EPPD continues to celebrate WED 2012!

World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event held on June 5, aimed at being the biggest, most widely celebrated international day for positive environmental action. 

WED activities take place all year around and encourages global participation. In commemoration of World Environment Day 2012, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, as the national focal point for several Environmental Conventions, initiated several activities in various schools located within the vicinity of the EPPD’s El Socorro Offices. 

The EPPD, in partnership with Recycling in Motion (RIM), the project facilitator, aimed to raise the awareness of environmentally sustainable habits in school populations by helping them to reduce some of the municipal waste they create. In this regard, the Ministry initiated plastic recycling programmes in several schools. 

EPPD staff members with students of the El Socorro Hindu School

The importance of recycling was also impressed upon students by an interactive presentation session by Ms Nalini Sooklal, Waste Management Specialist of the EPPD. Students were informed that recycling activities can reduce the need for raw materials used to produce new products; reduce the amounts of waste going into our landfills and also reduce energy consumption, thereby preserving natural resources for the future.

Over a three day period spanning September 26-28, 2012, the El Socorro Hindu, El Socorro North Government and El Socorro South Government primary schools as well as the Barataria South Secondary School launched their plastic recycling endeavours, which was met with great enthusiasm from both staff and students alike. The El Socorro Islamia TIA School was also included in the exercise and a Green Space initiative was pioneered at this school. This was aimed at inculcating into students an appreciation of the intrinsic values of green spaces whilst introducing to them basic cultivation practices.

Overall, it is hoped that these initiatives would not only have tangible environmental benefits but also create environmentally aware and responsible young citizens as well.

The excited faces of students from the El Socorro North Government School

1st LBS STAC Meeting

The First Meeting of the Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (STAC) to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources (LBS) and Activities in the Wider Caribbean Region (LBS Protocol) was held from June 5 - 7, 2012 in Oranjestad, Aruba.    

Historically, this was the first technical meeting of national experts following the entry into force of the LBS Protocol in August 2010. This was indeed a key meeting for Trinidad and Tobago as we currently host one of the treaty's Regional Activity Centres (RAC) at the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA). Trinidad and Tobago also served as a Vice Chair at this meeting through Ms Nalini Sooklal.

Trinidad and Tobago's delegation at this inaugural meeting comprised:

• Dr Amoy Lum Kong, Director of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA)
• Dr Daryl Banjoo, Officer in Charge/Senior Research Officer, Marine Chemistry Department, IMA
• Ms Nalini Sooklal, Waste Management Specialist, MEAU

Several objectives were met for this STAC meeting, including the evaluation of projects and activities implemented by the Secretariat and the LBS RACs within the Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) sub-programme during the period 2010-2012. There was also a review of the status of ratification and/or implementation of the LBS Protocol in member countries. In these discussions, the role of the IMA as a RAC was highlighted and the commitment made by T&T to continue to support the Secretariat in this capacity as we move forward. 

Also at this technical meeting, the AMEP Workplan and Budget for the 2013-2014 Biennium was developed and finalized for approval by the 1st Conference of Parties to the LBS Protocol in October 2012. 

For further details on the happenings at the meeting, please visit: http://www.cep.unep.org/meetings-events/1st-lbs-stac