Roseau. April 15, 2015. Over 30 community members from the Soufriere-Scotts Head-Gallion area and representatives from various government ministries completed a three dimensional model of their communities to help with spatial planning. The completed model was formally handed over to the Soufriere-Scotts Head-Gallion Village Council on April 14, 2015 with the understanding that it can be used by other organisations to assist with spatial planning. This is part of the project Caribbean Aqua- Terrestrial Solutions (CATS) - Adaptation of Rural Economies to Climate Change funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) (formerly the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute [CEHI]) on behalf of CARICOM, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The three dimensional model allowed community members to identify areas that have not appeared on formal maps and facilitated free and open dialogue with the government ministry representatives about challenges with the current location of farms and potential location of moorings in the Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve. Climate change was also introduced and the potential impact on the resources and enterprises in the area were noted by the participants. The completed model can be used to facilitate further dialogue among organisations and people on spatial planning (e.g. disaster evacuation zones, possible sites for farms, etc.). Participants were particularly enthusiastic about the simplicity of the process that allowed them to use common craft material to create a model that can be used to facilitate sensitive and/or controversial topics. This process was facilitated by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI).

About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute is a regional, technical, non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, capacity building and fostering regional partnerships.

For further information: Please see http://www.canari.org/participatory-three-dimensional-modelling-of-watersheds-for-the-project-adaptation-of-rural-economies-and-natural-resources-to-climate-change/