Inaugural Meeting of the BIOREACH Steering Committee
Trinidad and Tobago has received approval for a Global Environment Facility (GEF) project entitled “BIOREACH: Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago”. Under this project Trinidad and Tobago would have access to US$4.27 million grant funding from the GEF to implement the project over four (4) years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the GEF Implementation Agency that has been selected to assist Trinidad and Tobago with the Project.
In order to access this funding, a detailed project document will have to be developed within the next eighteen months and submitted by the FAO to the GEF Secretariat for approval. The deadline for submission of this detailed project document is December 2020. The preparation of the project document is being guided by a multi-stakeholder steering committee consisting of representatives from the Environmental Management Authority, Ministry of Planning and Development (Environmental Policy and Planning Division; Town and Country Planning Division), Tobago House of Assembly (Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries; Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment), Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries (Forestry Division; Agriculture Planning Division), Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Cocoa Development Co. of Trinidad and Tobago, Green Market Santa Cruz, Environment Tobago and FAO.
The inaugural meeting of the Committee was held on July 24, 2019 at the Ministry of Planning and Development.
Further details on the project can be found in the Project Identification Form (PIF) document that is available for download here.
Discussions during the Inaugural Steering Committee of the BIOREACH Project
Vacancies for Consultants:
- National Project Coordinator - GEF 7 PPG
- Gender Consultant
- Socio-environmental Risk Analyst
The Global Environment Facility (GEF 7) project, titled “Integration of Protected Areas Management and Mainstreaming Biodiversity and Agroecology Management in the Rural Landscape of Trinidad and Tobago”, also known as BIOREACH, is now in the Project Preparation Grant Phase.
The BIOREACH project’s objective is to protect the environment by deterring land degradation and safeguarding the biodiversity required for sustainable agriculture, forestry and other land uses . The Full-Scale Project has four components:
- Biodiversity-supportive land use planning
- Forest and Agricultural landscape restoration and biodiversity protection through agroecology
- Enabling environment for green, biodiversity-friendly value chain development
- Knowledge management and monitoring
The national consultants will work with FAO technical officers to prepare the full-scale project. This should be completed, and the project presented to Government and the FAO GEF Secretariat by 10 March 2020. The Ministry of Planning and Development /Environmental Policy and Planning Division is responsible for the project with FAO designated as the GEF implementing agency.
For more information on the vacancies:
The vacancies are posted on FAO recruitment website (jobs.fao.org) .Please use the Explorer browser to access the links to vacancies and information on the application process ;
National Project Coordinator - GEF 7 -PPG (1901882):
Socio-Environmental Risk Analyst (1901881):
Gender Consultant (1901883):
Note: Professional project staff and Consultants are employed, usually on a short-term basis, to provide expertise to temporary FAO needs or projects outside of the FAO regular programme of work. For this project the vacancies are for locally hired professionals on short term assignments.
Application Deadline: 13 August 2019 4.00 PM
National Inception Workshops - BIOREACH Project
BIOREACH: Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago
Project Preparation Grant (PPG) Inception Meetings
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation’s (FAO/UN) project preparation team is leading the development of a Project Document (for the BIOREACH: Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago project) in collaboration and consultation with relevant Agencies and stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago. The outcome document is to be completed by March 2020, for submission to Global Environment Facility (GEF) for their endorsement.
In light of this, on October 8th and 10th 2019 the BIOREACH Project Inception Workshops were held at the Cara Suites in Claxton Bay, Trinidad, and at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort in Tobago.
The workshops were geared at creating awareness among national stakeholders about the Project, and getting their feedback on the design of the Project.
Participants were informed through presentations on different components of the Project (which seeks to address threats to our local biodiversity and productive landscapes from human encroachment, forest fires and unsustainable practices); and also participated in several group discussions, with the aim of assisting in the development of a Project proposal that when completed will result in a well-drafted proposal with the potential to achieve sustainable and effective results.
The presentations delivered during the Inception Workshops can be found below:
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| Attendees of the Trinidad Leg of the Inception Workshop |
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| Attendees of the Tobago Leg of the Inception Workshop |
Project Preparation Grant Validation Workshop- BIOREACH Project
BIOREACH- Biodiversity Conservation and Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and Tobago
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| Cross section of the stakeholders present at the Trinidad BIOREACH Validation Workshop; Dr. David Persaud delivering opening remarks. |
As the development of the Ministry of Planning and
Development’s and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s
(FAO/UN) BIOREACH (Biodiversity Conservation and
Agroecological Land Restoration in Productive Landscapes of Trinidad and
Tobago) project continues, stakeholders were once again invited to provide
inputs for the document’s development at the Project Preparation Grant (PPG)
Validation Workshops in Tobago (19th February, 2020) and Trinidad
(20th February, 2020) at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort
and Cara Suites, Claxton Bay, respectively. These meetings follow the Project
Inception Workshops held in October 2019 on both islands.
The BIOREACH project seeks to limit and reverse some of the
negative impacts on our local biodiversity and productive landscapes by human
encroachment, forest fires and unsustainable practices through the restoration
of landscapes, effective land use planning and the proliferation of sustainable
agriculture that can contribute towards more diverse livelihood opportunities.
BIOREACH has three (3) components:
1. Biodiversity-supportive
land use planning,
2. Landscape
restoration and biodiversity protection through agroecology, and
3.Capacity
development for mainstreaming competitive, biodiversity-friendly,
agroecological clusters that are resilient to climate change.
Validation workshops are generally designed to finalise all
key elements of project design and secure support and agreement for the project
by key partners. The workshops featured a welcome by Mrs. Neila Bobb-Prescott (Assistant
FAO Representative for Administration), opening remarks by Dr. Claus-Martin
Eckelmann (Lead Technical Officer, FAO/UN) and Dr. David Persaud (Manager,
Environmental Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Planning and
Development), a presentation on the PPG (Project Preparation Grant) process and
main findings by Mr. Asif Khan (PPG National Coordinator, FAO/UN) and a
presentation on the project overview, implementation and budget by Ms. Erum
Hasan (GEF Project Design Specialist).
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| Mrs. Neila Bobb-Prescott (Asst. FAOR- FAO/UN) delivering opening remarks. At the head table (L-R) Ms. Annalisa Arlen-Benjamin (Representative of the Operational Focal Point GEF/Chair of the PSC), Dr. Claus-Martin Eckelmann (Lead Technical Officer- FAO/UN) and Dr. David Persaud (Environmental Manager, EPPD) |
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| Cross section of stakeholders at the BIOREACH Validation Workshop, Tobago. |
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| Tobago Validation Workshop head table (L-R)- Dr. David Persaud (Environmental Manager, EPPD), Dr. Claus-Martin Eckelmann (Lead Technical Officer- FAO/UN), Ms. Annalisa Arlen-Benjamin (Representative of the Operational Focal Point GEF/Chair of the PSC), and Mr. Darren Henry (HOD- Natural Resources and Forestry, Tobago). |
As the final segment, the validation exercise invited stakeholders to share their comments, concerns, ideas and thoughts about the previously discussed project aspects, which resulted in a lively and productive discussion.
The outcome document is to be completed by March 2020, for submission to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for their endorsement.
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