Two days of discussions were held at Paradise Cove on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, in order to explore and influence policy-making with respect to the greening and sustaining of the economy of Anguilla.
The lead facilitator for the workshop was the Caribbean Natural Resource Institute, with one of the presenters being Dr. Ron Janssen of the University of Amsterdam, whose presentation was on “The Natural Capital of Bonaire”, one of the models for Anguilla.
The tone of the workshop, as it related to Anguilla, was set by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Aurjul Wilson, who chaired the proceedings. During the opening ceremony, she made the point that valuing the environment, or greening the economy, had become an important pathway towards sustainable development in today’s world.
“Since the beginning of the 21st century, especially in recent years, many small island developing states, like Anguilla, have been keen on initiating schemes towards developing green industries as a major way to restructure their economies,” she stated. “As such, it represents an important point of convergence between environmental protection and economic growth – hence the need to explore and ensure we appreciate the value of our island’s development.”
Governor Alistair Harrison was pleased that the British Government was able to support the project. “It is being funded by the Department of the Environment in the United Kingdom and managed by the Joint Nature Conservation Council,” he explained. “I should also say that although the British Government is supporting this, it has been entirely a process made and initiated in Anguilla. The origins of this project arise from meetings between the Government of Anguilla and the British Government in late 2011 in the margins of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in London. There was also Anguillian representation at a project in the BVI early last year and this [the workshop] is a natural development of that.”
Governor Harrison said that in the White Paper, published last year, the British Government made very clear its commitment to maintaining the environment bio-diversity of the Overseas Territories which was an extraordinarily rich resource. “We see that around us in Anguilla, and it is also true in the other thirteen Overseas Territories,” he continued. “We also made clear that decisions on the environment are devolved to the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories – and not for the British Government to make. Therefore, our commitment…to the environment is largely through supporting and helping the Governments of the Overseas Territories and what we are seeing today is part of that process.
“Today’s seminar is the culmination of stakeholder consultation which is aimed at identifying what the people who live in Anguilla regard as the key environment issues which face the island…It is part of a recognition that all of the Overseas Territories, whether they are in the Caribbean, or elsewhere, are hugely dependent on a natural environment to support the health and welfare of their inhabitants. All aspects of our environment at the global level or, indeed, at the country level in Anguilla, are under great pressure now in the world. As the world’s population grows, everyone wants an improved standard of living and so, all people, all Governments, have a great dilemmas to how to achieve sustainable economic growth and to increase prosperity without destroying our greatest natural assets – the natural capital if you like – that should underpin our economy…
“The idea of sustainable development – the development of green economy – is to find a way for promoting economic growth which we all want, while avoiding the destructive impact with that increasing prosperity. It is not easy, but this seminar is designed to take a first step in the direction by understanding the critical environment issues that face Anguilla.”He added that the consultation process had identified water management and waste management as key issues facing the island, and the need to improve decision-making and planning.
The workshop was declared open by Minister with responsibility for the Environment, Walcott Richardson, who said earlier that greening the economy and making it sustainable promoted a new dimension for the development of Anguilla.
He stated that the workshop was aimed at looking at some of the key issues hindering Anguilla’s ability to protect its valuable natural assets, while ensuring prosperity for its people. He said it was the Government’s intention to undertake a similar evaluation in Anguilla as was done in Bonaire to set value on the natural environment safeguard the environment.
“The prerequisite work which led to this workshop has identified the need to improve mechanisms for decision-making, development planning and the management of portable water and waste management,” Mr. Richardson went on. “These four issues will form the basis of the workshop focus group discussions, and the wider discussion on integrating environmental issues into Anguilla’s planning and decision-making process.
“Only by taking into account the environment in our daily lives, the way we manage our business and the way by which the Government makes decisions, can we ensure protection of our natural assets. This workshop aims to identify a way forward to a sustainable and green economy in Anguilla, which will benefit us all. It is to guide us in our efforts to ensure future prosperity for our island, without losing what makes it special and valuable – our natural environment.
“While the pathway to a truly green sustainable future is a long one, where we fully integrate the environment in all of our decisions, from those made at the House of Assembly, to the meeting rooms of large and small private sector businesses and the dining tables at home, it is also one full of opportunity and excitement.”
In declaring open the workshop, Minister Richardson acknowledged the continuing support of the United Kingdom Government for the project and other initiatives being implemented.
The workshop, attended by participants from various sections of the public and private sectors, examined the following matters in their discussion groups: strengthening mechanisms for decision-making; improving development planning; management of portable water; and improving approaches to waste management, climaxing in the final summary session which dealt with the way forward and the next steps.
