Purpose: The purpose of this working paper is to present an innovative and participatory methodology to identify and overcome climate adaptation barriers and an example of its application in Seychelles.

Design/methodology/approach: The approach builds upon stakeholder mapping (i.e. Net-Map) and uses barrier and practical actions cards to support stakeholders through the process of identifying together potential adaptation barriers and potential actions that can be implemented to overcome them. The approach was used in workshops in four Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Jamaica, Mauritius, Seychelles and St Lucia. In each island, the workshops involved national and local level actors from three sectors: agriculture, fisheries and tourism.

Findings: In Seychelles, the methodology highlighted the preponderance of the national ministries and agencies in planning climate adaptation and the still limited inclusion of local actors in planning or implementing adaptation actions. It also allowed the identification of adaptation barriers, all linked to a lack of climate change evidence and data related to climate change vulnerability. Practical actions to overcome this, point towards the creation of an institutional set up for climate change data collection and the establishment of a national adaptation office to coordinate and implement research and monitoring activities that would involve all stakeholders in collecting data and sharing knowledge.

Originality/value: The participatory identification of adaptation barrier and how to overcome them could be a successful planning process that reconciles national adaptation policies with the implementation of local adaptation actions. It involves different stakeholders devising solutions that not only are in the line with national adaptation policies but also are a step towards reducing vulnerability against climate extremes at local level. Prioritising the identified barriers that are surmountable and that can already be addressed within the islands’ capacities would be the beginning of building climate resilience at national and local level.

Picture: Franck Vervial