The Trinidad & Tobago Business Guide (TTBG, 2009-10)

THE ENVIRONMENT
A question of balance
The Environmental Management Authority has a tricky
problem on its hands: to find the right balance between
industrial development and environmental protection.
Its new CEO considers the challenges By James Fuller
“A great many people misunderstand the role
of the EMA, and this has led to some being
disappointed in its performance,” says the
new Environmental Management Authority
(EMA) managing director/CEO Dr Joth
Singh. “It is one of the principal matters I am
looking to address.”
Singh is a native Trinidadian who worked
with the International Fund for Animal
Welfare, became Technical Director at the
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute,
and then Executive Director of the Caribbean
Conservation Programme. He has a master’s
degree in environmental management from
the University of London, a doctorate in
environmental chemistry from the University
of the West Indies, and has done post-doctoral
work in eco-toxicology in Nova Scotia, Canada.
He took over the EMA reins in September
2008 when Dr Dave McIntosh retired.
The EMA remit
The EMA was set up in 1995. It is a
management body, not an exclusively
protective one—an important distinction
which has sometimes led to confusion.
“We are a regulatory authority,” says Singh,
“and are here to ensure [that] matters relating
to the environment are managed, [and]
to mitigate pollution and damage to the
environment during the course of economic
development—rather than to stop all activity
which might affect the environment. People
need to be clear on that.”
The legislative framework
The EMA’s work is shaped by a raft of legislation which began with the Environmental
Management Act of 1995. That Act gives the EMA decision-making independence and
ensures that there is, at least within the context of legislation, no opportunity for political
interference.
More legislation came thick and fast in 2001.
• The Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) Rules guarantee that any new
development must have its environmental impact identified, and that any excessive
impacts are mitigated. If they are not, the EMA can refuse to issue a CEC and the
development can not progress
• The Water Pollution Rules 2001 (revised 2006) ensure that the nation’s water quality, both
drinking and environmental, is sufficient to sustain human and ecosystem health
• The Noise Pollution Rules 2001 were designed to protect quality of life, especially during
the raucous carnival season. Party organisers in residential areas must apply for a noise
variation permit allowing the event to be staged at a specific time and decibel level
• The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Rules designate areas of land and sea as
environmentally sensitive and hence protected. There are currently three: the Matura
National Park, the Aripo Savannahs Scientific Reserve, and the Nariva Swamp Managed
Resource Protected Area. A fourth, Buccoo Reef in Tobago, is carded for inclusion in the
near future
• The Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESS) Rules identify species which are critically
endangered and therefore afforded special protection. Again there are presently three:
the pawi, the manatee, and the sabre-wing hummingbird.
Four key goals
The legislative framework gives the EMA
a broad remit, and Singh is concentrating
on four key areas to work on, in addition
to improving public understanding of the
EMA’s role.
One is the coordination and oversight of the
nation’s environmental management. “This
is a matter of urgency. Our responsibility is
to coordinate the activities of those entities
which have an environmental responsibility,
and it is one of the things that we haven’t
done very well. We need to start holding
regular meetings and then formulate a joint
work plan.”
A Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) has been prepared for the 31 relevant
agencies, which include the Water and
Sewerage Authority (WASA), the Trinidad
and Tobago Solid Waste Management
Company (SWMCOL), the Ministry of
Housing, Planning and the Environment,
NGOs and various community groups.
The main problem in early 2008 seemed to
be getting everyone around the same table—
which is the second focus area for urgent
attention. “It’s one of the challenges we need
to address, to bring the players together and
ensure coordinated action,” says Singh.
Education and outreach is a third key area
that Singh wants to develop, using the EMA’s
environmental education officers. He supports
environmentally-themed events such as the
Eco Song competition, in which participants
draw on cultural traditions such as calypso
to create tunes which convey a message of
environmental protection in the context of
sustainable development. “It’s a very important
role and we’re working with primary and
secondary schools on a number of initiatives,
all designed to change attitudes and influence
the youth of Trinidad and Tobago.”
The fourth major challenge is to develop
economic instruments to manage the
environment. “We want to use incentives as
well as penalties,” Singh explains.
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