GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE to ensure that Barbados’ coastal waters are maintained at acceptable international standards, says Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Drainage, Edison Alleyne.
Speaking at Hilton Barbados on Monday during the 7th Global Environment Facility Biennial International Waters Conference, he pointed out that Barbados was one of a few countries in the Western Hemisphere to develop and implement a national policy for sustainable development.
“The work of the Coastal Zone Management Unit continues to be highlighted as best practice for the region, employing contemporary solutions to safeguard against coastal erosion, continuous data collection and ensuring sustainable development practices are maintained. Within recent years the unit has been effective in erosion control and beach stabilization at three locations along the South and West Coasts,” he said.
Alleyne said personnel from the unit were currently involved in a joint project with the Inter-American Development Bank on the Holetown Waterfront Improvement Project as part of the coastal risk assessment and management programme at a cost of US$42 million, as well as the development of a marine spatial plan aimed at managing the resources in the coastal zone.
“One of the major outputs of this plan would be the generation of maps which show the different uses in the marine environment and the existing and potential conflicts which are likely to emerge,” he said.
He said the coastal risk assessment and management programme was aimed at building capacity in integrated coastal risk management, incorporating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in development planning, control and monitoring of the coastal zones. (NB)
