From February 29th to March 5th 2024, Project Lead Investigator, Dr. Deborah Villaroel Lamb, and Project Assistants, Andrew Williams and Simone Ganpat, attended two-day training workshops as part of the “Strengthening Adaptation Planning processes and capacity for successful implementation of adaptation actions in the Agricultural and Water sectors of Trinidad and Tobago” project implemented by The Cropper Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). These preliminary workshops, which were the first set of a planned workshop series across Trinidad and Tobago, focused on strengthening capacities in climate adaptation and producing a cohort of trained “Climate Risk Resilience Champions” in the water/agricultural sector.

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A robust framewwork

No Column Title – 1100 The workshops aimed to generally familiarize participants with the Climate Adaptation Pathways approach, while also facilitating early thinking of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that may be adopted in effectively implementing and reporting output from this approach. The Climate Adaptation Pathways methodology is the preferred adaptation planning strategy of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It was understood that this approach offers a robust framework for dealing with the uncertainties and complexities of ‘wicked problems’ such as those linked to climate change. The Climate Adaptation Pathways approach addresses this complexity through the consideration of multiple future scenarios, evaluating vulnerabilities under these projected conditions, and exploring various solutions or Pathways. No Section Title – 1102 No Column Title – 1104

Creative diverse pathways

No Column Title – 1106 Participants were challenged in the workshop to apply the Climate Adaptation Pathways approach to a hypothetical situation related to a water resource and/or agricultural problem. This activity proved to be fruitful, as it allowed for the creation of diverse pathways and potential for robust analysis informed by varying perspectives. It also created an early juncture to identify challenges; for example, the selection of a single appropriate evaluation indicator and a mechanism for prioritizing adaptation pathway options proved to be quite difficult. No Section Title – 1114 No Column Title – 1115

Integrating NbS into planning and decision-making

No Column Title – 1117 The Climate Adaptation Pathways Approach provides an avenue for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to be integrated into planning and decision-making processes as the process inherently necessitates the consideration of various scenarios, approaches and potential outcomes. As our project works towards the improved uptake of NbS regionally, these workshops supported the expansion of our stakeholder networks, allowed for improved collaboration with decision makers and provided an opportunity for building synergies with other ongoing projects.