About the CATS Programme
Background
The Caribbean Aqua-Terrestrial Solutions (CATS) programme is a climate change adaptation intervention linking ecosystems from the ridge to the reef. The coastal and marine ecosystems of the Caribbean and their coral reefs, in particular, are among the most threatened worldwide. The economies of the fifteen coastal and small island developing states (SIDS) forming the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are highly dependent on the intactness and productivity of the coastal and marine environments, both in terms of direct resource use as well as the use of services deriving from these environments. Given the vulnerability of these CARICOM economies, the management and use of these resources and of various ecosystem services can be described as inadequate and/or unsustainable. One core reason for this, even after decades of recognition and slow-paced improvements, is the low management capacity of the responsible authorities and other key stakeholders.
The CATS Programme
The CATS programme is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented in eight target countries (Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) since 2013, with its second phase commencing in 2017. Three of the countries are considered focal countries, namely Dominica, Grenada and Saint Lucia.
The Programme is being implemented by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in association with a number of other partners.