BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Australia will use its expertise in guiding the Caribbean adapt to climate change and manage its coral reefs.
Coral reefs provide benefits to the Caribbean valued at over four billion annually. The reefs of the Caribbean are of great importance in providing shoreline protection, habitat for healthy fisheries and an essential attraction for the tourism sector, the Belize Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC).
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) have agreed to a two-year programme that will also be used to address some of the key challenges identified in “Climate Change and the Caribbean: A regional framework for acgieving development resilient to Climate Change (2009-2015) developed by the CCCCC’s senior programme development specialist, Keith Nichols, says the partnership allows for valuable expertise and knowledge to be shared and will make a real difference to the region’s marine environment.