Final National Workshop for the Project “Development of Minamata Initial Assessment for the Caribbean

Mercury is a highly toxic chemical, exposure to which can have serious health implications such as neurological and behavioural disorders, impairment of the digestive and immune systems, and in extreme cases death. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international agreement developed in response to the immensely hazardous characteristics of this chemical. In an effort to facilitate the ratification and early implementation of the Convention, a sub-regional project entitled, “Development of Minamata Initial Assessments (MIA) in the Caribbean” was initiated. Trinidad and Tobago, in conjunction with three (3) other territories of the Caribbean participated in the project to conduct a mercury inventory for each island, and to determine the main mercury sources, legislative gaps and health and environmental impacts. There were also several communications materials developed under the project, and these along with the project’s results were shared over a series of Final National Results Workshops in October, 2018 in North and South Trinidad and in Tobago.

The aim of these Workshops were dissemination of the main aforementioned outputs of the project, inclusive of the communications materials which included vivid infographics as well as both national and regional videos. These were developed on both regional and national scope, to raise awareness and prompt action on the need for holistic mercury management. The format of the Workshops were designed to capture the audiences composed of key stakeholders but predominantly secondary school students, through the use of dramatic performances from the Drama Making a Difference (DMAD) Production Company.

Trinidad and Tobago is not yet a Party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury and thus we were pleased to have been given the opportunity to participate in this Minimata Initial Assessment (MIA) Project, as it afforded a more holistic and quantitative assessment into the status of mercury locally. Moving forward, the results of the study will be analysed and used to assist with the development of the policy directive, as the country develops a more definitive country position on signing the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Concurrently, it will also encourage more focused action on those sectors requiring more attention.

Ms. Keima Gardiner - Waste Management Specialist,  presents at the Workshop

DMAD Company during their performance

Student participants in Tobago

Student participants in North Trinidad

A student raises a question during the South Trinidad Workshop

Student participants in South Trinidad

Global Environment Facility (GEF 7) Project Development for Chemicals and Waste Management in the Caribbean Region

Cognisant of the challenges faced with environmentally sound waste management in the Caribbean region, and as a mechanism to augment and streamline the ongoing activities in this area, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) initiated the preliminary phases of development of a project under the Global Environment Facility seventh allocation (GEF 7), for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

In this regard, a meeting to develop project ideas for the Caribbean for onward submission to the GEF was held on July 17^th -18^th, 2018 at the Hyatt Hotel, Port of Spain.  An overview was provided on the GEF 7 replenishment and on the proposed GEF ISLANDs (Implementing Sustainable, Low and Non-chemicals Development in Small Island Developing States) Programme. The latter is being developed in the Caribbean and Pacific regions through the GEF-7 Chemical and Waste focal area, and aims to prevent the build-up of materials and chemicals in the environment that contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury and other harmful chemicals in SIDS, and to manage and dispose of existing harmful chemicals and materials in SIDS.

On the first day, presentations were delivered by the representatives from a range of regional entities including the Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the UN Environment Caribbean Sub-Regional Office. The country representatives from the various delegations around the region also provided a synopsis of the chemicals and waste profiles in their respective territories, inclusive of relevant legislation, policies and projects, as well as the priority areas on a national level. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist, presented on Trinidad and Tobago’s priorities. 

The second day of meetings commenced with a panel discussion consisting of technicians engaged in chemicals and waste management throughout the region. This was followed by break-out group discussions amongst the countries on the possible interventions to achieve the programme’s goals, based on commonalities of national priorities and waste streams, targets with respect to modernisation and identification and filling of existing gaps. The outcomes of this meeting were used as the basis for development of the Project Framework Document for the Caribbean region for the GEF ISLANDS Programme.

Participants at the Meeting

Public Awareness Campaign for the NIP begins!

In fulfillment of the obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in 2013 the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD), through funding from the United Nations Development Programme, completed and submitted Trinidad and Tobago’s National Implementation Plan (NIP). The NIP is a five (5) year road map that identifies mechanisms to measure, manage, reduce or eliminate the threat of POPs in the country.

A critical component of the NIP is the roll out of a public awareness campaign, with the aim of sensitizing the nation on the adverse effects of POPs, the mechanisms to reduce their exposure to such toxins, and to provide information on the recommended activities outlined in NIP.  As such, a limited but comprehensive public awareness campaign has been developed to target policy makers, the industrial sector and the general public. 

The main elements of the public awareness package include:

• Distribution of the NIP (hard copy and electronically).
• Dissemination of informational material including brochures, flip cards,and posters.
• Publication of articles on POPs in industry magazines and newsletters such as the Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce's (TTCIC) "Contact" Magazine and the Energy Chamber's "Energy Now" Newsletter.
• Publicizing of a 45 second advertisment on POPs on local TV stations and MovieTowne, Port of Spain and Caribbean Cinemas Southpark and on various social media platforms.
• Showcasing of information on POPs and the NIP on the EPPD's Blogspot: http://eppd-tt.blogspot.com/ 

Promotional material will be distributed to key actors in the waste and chemicals field, schools across the nation as part of an education campaign and the general public during the EPPD's public awareness. 

Be on the look out for information like the promotional material below, on 'what are' and 'how to protect yourself and the environment against' POPs!

Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for POPs in the Caribbean

The Town Meeting for the Global Environmental Facility/ United Nations Industrial Development Organization (GEF/ UNIDO) Project entitled “Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for Persistent Organic  Pollutants (POPs) in the Caribbean” was held on Thursday 10^th July, 2014 at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources’ Conference Room, Tower D, International Waterfront Complex, Port of Spain.

 

The Project was approved by the GEF Council in November, 2013 and is being coordinated by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean). It seeks to enable the  region to reduce and/ or eliminate the threat of POPs as part of the obligations under the Stockholm convention, within the context and realities of eight (8) Caribbean countries, inclusive of Trinidad and Tobago.

  

As part of the Project Preparation Phase, one of the associated activities was the hosting of a Town Meeting, for liaising with the relevant stakeholders in an attempt to refine and solidify their roles and responsibilities at this phase as well as to garner preliminary information for preparation of the full sized project document. In attendance at this Town Meeting were a wide cross-section of representatives from government, public sector, private entities, NGOs and academia.

Participants at the Town Meeting for the GEF/UNIDO Project:

 Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism 

for POPs; July 10th, 2014.

The Meeting was opened by the Permanent Secretary, Ms. Vidiah Ramkhelawan, who provided some brief introductory remarks. Following which, the Regional Consultant, Ms. Camille Roopnarine spearheaded the session by providing presentations on the  Project and then engaging participants eliciting their feedback on the relevant project Components for the country.  The Town Meeting coordinator, Ms. Keima Gardiner (Environmental Engineering Specialist, Environmental Policy Planning Division) then brought the meeting to close with a vote of thanks.

 

 

Workshop to Enhance the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention

The three day workshop was hosted by the Basel Convention Regional Centre with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) was held from February 19th -21st, 2013, at the Banquet and Conference Centre, MovieTowne, Invaders Bay. 

The objectives of the workshop were to :

• Develop a regional programme or project(s) in order to assist Caribbean countries in meeting their obligations under the Stockholm Convention and;

• Test an approach of using a Regional Centre set up by the Waste and Chemical Conventions (Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam) to assist in the development and execution of waste and chemical projects as a formal project executing unit.

Thirteen (13) country representatives were present at this workshop. In addition, participants from Trinidad and Tobago agencies such as the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Green Fund, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (DNRE) from the Tobago House of the Assembly. The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources was represented by Ms. Nalini Sooklal; Waste Specialist of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit. There was also representation from the UNDP Offices, Barbados.  

The Workshop culminated on a fruitful note with a Draft Project Concept Note (PCN), that encompassed the varying needs of the countries in the region, being finalised. 

>> For more information on the outcomes on workshop, visit the Basel Convention Regional Centre blogspot 

Participants after the opening session on the first day of the workshop. Representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and its agencies included; front row: Senator, the Honourable Mr Ganga Singh (3rd from the left); Permanent Secretary, Mrs Vidiah Ramkhelawan (4th from the left; Head, BCRC- Caribbean, Dr   Ahmad Khan (2nd from the right) ;  Waste Specialist, MEAU,  Ms Nalini Sooklal (4th from the right). Back row: Head, MEAU, Mr Kishan Kumarsingh (1st from the left).

Second Stakeholder Workshop for the Development of the National Profile for the Stockholm Convention

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, with support by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), recently hosted the Second National Stakeholder Workshop for the Development of the National Profile for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in Trinidad and Tobago.

Permanent Secretary, Vidiah Ramkhelawan giving welcoming remarks on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

As a signatory to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), Trinidad and Tobago is required to prepare a National Implementation Plan (NIP) which will guide the implementation of obligations of the Convention in the country. This project commenced in September 2011 and will continue for a period of two years.

There are two major components of this project. The first component is the Socio-Economic Assessment (SEA) for management of POPs. The SEA was a complete evaluation of the potential social and economic impacts of POPs in order to provide a basis for the minimisation of the negative effects on all sectors and population groups as well as provide a baseline to measure the effectiveness of planned interventions that form part of the NIP.

The second component of the NIP project is the development of a National Profile on Chemical and Waste Management in Trinidad and Tobago. This involved a comprehensive assessment of the national capacity and infrastructure for chemical and waste management, along with gaining an understanding of the nature and extent of chemicals availability and use in the country.

Dr. George Sammy, consultant for the National Profile, presenting the results of his findings

The findings of these components formed the basis of the Second National Stakeholder Workshop. The workshop was also aimed at raising awareness amongst relevant stakeholders, assessing present national capacities and ensuring that there are unified cooperative efforts on a National scale as the project moves to completion.

A working group session on one of the discussion topics of the workshop

The Ministry wishes to thank all stakeholders who attended the workshop and looks forward to their continued support as the Project progresses. 

Presentations and Discussion Points of the Workshop:

• National Profile on Chemical and Waste Management
• SEA for the Management of POPs 
• Registration of Pesticides and Chemicals in T&T
• Role of the BCRC-Caribbean in the Implementation of the NIP
• Current Capacity for the Management of POPs in Coastal Areas
• Discussion Group Topics