptation.

The needs of Persons with Disabilities and other vulnerable groups are not adequately reflected in Jamaica?s planning and resilience framework for climate change. The project seeks to improve the participation of the blind and visually impaired, youth and vulnerable farmers in CC and DRR activities as well as improve their awareness through the following activities:

1. Work closely with the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the sole provider of a school for the blind and visually impaired children in Jamaica located in St. Andrew (Kingston 8). The intervention will see the conversion of knowledge products on climate change and disaster risk reduction and management to braille and large prints for distribution to the following: Salvation Army School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Jamaica Society for the Blind, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, Abilities Foundation and Combined Disabilities. There will also be a special presentation on CC and DRR to the school made by representatives from key organizations on climate change impacts and disaster planning and preparedness for the blind and visually impaired.
2. Engage at least 8 participating schools within the EHF Schools Wellness Club Programme in a CC and DRR seminar and competitions in poster, essay, poetry and special projects. Approximately 200 students and their teachers will be directly impacted by this initiative.
3. Engage at least 10 Farmers? Groups, especially those with youth and women involvement in CC and DRR workshops and consultations.

The project is designed to work with these populations, but more specifically children and their families, schools and first responders including community responders to bring even greater awareness to CC and DRR issues, influence policies, community resilience and readiness. These efforts will be aided by collaborations with the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Combined Disabilities Association, ODPEM and the Parish Disaster Coordinators, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Climate Change Division, the Rural Agricultural Authority, Schools (through EHF?s Schools Wellness Clubs), Farmers? Groups and other relevant stakeholder groups.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Environmental Health Foundation

Country:

Jamaica

Area Of Work:

Community Based Adaptation

Operational Phase:

OP6 - Y5 (Jul 19-Jun 20)

Grant Amount:

US$ 47,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 42.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 59,550.00

Project Number:

JAM/AusAID/2019/10

Start Date:

12/2019

End Date:

6/2020

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

Braille machines; canes; braille booklets

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Project Characteristics and Results

Notable Community Participation

Climate change impacts are particularly felt by vulnerable groups such as youth, women, children and persons with disabilities (PWD?s). Jamaica?s Disaster Response system has limited provision for PWD?s (estimated at 10 per cent of the population) therefore leaving them extremely vulnerability to death, injury and abandonment during disasters. Additionally, their needs are mostly unmet re climate adaptation. The needs of Persons with Disabilities and other vulnerable groups are not adequately reflected in Jamaica?s planning and resilience framework for climate change. The project seeks to improve the participation of the blind and visually impaired youth in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction activities as well as improve their awareness through the following activities: 1. Work closely with the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the sole provider of a school for the blind and visually impaired children in Jamaica located in St. Andrew (Kingston 8). The intervention will see the conversion of knowledge products on climate change and disaster risk reduction and management to braille and large prints for distribution to the following: Salvation Army School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Jamaica Society for the Blind, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, Abilities Foundation and Combined Disabilities. There will also be a special presentation on CC and DRR to the school made by representatives from key organizations on climate change impacts and disaster planning and preparedness for the blind and visually impaired. 2. Engage at least 8 participating schools within the EHF Schools Wellness Club Programme in a CC and DRR seminar and competitions in poster, essay, poetry and special projects. Approximately 200 students and their teachers will be directly impacted by this initiative. 3. Engage at least 10 Farmers? Groups, especially those with youth and women involvement in CC and DRR workshops and consultations.

Planning non gef grant

It is the intention of EHF to continue to engage members of the disabled community, specifically the blind to ensure their continued access to information to increased their knowledge of climate change and disaster risk reduction; as well as access to other opportunities to improve their resilience and independence.

Linkages gef projects

Linkages were created with other GEF projects and with government agencies such as the University of the West Indies; Climate Change Division; Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Jamaica Library Service

Planning gef grant

N/A

Policy Influence

N/A

Replication of project activities

N/A

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Not applicable

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Promoting CC and DRR in schools will greatly aid the sustainability of the project?s intervention as this information will continue to be passed on each year to students. Students will in turn share this information in their homes and communities, thereby assisting with the message of climate change adaptation and resilience. It is also envisaged that the respective agencies will continue to work with the target groups to further continue the conversations and knowledge sharing interventions

Policy Impact

The Climate Change Policy Framework and Action Plan recognizes that it is critical for climate change issues to be addressed in public policies, and that there is coherence among the policies. Additionally, Jamaica signed on to the Paris Agreement in 2015 and ratified it in 2016. According to the Agreement, countries should ?when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity.? Based on Jamaica?s policy framework and commitment, the country should participate and contribute meaningfully to helping the international community find practical solutions in tackling global climate change. Farmers and persons with disabilities and their families, are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change as well as other global environmental issues. As Jamaica moves to develop sustainably and increase its resilience to climate change, persons with disabilities need to participate in their design and implementation.

Gender Focus

The Environmental Health Foundation (2018) notes that small-scale farmers in particular have been impacted by deforestation, land slippage, bush fires, drought, hurricanes and soil erosion. In particular, intense, intermittent rainfall coupled with the impacts of drought has severely reduced yield and diversification of crops, and exposure to diseases which in turn has threatened farmer?s livelihoods. These problems have been compounded by poor environmental practices such as slash and burn and charcoal burning. In response to these concerns, the Environmental Health Foundation has been focused on Climate Change and Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness and Emergency Management for vulnerable groups mainly farmers with unique focus on women, youth and those with disabilities. It is through our past and current interventions that we realize how much the disabled community is marginalized and revealed that people with disabilities: ? Are particularly vulnerable in disaster situations including extreme weather events and are more likely than others to be left behind or abandoned during evacuation; ? Experience discrimination and gaps in access to quality services, infrastructure and resources during recovery and reconstruction; ? Lack personal emergency plans to ensure access to information, resources and facilities.

Capacity - Building Component

The Environmental Health Foundation recognizes how critical it is to educate, provide training and tools to aid with increased awareness on climate change and its impacts and disaster risk reduction strategies among vulnerable groups including the disabled, youths and farmers. The project is designed to work with these populations, but more specifically children and their families, schools and first responders including community responders to bring even greater awareness to CC and DRR issues, influence policies, community resilience and readiness. These efforts will be aided by collaborations with the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Combined Disabilities Association, ODPEM and the Parish Disaster Coordinators, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Climate Change Division, the Rural Agricultural Authority, Schools (through EHF?s Schools Wellness Clubs), Farmers? Groups and other relevant stakeholder groups.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The conversion of essential climate change and disaster management knowledge products increases awareness of the impacts and develops the users? capacity to become more resilient and prepared. Expanding this access to the blind and visually impaired, to youths and continuous engagement of farmers (most vulnerable to extreme events) will only sustain the penetration of CC and DRR knowledge and by extension improve capacity and resilience among each group. Knowledge development and information sharing is a continuous process and the best approach to sustaining any programme. The project?s sustainability will have to be seen in light of the capacity development of the project beneficiaries, the partnerships/collaborations strengthened and the outputs including tools/materials developed and disseminated under the project. Educational materials on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction will be converted for the blind and visually impaired. These will take the form of large print braille materials, including booklets.It is expected that these will continue to be used by the stakeholders and integrated into their own programme of work. The capacity development programme should be regarded as an investment to be mobilized for the design of future projects and the expansion of current interventions. Activities will include: 1. A climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction poster, essay,poetry and talent competition will be organized for school's participating in the Environmental Health Foundation Wellness Programme. 2. Climate Change seminar to be held for school's within the wellness programme. 3. Climate change workshop to be held for farmers' groups.

Project sustainability

There is a great level of sustainability and continuity to be gained through the publication of knowledge products that will benefit over 4,000 persons island-wide. Increased knowledge on CC and DRR among the disabled community will allow them to better prepare for and plan during and after disasters, thus sustaining their lives and livelihoods.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

not applicable

Project Results

Converted the following to braille:
- 1,000 copies of the booklet: ?When Disaster Strikes Be Ready ? A survival guide for persons with disabilities? ? received from the Combined Disabilities Association
- 1,000 copies of brochure: ?Climate Change and its Impacts? ? received from the Climate Change Division within the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation
- 200 copies of: Alignment of Vision 2030 Jamaica with the Social Development Goals (SDGs)
Converted braille booklet to large print (for the visually impaired) which were printed and distributed.
Eleven (11) sets of CC and DRR knowledge products Including the above braille products) were printed and distributed to GEF Small Grants Programme; Climate Change Division; Salvation Army School for the blind and Visually Impaired; Combined Disabilities Association; Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities; Jamaica Library Service, Jamaica Society for the blind ? distributed to their over 3000 members.

Hosted Handing Over Ceremony for the Braille Booklets on August 16, 2020. Representatives from the following organizations attended and participated: Climate Change Division ? Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation; Salvation Army School for the blind and Visually Impaired; Combined Disabilities Association; Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities; Jamaica Library Service; The Jamaica Observer (media) ? See media link: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20201017/disastersurvival-guide-braille-launched

Converted to LARGE PRINT the booklet ?When Disaster Strikes Be Ready ? A survival guide for persons with disabilities?. 3,000 copies printed and distributed. At least 3,000 persons who are visually impaired and who work with the blind (but can?t read braille) and other disabled persons within select primary/secondary schools benefitted from this activity.

Through participation in climate change and disaster risk reduction poster; essay, poetry and poster competitions, over 300 students increased their awareness of climate change related risks to natural resources. Competition organized among 11 primary and secondary schools (Salvation Army Schools for the Blind and Visually Impaired; St. Theresa Preparatory; St. John?s Preparatory; Servite Primary; St. Richard?s Primary; Lanaman?s Preparatory; Red Hills Primary; Kemps Hill High; West Wood High; Ferncourt High. Of the 11 primary/secondary schools engaged, 5 schools participated in the climate
change and disaster risk reduction poster; essay; poetry and special projects competitions. Entries were received from 25 students (16 boys and 9 girls)

One farmers group comprising of 10 active members benefitted from a solar powered water pump to support their aquaponics farming activities.

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Indicators

Biophysical

VRA6: Sustainability of project intervention 10

Empowerment

Number and type of support linkages established with local governments/authorities 1

Empowerment

Number and type of support linkages established with national government institutions 2

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