The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) is part of the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF), a multi-donor Trust Fund within the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). The overall objective of the program is to provide incentives for scaled-up action and transformational change in Integrating consideration of climate resilience in national development planning consistent with poverty reduction and sustainable development goals.

Saint Lucia’s vulnerability to climate change is very high and increasing.   Increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events, such as heavy rainfall, strong winds, drought and high sea temperatures and levels, are already occurring. These and other events have claimed lives, caused severe damage to infrastructure and other economic assets and caused adverse effects on livelihoods. Importantly, these changes and their adverse consequences are projected to escalate in the near and longer terms.  Saint Lucia, like the other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), is highly prone to devastating natural disasters. Its vulnerability can be attributed to (a) its small geographical area, which accounts for the fact that disasters take country‐wide proportions; (b) its location in some of the highest risk areas of the planet, such as mid‐ocean ridges with strong volcanic and seismic activity, tropical cyclone belts, and direct exposure to the forces of the oceans; and (c) the fact that  it is dependent on few sources of income, in the agricultural sector or in tourism, for a substantial part of its gross national product (GNP). These sources of income have been severely reduced for months by a single catastrophic event.  Another critical factor which highlights Saint Lucia’s vulnerability is its limited capacity to reactivate the development process. The fragility of ecosystems, coupled with limited human resources, often preclude any possibility of developing and implementing meaningful disaster‐mitigation programmes.

It is against the background described above, that Saint Lucia is participates in the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).  The PPCR is designed to provide programmatic finance for climate resilient national development plans. The PPCR aims to provide transformational, catalytic and scaled-up support for both the development and implementation of such climate-related plans. Furthermore, its purpose is to provide lessons

over the next few years that might be incorporated and replicated by countries, the development community and the future climate change regime, including the  United  Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Adaptation Fund, and any other climate trust funds established by countries. This experience will be gained through scaled-up interventions covering the full range of sectors and sources of financing, and with sufficient resources to move quickly from planning to action. The PPCR in Saint Lucia is led by the Ministry of Physical Development and the Environment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and National Development. NEXT WEEK:  The phases of the PPCR discussed.