ICURA Start-Up Preliminary Discussion

ICURA Start-UpPreliminary Discussion

Thursday, June 4, 2009Telfer School of Management

University of Ottawa

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Review of ICURA Project ProposalProject title:

“Managing adaptation to environmental change in coastal communities: Canada and the Caribbean”

Award notification: March 11, 2009Formal announcement: PendingFunding award: “As requested”

Canadian portion awarded: $967,500 (as requested)Funds held at University of Ottawa, Research

Grants & Ethics (no account assigned to date)Committee and detailled comments

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Formal Proposal: General Objectives1. develop local community capacity to close the gaps between inevitable

environmental change and the urgent need for local coastal communities to adapt their own efforts to anticipate and plan for environmental impacts to their physical, economic, and social well-being

2. improve planning for adaptation through the development and incorporation of new policy and management measures consistent with established planning theory and guidelines, and the local context, through the identification and implementation of practical local alternatives for coastal resource management

3. focus on immediate and downstream consequences to coastal communities of the insidious effects of sea level rise and the potential catastrophic impacts of extreme weather events

4. establish formal collaboration and mutual co-learning opportunities among the selected Canadian and Caribbean coastal communities on comparative research on policy implementation for adaptation to coastal environmental shifts

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Definition of Communities1. Governance and local decision makers

municipal governments 2. Private and public infrastructure services

planners and design professionals, utilities and services, insurance

3. Business and economic activity organizations corporations, small businesses, boards of trade and commerce

4. Citizens’ groups environmental advocates, indigenous communities

5. Affected individuals especially special interest or disadvantaged members of the

local society who are socially differentiated by poverty and across gender, class, race and age

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Coastal Communities:Threat Criteriai. serious, immediate threats to infrastructure and or

natural environments (e.g. tourism infrastructure, natural resources, habitats, species), and to area residents (e.g. livelihoods, family structure, cultural assets, and vulnerabilities derived from poverty/gender issues)

ii. ease of access to available data iii. opportunities for partnerships and alliancesiv. team member familiarity with area and/or

community champions in place

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Program Objectives1. Community objectives

1. Establish formal Community-University alliances2. Strengthen community institutional arrangements3. Establish long-term linkages4. Prepare community action plans

2. University objectives1. Develop academic alliances2. Collaborate on global research3. Develop new curricula

3. Joint Community-University Alliances objectives1. Identify the short and long term vulnerabilities2. Mobilize knowledge and innovation3. Build capacity4. Develop impact scenarios, and prepare adaptation action

plans

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The Research Process: Strategies1. Community engagement2. Scenario development3. Capacity building4. New governance options5. Practical implementation

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The Research Process: Activities1. Study area selection2. Community support group3. Database development4. Alternative scenarios5. Cumulative effects analysis6. Adaptive capacity7. Risk analysis8. Policy and instruments9. Strategic Adaptation Plans

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The Research Process: MilestonesYear 1

Establish project website Establish Community-University Support Groups

Year 2 Develop sensitivity and vulnerability indices Prepare community spatial models with baseline indices (GIS, SD)

Year 3 Work with community groups for ‘buy-in’ (SSM) Provide training in spatial and vulnerability index use (VI)

Year 4 Prepare documents for local dissemination Discuss, review, and feedback (AHP)

Year 5 Develop Final Report

June 4, 2009

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Methodology1. Problem definition2. Data collection and community database

(SSM, SD)3. Visual modelling (GIS)4. Vulnerability modelling (VI)5. Adaptive capacity and resilience modelling

(VI, RI)6. Development and assessment of policy

options (SD)7. Evaluation of group decision making (AHP)8. Implementation of local adaptation planning

and action frameworksJune 4, 2009

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Project Outcomes4.1 Creation and Communication of

Knowledge – 4.2 Co-Learning – 4.3 Decision Support Tools -4.4 Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators – 4.5 Training -4.6 Community Adaptation Action Plans

(CAAPs) – 4.7 Governance Institutional Advice –

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Project ItineraryDomestic meetings Formal & Informal Integrating (Canada & Caribbean) meetings

Draft Itinerary June 29-30, 2009 SSHRC-IDRC Start-Up End Sept 2009 Canada Co-apps + October 2009 OMRN - ICURA here? Nov 2009 + Partners Feb-March 2010 Canada + Caribbean (T&T); partner site alternative June 2010 CZCA Charlottetown

Annual meeting – conference, presentation of work to date; participants and invited;

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Project ManagementDiscussBudget

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Project LogisticsCommunicationsC-Change Website

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Next StepsJune 4 meeting minutesJune 29-July 2 meetings

SSHRC-IDRC Start-Up workshop (June 29-30)IDRC invitation (July 2)

Follow-up

June 4, 2009