Building Resilience to Climate Change in Indonesia .

Developed by a consortium of Indonesian government agencies, the Indonesia Climate Adaptation Tool for Coastal Habitats (I-CATCH) mitigates vulnerability to climate change by helping villagers compile information necessary for assessments and facilitating creation of data-driven village action plans. I-CATCH uses a participatory approach in which community members actively engage in the assessments and information-gathering process. Results from use of the tool, which is a manual guiding the assessments, will provide early warning reports that the government can use to prevent or mitigate the impact of climate change on coastal villages.

The Indonesian government has taken full ownership of I-CATCH and is using it to help coastal communities prepare for the future. “I-CATCH was designed in Indonesia, by Indonesians, for Indonesia, and it will help the country move into the future,” said IMACS Chief of Party Richard Mounsey. I-CATCH is being implemented in the first of 100 villages by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and IMACS and is being used by the ministry for planning. Early warning about vulnerabilities means the government can take action sooner rather than later.

In addition to I-CATCH, one of the management approaches introduced, known as data-poor stock assessment, emphasizes the collection of distribution data. Fishery specialists were trained to track and report where fish are actually caught rather than the port of arrival, as well as the fish size and species composition of each catch. “Knowing the stock structure of a fishery is essential for predicting future catch levels and the long-term sustainability of resources,” said Mounsey. IMACS is working with the fisheries industry and the Indonesian government to explore a public-private partnership that would ensure sustainable finance for data-poor stock assessments after the project closes.

Through IMACS, Chemonics is supporting the Indonesian government’s efforts to address destructive practices that affect the sustainability of marine fisheries. The project also aims to improve coastal communities’ responses to near-term disasters and the long-term impact related to climate change.