CARP+ LAC region

Central America is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by natural phenomena and, despite being a region of little significance in the global emission of greenhouse gases and climate change, the impact generated in the region is catastrophic, mainly affecting the most disadvantaged people, infrastructure, housing, agriculture and interruption of basic services. Hurricanes, heavy rainfall, landslides that sweep away populations, droughts or floods that condemn agriculture; This climate variability, to which factors of vulnerability and poverty are added, are the main challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean, as warned by Peruvian climatologist José Antonio Marengo, lead author of the study State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Meteorological Organization -WMO- (Marengo, 2022).

For this reason, the need to support a new generation of young and early career researchers from universities in the Central American region, the Caribbean and South America is recognized, creating dynamic university research groups on adaptation to climate change and risk reduction and disasters that foster regional communities of academics, professionals and legislators who can exchange experiences, knowledge and successes with each other with the aim of generating solutions for the benefit of society.

And this is how the CARP+ Project ?A New Generation Of Climate Adaptation Research For Disaster Risk Reduction? (A new Generation of researchers for disaster risk reduction and climate change, in its Spanish translation) which aims to strengthen disaster planning and preparation through applied and localized research in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the Global South. This project creates a Climate Adaptation Research Program (CARP) that supports young and early-career scientists for research on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction in African regions. , Latin America and the Caribbean, the Western Pacific and the Pacific Islands.  

Therefore, from January 22 to 26, a meeting was held at the University of Arizona with the members of the CARP+ program with the objective of establishing a common vision of work for all regions, identifying expanded priorities for research awards that will be awarded, clarify the coordination approach and the details of project management, to review the expectations of each of the team members and the collective objectives and carry out joint planning on how to address the central challenges that arise in the implementation of the same.

The program is designed to involve actors relevant to humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction, as well as decision makers, in the research process and dissemination activities. By promoting this collaborative form of research, it is expected to generate relevant evidence and applied research results that contribute to generating information for local disaster risk reduction agencies and building resilience strategies for mitigation and reduction of vulnerabilities.

The CARP+ project is being implemented by the University of Arizona, in conjunction with regional partners for the involvement of 55 countries, higher education institutions and/or networks of higher education institutions. Funding for the project has been awarded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), as the highest authority of the Central American University Confederation, is in charge of the Regional Coordination Unit (UCR) for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the purpose of managing regional funds to support research on adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction.  

The CSUCA coordinates and articulates among the member universities, the 08 regional systems that make it up and the 07 programs stipulated in the Fifth Plan for the Regional Integration of Higher Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic (PIRESC V), approved at the IX University Congress Central American, carried out in 2021, which constitutes the institution's work plan for the next 10 years.

In this sense, this project is supported by the Program: Research, Science, Technology and Innovation for Regional Integration and Development, executed by the Central American and Caribbean Regional Research and Postgraduate System (SIRCIP); stipulated in the Fifth Plan for the Regional Integration of Higher Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic (PIRESC V), approved at the IX Central American University Congress, held in 2021.

Which, according to its nature, ensures the strengthening, guidance, support, coordination, harmonization and integration of research and postgraduate studies, with a regional focus. Likewise, in the Central American University Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction (PUCARRD), which responds to the commitment expressed by universities (Francisco Alarcón, 2017), among others.

The Regional Coordination Unit that coordinates the CSUCA, will work hand in hand with the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) at the University of Arizona, who are responsible for supervising the management of funds, promoting the activities of the global CARP+ community , provide support to regions in partnership and work to expand university, professional and legislator networks.

In accordance with the main objectives of the CARP+ strategy, at the regional level it is intended to obtain the following results:

1. Institutional diagnosis to identify if the participating universities have Research Institutes and what their technical capacity is.
2. Scientific exchange and collaboration networks created and/or strengthened in the countries that make up the CSUCA, with the participation of other Latin American countries, considering the priorities of the region.
3. Funds allocated to support projects of a new generation of young and early career researchers at universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, around the issues of adaptation to climate change related to disaster risk reduction.
4. Produce applied research results that focus on solving problems around climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and that can be made available to national and local decision makers.

To comply with these results, the CARP+ Project, through the UCR for Latin America, will be awarded competitively over a period of 5 years to applied research projects corresponding to early career researchers with a prize of up to $10,000.00 per project to be developed in a maximum of 12 months. (Early career research staff refers to professionals within 7 years of obtaining their highest degree at master's and/or doctoral level); and 6 awards of up to $70,000 for projects that form collaboration networks in applied research, which will have a maximum execution duration of 2 years, and must be integrated by a minimum of three higher education institutions from three different countries. the Latin American and Caribbean region.

For both modalities, research supported by these Award Grants will have the opportunity to share their findings and challenges with the global CARP community, having access to experts from all participating regions, strengthening South-South collaboration and developing new solutions to the local problems of their communities.