MEDIA LAUNCH: SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY OF SELECTED PROTECTED AREAS IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

On Monday August 12^th, 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 12^th, 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

LECB Project Launch and Inception Workshop

On February 26th, 2015 the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) joined with key stakeholders to launch the “Low Emissions Capacity Building Programme (LECB) Project.” The event was hosted at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre, Couva by the Multilateral Environment Agreements Unit (MEAU) of the MEWR, the designated coordinating entity to implement the National Climate Change Policy.

The LECB project is a global programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is being implemented through the UNDP office in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago is the only participating country in the Caribbean. The Project seeks to:

• support and complement the activities and outputs of ongoing projects being executed to implement the National Climate Change Policy including the Carbon Reduction Strategy
• support and develop a framework for strategy implementation to identify and select the most feasible alternatives and options for low carbon development in the sectors assessed
• support key public and private stakeholders for its implementation, particularly in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventorying, reporting and verification through relevant capacity building activities

In her remarks, Ms. Vidiah Ramkhelawan, Permanent Secretary of the Environment and Water Resources highlighted the Ministry's efforts in advancing the national climate change agenda through various initiatives and studies and the LECB project is one such initiative.

Ms. Vidiah Ramkhelewan  (Permanent Secretary, MEWR) giving her remarks at the start of the LECB Project launch

During the launch, Technical Specialist, LECB Programme, Environment and Energy Group Bureau for Development Policy of UNDP in New York, Mr. James Vener provided an overview of the global programme and the expected benefits of the programme on the ground including the promotion of strategic planning, mainstreaming of climate change into national/sectoral development planning, improved data management, use of public finance to attract private investments, among others.

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of the MEAU emphasised the improtance and timeliness of the project as it will culminate in the development of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), provide input into the formulation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (iNDCs) as well as develop capacity to conduct Biennial Update Reports (BURs) of national GHG emissions. These outputs are also part of Trinidad and Tobago's obligations as a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

L-R: , Mr. Hans Eric Schulz (LECB Project Manager), Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head of MEAU, MEWR), Ms. Rosemary Lall (UNDP, Trinidad and Tobago), Mr. James Vener (LECB Programme, UNDP) and Ms.Tanya Staskiewicz  (Technical Project Assistant, LECB Project)

The formal launch was proceeded by an Inception Workshop which provided participants from the private sector, business support organisations, government agencies, regional organisation and academia and key stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions and offer recommendations to inform policy making on climate change in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Cross-Section of participants at the LECB Project Launch and Inception Workshop

Presentations and the Report from the LECB Launch and Inception Workshop can be accessed below:

• Climate Change Implementation in Trinidad and Tobago
• Carbon Reduction Strategy for Trinidad and Tobago
• LECB Programme in Trinidad and Tobago
• Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (iNDCs) 
• Inception Workshop Report