Twenty-six Haitian government employees have benefitted from the first component of a three stage training programme on how to incorporate climate change planning and risk management in their development planning and decision making processes. This as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved a sum of USD69,635 to finance the costs of training workshops to support the roll-out of the Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaption Tool (CCORAL) in Haiti. The initial stage of the training was conducted during the week of 21st to 25th September 2015 The CCORAL system is a climate risk management tool, which assists decision-makers to understand the various climate-related risks that may affect upcoming projects and developments, identify actions that minimize and mitigate climate related loss, and build climate resilient development in their countries. It is specific to the Caribbean region. During the first stage of the programme, the 26 participants were exposed to an initial training workshop in the use of CCORAL, as well as a 'train the trainer' component, which provided them with the capacity to train other public sector employees in the proper use of the tool. The final stage will include consultations with policy-makers, where participants will present their findings and recommendations. The project is expected to be completed in Haiti by December 2015. Cheryl Dixon, Coordinator, Environmental Sustainability Unit at CDB said: “The Caribbean region is characterized by high variability in climate, and climate change is a reality which we have to ensure that we are adequately prepared for. Haiti, like many other Caribbean nations, is vulnerable to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. A critical element in the development of climate change policies is proper climate risk management tools. The introduction of CCORAL is one such tool, and CDB continues to emphasize the importance of integrating climate change risk management strategies in the development of projects and programmes." CCORAL was developed for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) by Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) with funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development, and has so far been introduced to Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia and Suriname. CDB has funded further expansion of the training in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The roll-out of CCORAL to these countries, including Haiti, is done jointly by CDB and CCCCC.