On Wednesday 15 December 2021, the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network Trinidad and Tobago project or BES-Net TT project, was virtually launched. The two-year project is administered by the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is financed by the BES Solutions Fund of the Global Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network. A Project Management Unit (PMU) has been created within the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD), MPD to facilitate implementation of the Project.
In keeping with the country’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, this project will focus attention on a special group of organisms that play an important role in plant productivity: our pollinators. The ecosystem service performed by these animals – bees, beetles, butterflies, birds and bats among others – cannot be overstated as they perform a critical role, with pollination being a first step in plant reproduction, leading to fruit and seed formation.
Yoko Kurauchi, Policy Specialist and Coordinator of BES-Net Global underscored this fact, by stating at the launch the urgency and importance of the project for pollinator conservation and food security. This sentiment was echoed by other speakers at the launch event, among them Ms. Rosemary Lall, Programme Officer at the UNDP and Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, MPD.
The launch was attended by over one hundred (100) persons including Government agency representatives, members of local environmental groups and members of the Trinidad and Tobago Beekeepers Association. Dr. Lena Dempewolf, Biodiversity Specialist in the EPPD provided an overview of the project, outlining its focus on three key areas of research, policy and knowledge management and dissemination. Dr. Dempewolf also provided information on the composition of the Project’s multi-stakeholder Steering Committee.
Immediately following the launch, a virtual workshop for stakeholders was facilitated by Ms. Pippa Heylings, Global Facilitator UNDP-BES-Net, which gathered views and feedback on the project’s activities and yielded information on other relevant and related initiatives that are underway by others. Dr. Floyd Homer, Bureau member for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Region on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) spoke on the regional context and Mr. Shane Ballah, BESNet-TT Project Manager, provided additional details on the project activities Over the next few months, several on-the-ground activities will be initiated including a bee survey, establishment of pollinator gardens at three locations and the completion of a public survey on pollination and pollinators. The PMU looks forward to the public’s sustained interest and engagement in the project. More information on the BES-Net TT project can be found at this link.
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| Screenshot of some participants at the virtual launch of the BES-Net Project |
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