The GEF/UNDP Ridge to Reef (R2R) Project in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Management and Information intend to train and certify over 25 persons in SCUBA diving over the next 3 months.
According to Rudo Udika, Coordinator of the R2R Project, the R2R SCUBA Diving initiative will include a diverse blend of women and men of various ages and professional backgrounds trained according to the PADI Open Water Diver course.
Following completion of the training course the participants will be able to safely utilise the training received to explore and build awareness about Grenada’s Marine Protected Areas, stated Udika.
In collaboration with the Aquanauts Grenada Limited, training has already started for the first cohort of R2R SCUBA Diving. Facilitated by Delia Ephraim, PADI Certified Scuba Instructor from Aquanauts Grenada, the course consists of 3 main phases. Firstly, the participants undertake the Knowledge Development modules to understand basic principles of scuba diving. Secondly, they engage in Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills and thirdly, they take part in Open Water Dives to use their skills and explore.
Augustine Pascall, Technical Officer within the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, who is currently enrolled in the first cohort of the R2R SCUBA diving initiative, indicated that he has always had a passion for ensuring the public has safe enjoyment of water environments. He believes that being properly trained to explore Grenada’s underwater world will give him and his colleagues an important additional skill to enhance their efforts to support the safe and sustainable enjoyment of the coastal and marine resources. He commends the Ridge to Reef Project for its R2R SCUBA diving initiative which is providing support to enhance the management of Grenada’s Marine Protected Areas.
The Ridge to Reef Project aims to ensure that biodiversity and ecosystems functions within and around marine and terrestrial protected areas in Grenada are better protected from threats through the adoption of an integrated “Ridge to Reef” approach. This approach increases protected area management effectiveness and applies targeted sustainable land, coastal and sea management practices, while ensuring ecosystems resilience to climate change.
Ridge to Reef
