On Monday August
12th, 2019 the Central
Statistical Office (CSO) in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organisation
Food of the United Nations (FAO/UN) held a media launch of the Socio-Economic
Survey of the communities surrounding the six (6) pilot protected areas (PPAs)
under the project. These PPAs are the Main Ridge Forest Reserve in Tobago, the
proposed North-East Tobago Marine Protected Area, Matura Forest and coastal
zone, Trinity Hills and eastern extension, Nariva Swamp and coastal zone and
Caroni Swamp.
The
socio-economic assessment is part FAO-GEF Project “Improving Forest and
Protected Areas Management in Trinidad and Tobago” and seeks to examine the
interactions between the PPAs and the members of communities who live in and
around six pilot PPAs. The study will
examine their socioeconomic attributes, reliance on PPAs for various needs (if
any) and opportunities for sustaining and enhancing income opportunities
through biodiversity-related ecosystem services. Earlier in the project, an Information Needs
Assessment was conducted to identify available information to contribute to the
conduct of the socioeconomic assessment, to propose a methodology for data
gathering and evaluation and prepare a detailed work plan for the
implementation of the assessment.
The CSO
will perform the field surveys, aided by a team of technical experts who will
provide support to the CSO to execute the field work (using the methodology and
work plan referenced above) and to draft a narrative socioeconomic report based
on the information identified in the Information Needs Assessment and the field
work of the CSO.
The launch
of the event featured addresses by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the
Ministry of Planning and Development, Ms. Ayleen Ovid; FAO Representative for
Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname Mr Reuben Robertson, Director of the CSO Mr
Sean O'Brien and Senior Statistician of the CSO, Ms Ava Mahabir-Dass.
Training also
began on Monday 12th, August for the enumerators who will soon be
engaged in the Socio-Economic Survey of selected communities near protected
areas in Trinidad and Tobago". This 2-week training exercise is being held
at the CSO, Training Room, Port-of-Spain.
Director of CSO , Mr Sean O'Brien addresses the audience
(L-R) Director of CSO Mr Sean O'Brien; Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ms. Ayleen Ovid; FAO Representative for Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, Mr Reuben Robertson and Senior Statistician of the CSO, Ms Ava Mahabir-Dass
Survey enumerators undergoing training
