World Environment Day was observed in Grenada and across the Globe on 5 June 2016. The focus of World Environment Day in Grenada this year focuses on “Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Sustaining People and their Livelihoods.” World Environment Day is an opportunity to globally stimulate awareness of our impact on our environment and to promote individual, community and national action towards sustainable living.
The 2016 theme highlights the importance of goods and services provided by ‘Nature’ or ecosystems as a part of our lives and the impact that negative practices can have by interrupting these goods and services.
Our ‘Nature’ or ecosystems are being affected by a number of key issues including
- Climate change
- Habitat loss/conversion
- Invasive species
Addressing issues that can affect the goods and services provided by “nature” calls for collaboration and wise use of limited resources and to be aware of what works well for us as well as challenges for us here in Grenada.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment continues to work hard to address the serious negative impacts of climate change. Both adaptation and mitigation actions are being carried out in keeping with the islands Climate Change Policy and have spearheaded or collaborated on a number of activities that have taken place in the tri-island state in the weeks leading up to World Environment Day.
The Ministry’s commemorative activities began on Friday, 20 May 2016, with a series of live interviews on local radio stations and the handover of equipment to Minister Roland Bhola and the Ministry from the RRACC Project (Reducing Risk to Human and Natural Assets resulting from Climate Change). The Environment Division of the Ministry was also involved in a number of school and community visits around the island. In addition to collaborating in the clean–up campaigns and tree planting initiatives of the Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (ICCAS) project over the two week period which were carried out in a number of locations including, The Limes, Conference Bay and Telescope Area. These activities culminated in the Minister Bhola’s address to the nation on the 5 June 2016. Where he stated emphatically that, “We can all do something positive…get planting, get cleaning and get active!”
Ministry of Environment
