National Follow-Up Seminar on Industrial Chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention

The Basel Convention Regional Centre (BCRC-Caribbean) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade engaged in a tri-fold programme to address the sound management  of industrial chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention. 

The 3rd phase of this programme entailed a National Follow-Up Seminar in the 3 pilot (Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) for which updates of their Chemical Profiles were completed in June 2015. 

The National Follow-Up Seminar was held on July 22, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Specialist of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division of the Ministry of Planning and Development attended the Seminar.

Objectives  of the meeting included:

• Strengthening  or establishing the National Committee for chemicals management to address the obligations under the Rotterdam Convention
• Refining the National Framework for the management of industrial chemicals developed at the Introductory Workshop which was held in October 2014 and hosted and coordinated by the same two parties.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Cooperation Limited (PLIPDECO), along with other relevant local agencies.   

Call for Research! - Environmentally Sensitive Species and Areas

The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) is providing a forum to highlight research on Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESSs). EMA is inviting all research institutions, organisations or independent persons to submit research done on the specific areas and species that have been designated by the EMA. 

All contributors will be invited to present on their work at a symposium to be held by the EMA in the third quarter of 2015. Their work will be highlighted in an ESA/ESS Research Proceedings Booklet and on the EMA’s website and Facebook page. 

The deadline for receipt of submission forms is August 1st 2015 at 4:00 p.m.

For further details and to access the submission form, click on the links below:

• Call for Research on ESSs and ESAs Notice
• Research Submission Form

Also visit the EMA's website at www.ema.co.tt for more information or contact Suzanne Sooknanan at 628-8042/5 (ext. 2255) or SSooknanan@ema.co.tt.

 

Climate Change Education Campaign continues!

Climate Change education programme in secondary schools across Trinidad and Tobago continued during the period April - June, 2015.  The aim of these sessions is to raise awareness on issues related to climate change and on current initiatives being undertaken by the Government of the Republic of  Trinidad and Tobago through the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

Thus far, presentations have been conducted to groups comprised of geography and/or  environmental science students generally between Forms 1 - Lower 6 at the following schools:

• Shiva Boys Hindu College (May 2^nd) 
•  Parvati Girls’ Hindu College (May 5^th) 
•  Barrackpore East Secondary (May 8^th)
• San Fernando Central Secondary School  (June 16^th) 
• Naparima College (June 24^th) 
• ASJA Boys’ College (June 29^th)

Sessions were facilitated by EPPD members: Ms. Krysten Harris (Associate Professional),  Ms. Aditi  Thanoo (Associate Professional) and Mr. Javed Lakhan. (Environmental Policy Analyst).

Mr. Lakhan presenting to students of  Naparima College, June 24th, 2015

Students of  Barrackpore East Secondary intently viewing a video on  Climate Change: May 8th, 2015