Livelihood Study completed for Matura National Park

Over the period July - August 2017, a Livelihood Assessment Study was undertaken in communities surrounding the Matura Forest and Coastal Zone Pilot Protected Area (PPA).  The study was an activity requested by the Subcommittee for this PPA under the "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project and sought to determine how people who live in these communities are currently engaging with the protected area in livelihood activities, as well as what are feasible, sustainable livelihoods that can be developed for this region that can also assist in management of the site.

In a two-part blog, principal researcher Dr. Veerle van den Eynden shares some of the main findings of the study.

The first part of the blog gives a snapshot of existing livelihood links to the PPA and can be found at this link.

Part two of the blog provides information on the recommendations for sustainable livelihood development after review of key assets associated with the site and the surrounding communities and can be found at this link.

Hunting with Tomorrow in Mind

Workshop participants preparing information sessions
for sustainable hunting campaign

A sustainable hunting campaign targeting the current open hunting season was initiated in Tobago, through a two-day workshop for Game Wardens, Honorary Game Wardens and Forest Officers on the island.

This workshop was an initiative of the “Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago” project, which is being administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO/UN) on behalf of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT).

Read more about the workshop activity at this link.

Call for Expressions of Interest to Conduct a Socioeconomic Assessment

Improving Forest and Protected Area Management Project

Call for Expressions of Interest to Conduct a Socioeconomic assessment in and around six pilot protected areas

Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago (GCP/TRI/003/GFF) is a full scale project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Trinidad and Tobago through the Ministry of Planning and Development, the European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  The project’s overarching objective is to improve the sustainability of protected areas systems in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago Project (GCP/TRI/003/GFF) is issuing this Call for Expressions of Interest to Conduct a Socioeconomic assessment in and around six pilot protected areas in Trinidad and Tobago.

Please click the link below to see further details of this call:

Terms of Reference: Call for expressions of interest to conduct a Socioeconomic Assessment in and around six pilot protected areas

Applications should be submitted to:

Mrs. Neila Bobb-Prescott, Chief Technical Advisor at Neila.BobbPrescott@fao.org.

Deadline for submission of applications is: Monday 8^th May 2017.

Tenth Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Basel Convention

The tenth meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG-10) of the Basel Convention on Controlling transboundary movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held from 30^th May to June 2^nd, 2016 at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. 

As a Party to the Basel Convention, Trinidad and Tobago participated and was represented by Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Engineering Specialist of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division. Also in attendance were Dominica who represented the CARICOM Sub-Region along with Trinidad and Tobago as well as observers from Non-Party states, representatives from Basel Convention Regional Centres, academia, industry, IGOs and NGOs. 

Ms. Gardiner (second from the left) participating at the OEWG-10 in Kenya on May 20th—June 2nd, 2016.

Matters discussed included:

• technical guidelines on environmentally sound management of waste
• guidelines for the national reporting on e-waste, used lead batteries and waste oil
• the Cartagena Declaration  with emphasis on technology transfer as proffered by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC)
• the proposed partnership on household waste, and the developments with the World Customs Organisation (*This was important as Trinidad and Tobago has embarked on an exercise to establish an Import and Export Licensing System)

The proceedings at OEWG-10 was a useful platform to monitor the progress of implementation of the decisions adopted at the twelfth meeting of the COP (COP-12), while setting the framework for prioritizing action in preparation for the upcoming COP. As an active participant at this forum, Trinidad and Tobago is in an advantageous position to build on the momentum created and have more profound engagements at upcoming COP in 2017.

Looking at Nariva swamp through new spectacles: Reflections of the first site visit of the Nariva Pilot Protected Area Committee

“The hill was steep but all of us made it to the top of Brigand Hill.  The panoramic view on the tower quickly removed any regret over the arduous trek to the top of the tower.  Laid out before us was the beauty of the Nariva Swamp.  Laid out before us were scenes from history. Block A – Leased out for agriculture; Block B – once under rice cultivation and now covered in wetland marsh grasses.  The green of hardwood species and the Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary peaking in the distance. The coast line in the distance beckoning memories of the large flood event and destruction of infrastructure in 2014.”

 

These could be the memories of any of the 13 member team of the Nariva Pilot Protected Area Subcommittee on 4^th March, 2015. The establishment of sub-committees comprising of key stakeholders for six pilot protected areas sites is a key strategy for guiding the implementation of the "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" Project. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO/UN) is implementing this four year project on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to ensure sustainable management of the nation's forests and protected areas. 

 

The Subcommittee commenced work on their work plan with a visit to the pilot protected area site to gather information on land use, hydrology, ecology and threats to improve their contextual understanding of issues related to the management of the site.The Subcommittee intends to use the information from this site visit to make recommendations on the boundaries and level of protection required for this pilot protected area.

Snapshots of the Nariva Pilot Protected Area Sub-Committee's site visit:

Check out the Species of the Month for November 2015!

Get acquainted with some of Trinidad and Tobago's biodiversity! Check out the National Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) website for the "Species of the Month" series which features one of our local species every month. 

This month we feature the Spectacled Caiman.

T&T submits its INDC!

Countries across the globe have committed to create a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, November 30 - December 11, 2015.

In preparation, countries have publicly agreed to outline what post-2020 climate actions they intend to take under a new international agreement known as their Intended Nationally Determined Determined Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will largely determine whether the world achieves an ambitious 2015 agreement and is put on a path towards a low carbon, climate resilient future. 

Trinidad and Tobago's INDC was submitted to the UNFCCC in August 2015, the first Caribbean country and second Small Island Developing State (SIDS) do so. It is based on the Caribbean Reduction Strategy which was developed for the major carbon emitting sectors of our economy, i.e. the power generation, transportation and industrial sectors. This process lasted 3 years and was finalised in 2014. 

The INDC for Trinidad and Tobago present buisness as usual (BAU) scenarios for the 3 emitting sectors up to the year 2030. It identifies mitigation options and includes policy instruments, knowledge and awareness approaches to elicit behavioural changes and direct technology intervention options such as clean technology, fuel switching and renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. 

Trinidad and Tobago's aim is to achieve a reduction of overall emissions from the 3 sectors by 15% by 2030 from BAU equating to 103,000,000 CO₂e. The estimated cost of meeting this objective is 2 million USD and is expected to be met partly through domestic funding and conditionally on international financing including through the Green Climate Fund.

Click here the following link to read the Trinidad and Tobago's INDC!