-COTED press conference told
Caricom is working to shape an environmental and natural resources policy framework with a view to adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change on the region.
This was revealed at a press conference at the Guyana International Conference Centre hosted by the Caribbean Community Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) following its 25th special meeting.
COTED has committed to a timeframe of 12 months by which a progress report in the form of a first communication on this framework is to be presented.
According to Chairman of the meeting, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, there were several attempts to have the special meeting on the environment. He said that it was only now that such a meeting was successfully hosted.
“Yesterday saw frank, practical and real discussions on the issues confronting the region,” the Minister said.
He said that the first discussion was on the development and framework-building to expand on the St George’s Declaration. He said that the region has been mandated to coordinate and look at the framework.
The Minister said that core indicators for the region have to be developed so as to guide the formation of the policy framework. He said that mechanisms for statistics have to be strengthened and deficiencies in capacities for data capture and storage need to be identified. He urged that the final document be informed by a consultative process.
The Minister pointed out that COTED agreed on the development of a water management framework and said that for all these efforts political support is needed.
The Minister said that COTED has endorsed a proposal for the extension by one year of a renewable energy project funded by the UNDP. He said that there needs to be an independent review of the project to determine its successes.
He said also that COTED urged member states to determine the way forward on agro-energy.
He added that the region must be careful not to compromise the environment through bio fuel exploits, nor jeopardise food production, as is happening internationally. He vowed that land under food production in Guyana will not be turned into growing materials for bio fuels.
Persaud urged that Ministers within the region become more involved in managing of the marine resources and encourage efforts on the part of regional institutions and agencies towards this end.
Persaud indicated that COTED urged regional leaders and stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) mechanism of the World Bank so that projects of such a nature could be funded.
Minister Persaud said that the region requires more baseline information on the problems faced. “Work is in progress. We will have to make sure the population marches with us [with regard to mitigation and adaptation to climate change],” the Minister said.
Noting that the time to act is now, Douglas Slater, Minister of Health and Environment for St Vincent and the Grenadines said that there is sufficient information on what can happen and what is already happening. “Most of us are seeing some of the effects. Although we don’t have the exact figures, we don’t have to wait for them,” he said.
