Safeguarding and developing the environment is one of the important goals in Anguilla and this has now been strengthened by the launching and presence on the island of the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (MAERI).
The institute will be based at the Anguilla Community College which is expected to gain greater awareness and respect in regional and international circles. This will particularly be the case as the Anguilla-based institute, launched on Tuesday, March 13, “has been developed to further progress and develop environmental research across the Mid-Atlantic region – inclusive of the Caribbean.”
According to available information, the institute works “within the framework of a growing network of ‘sister’ Environmental Research Institutes that are being created across the UK’s Overseas Territories.” The institutes “are territory-led and share expertise and experience between the islands).”
The launch of the MAERI in Anguilla attracted the participation of a number of officials from the United Kingdom, elsewhere overseas, and from the public and private sectors in Anguilla.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett, Permanent Secretary Education in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said in part: “Irma did not blow away the will to bring this Institute to fruition. As we say, we are bruised, but not broken, and we are really happy to welcome all of you to our shores and to this launch ceremony.”
She continued: “This day has been long in coming. The seeds were planted several years ago. That was when the Department of the Environment was exposed in detail to the work of SAERI (South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute) and envisioned the world of possibilities that an institute of this nature can open up for Anguilla. Those of you, who are familiar with the Department of the Environment, would agree that it is made up of a team of highly competent, visionary and passionate public officers who are always seeking ways in which they can use their platform to effect meaningful change in all aspects of Anguillian life. They saw this as a win-win for their sector, and the education sector, and wasted no time in getting buy-in. They rallied the troops, cemented the partnerships and the rest, as they say, is history.
“We are here today to celebrate the culmination of that collaborative effort. We thank all the stakeholders for their contribution to making this a reality, and trust that you will continue to support the development of this institute over the long term.”
Governor Tim Foy OBE explained why the launch of the institute was so important to him. “In a way, I think it reflects three things,” he told his listeners. “It is the shared commitment within the 2020 UK Government White Paper which still remains very relevant, and also in terms of the Joint Ministerial Committee meetings in 2015 and 2016 and the one I attended in 2017.
“[The shared commitment] is to recognise the unique value of the ecosystems – the very different ecosystems across the fourteen Overseas Territories. They are all unique in their own way. In a way, also, is the commitment by the UK Government and the Governments of the Overseas Territories, to set world standards for the management of the ecosystems. We recognise that the ecosystems play a vital and unique central part in the economic future and in the livelihoods of people within each of the Overseas Territories.”
The Governor went on: “I think that, for Anguilla, the environment is key in a couple of important respects. It provides immediate livelihoods to persons in fishing and those involved in tourism. But the words of our National Song sum it up very well. The environment is core and central to the beauty of Anguilla, and its uniqueness and diversity are at the very heart of our national identity. We know that the system is under pressure. We want the system to deliver more for us which creates challenges between balance, management, sustainability and economic gain. We also know that the system is under big external challenges because of global climate change.”
Governor Foy added: “I think the challenge for all of us is how to get that balance right between growing our economy and sustaining the resource we have…, how we do not kill the ‘goose that lays the golden egg’ and how we respond, as a small nation, to global changes.”
Minister of Home Affairs and Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, said: “It is a pleasure to share in this milestone – a first for Anguilla – the establishment of an Institute dedicated to environmental research. One can only imagine the vast potential of such an institute to be a centre of excellence, attracting established researchers and students, from around the world, to study various aspects of our natural environment. This places Anguilla in a position where we can benefit in several key areas – the ability to attract research funding; the development of a body of knowledge in our national environment that can be used in decision-making, as a foundation for further research; and most importantly, for me, as Minister of Education, the opportunity to build our local capacity in this area. This will place our people in a position to participate in, and benefit from, a knowledge-economy rather than more traditional economic sectors. I am excited about the opportunities that this presents for us.”
The Minister took the opportunity to commend the various partners in the initiative. They include the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute; Environment Systems; the Department of the Environment and the Anguilla Community College, for the time they invested in making the Institute a reality.
Minister Richardson-Hodge added: “I am particularly pleased that the Anguilla Community College will be the home of this Institute. It not only marks the beginning of a Division of Natural Sciences, but demonstrates that the College is sufficiently dynamic and flexible to meet the needs of a developing country both at the individual and national level. The College is positioning itself to be the premier post-secondary education institution in Anguilla catering to students at all levels across various disciplines and, in this case, from all over the world. We welcome the opportunities this Institute will present for raising the profile and impact of the College.”
The trained Lawyer further stated: “As a person with a first degree in Environmental Science, I am really, really, excited about this programme. I think it is time for Anguilla to be in a unique and prime position to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Mr. Curtis Richardson, the Minister responsible for Environmental Affairs, said among other things: “I am very happy that this initiative will take us to greater achievements in the future. I wish you all the best in your endeavours and, when all is said and done, I will come back to sum it all up and to be very appreciative on behalf of the people of Anguilla.
“Ninety percent of all the good things about the environment of the world, is invested in this region…I think we who grew up in Anguilla, as we travel, will all understand and appreciate what we have even as we exist in a hurricane zone. I went to St. Maarten, Tortola and so forth, and I have a deep appreciation for Anguilla and the environment in which we live. I just want to pray God’s blessing on this workshop.”
The President of the Anguilla Community College, Dr. Karl Dawson, spoke about the central role in national life he believed that the College was being called upon to play. “As Anguilla grows, there will be an increasing need for us to understand life around us with a view to shaping our desired future. I believe that the College has a critical role to play in that regard,” he stated.
Dr. Dawson continued: “The initiative, we launch today, relates primarily to the environment but I expect that, with other local and perhaps other international partners, the Anguilla Community College will be involved in other fields such as history, culture, public health, various social phenomena and other areas of endeavour deemed important to the advancement of Anguilla and the people who call here home.”
Other participating persons were Pastor Philip Gumbs of the Church of God (Holiness) who delivered the opening prayer and Mr. Rhon Connor, of the Department of Environment, who chaired the opening ceremony.
Following the opening ceremony, there were a number of workshop presentations. These were: Anguilla’s National Ecosystem by Mr. Calvin Samuel, Director of the Department of Environment; A Data Model for Anguilla, by Dr. Jamie Williams, Principal Environmental GIS Consultant, Environment Systems; Economic and Resilience Assessment of the Value of Natural Capital in Mitigating Disaster Impacts in Anguilla by Dr. Katie Medcalf, Environment Director, Environmental Systems; and a presentation on the environment by Ms. Tara Pelembe, Deputy Director of Innovations at the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute.
