The expo will take place on Friday, 17 May from noon to 9 pm in front of the Financial Complex on the “Portofino” end of the Carenage. It includes a visual expo of the challenges of climate change, and the potential solutions and then from 4 pm, the event evolves into a sustainability festival which includes food and beverage and live performances.
This project is being undertaken by the Ministry of Climate Resilience, Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Risk Management and Information. It is at a very preliminary stage and the pre-feasibility study is being financed by the Green Climate Fund, implemented by UNOPS and executed by New York University.
Minister Simon Stiell said, “This project aims to make St George’s the Caribbean’s first climate smart capital city and, it is hoped, a new hub for sustainable industries and culture in the region. The expo is part of an agreed pathway with the Green Climate Fund for soliciting community, private sector and public engagement on the ideas for a new St George’s that preserves the unique character of St George’s while making it climate smart and climate resilient. I would encourage all to visit the expo, learn more and provide us with feedback.”
Across Grenada and the wider Caribbean, citizens have woken up to the changing climate in our region; in particular the intense hurricane seasons, coastal erosion, droughts and floods and also new vector borne diseases. Given fiscal challenges across the region, grant funding from entities like the Green Climate Fund, is absolutely essential to ensure islands like Grenada can finance solutions to these challenges.
Grenada’s receipt of $35 million in grant funding from the Green Climate Fund in 2018[1], represents the largest grant in the Caribbean from the green Climate Fund. Grenada is now exploring with the Green Climate Fund, a new and different project to make St George’s City, the Caribbean’s First Climate-Smart Capital City[2]. This has the potential to ultimately attract some $300 million in finance to Grenada.
The project is at the pre-feasibility stage and is being implemented by United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and executed by New York University (NYU)[3]. It has 9 components which deal with Sea Level rise at: (1) the Carenage and Lagoon; (2) Grand Anse; (3) The International Airport and (4) Grenville. The project also deals with (5) traffic in the southern corridor and (6) urban densification; (7) energy efficiency; (8) communities and ecosystems in the St John’s river watershed of St George’s; and (9) Capacity Building.
Of these 9 projects, The Carenage, is central hub of the programme making that location the ideal site for the Expo.
The purpose of the Expo:-
- To assist the Grenada Government in attracting more grant and concessional finance for the Climate Smart Cities Programme
- To expose the public to the findings so far and to solicit feedback from the general public.
- To demonstrate the cultural potential of the Carenage as a national and international asset worth saving from Sea Level Rise.
- To foster partnerships with the Carenage community, Carenage businesses and key NGOs such as the National Trust and The Willie Redhead Foundation
The Expo will be divided in 2 parts, with one hour of overlap:
- Noon to 5 pm – Climate Smart City Technical Expo
- 4 pm to 9 pm – Climate Smart City Cultural Experience
The Programme:
Friday, 17 May
- 12 pm Start of Expo and Public Mini-Lectures
- 12:30 pm Public lectures every half hour until 5 pm
- 4 pm Start of the Cultural Programme
- 5 pm Closure of Public Lectures
- 6:30 pm Official Programme Announcements
- 7 pm Live performances
- 9 pm Close
Ministry of Climate Resilience
[1] https://www.greenclimate.fund/projects/fp059
[2] https://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2019/02/25/grenada-moves-closer-to-making-st-george-a-climate-smart-city/#gsc.tab=0
[3] https://marroninstitute.nyu.edu/blog/reporting-on-the-launching-mission-of-the-climate-smart-cities-grenada
