Caribbean Beat — 25th Anniversary Edition — March/April 2017 (#144)

GREEN
Progress
report
Over the past twenty-five years,
Caribbean Beat has frequently reported on
environmental projects across the region.
But what’s the real state of progress when
it comes to protecting our natural resources,
our coastlines and reefs, the air we breathe
and water we drink? Nazma Muller talks
to two experts about the lie of the land —
The Caribbean is treasured
and revered globally
as one of the world’s
most biologically diverse
regions, with more than
twelve thousand marine
species, ten per cent of the world’s coral
reefs, and fifteen thousand plant species. But
the last quarter century has seen significant
damage to our natural environment, as a
result of increased industrialisation and
automation, the use of chemicals and
toxins, and consumption of commodities
like plastics, electronics, appliances,
Styrofoam, meat, and packaging.
Fortunately, the Caribbean has also
made huge strides in raising awareness
of the effects our human activities
are having on our once-pristine
and the way forward
Photography by Gail Johnson/Shutterstock.com
waters, as well as our air, land, and
wildlife. Across the region, more of our
people are beginning to comprehend
the true extent of the vulnerability of
our coastlines and the mounting threats
they face, particularly climate change.
Ocean warming and acidification have
contributed to a dramatic loss of coral
reefs, which are invaluable habitats for
fish and other marine life.
“We are seeing so much contamination
of our water, air pollution — and flooding
is becoming more frequent because of
natural disasters, so there is greater
awareness by politicians and decisionmakers
about environmental issues,”
explains Christopher Corbin, programme
officer for the Caribbean Environment
Programme. CEP was established by the
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) in 1981, within the framework of
its Regional Seas Programme.
“Up until more recently, a lot of the
environmental issues were communicated
in a scientific way,” Corbin adds. “It’s been
all the things that the public should not
do, and not necessarily providing them
with alternatives. Gradually, we are
seeing a lot more participatory planning,
so we are moving in the right direction.”
For the Caribbean private sector,
engagement in environmental issues has
not been driven by government policy
and enforcement, says Corbin. Caribbean
governments have lagged behind in
implementing policies to protect the
environment. Tourism has been a doubleedged
sword for many of our territories,
further burdening inadequate solid waste
management and sanitation systems.
“But they are becoming more aware of
their impact on the environment,” Corbin
says. “Hotels that want to attract a certain
kind of visitor are moving to incorporate
sustainable practices on their properties
— for example, they will do what is
necessary by international standards to
be deemed ‘green.’ They are recognising
the benefits of going green.”
As our regional economists better
comprehend the effects of environmental
84 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM