Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering has announced that the Territory was allotted Euro 1,297,384(approximately USD $1,378,081) in resources to design and implement physical adaptation projects.

Minister Pickering said the funding was allocated to the BVI as a participating member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and will be used to conduct research, develop policy and infrastructure, that will help to reduce the impacts of climate change to local communities and advance sustainable land management.

The Deputy Premier made the announcement in a message via social media and radio, and stated that funding is a part of the European Union’s, Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) project on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in the Eastern Caribbean. He said work has already commenced and will be ongoing for an estimated four years.

The Minister said, “$413,000 is to be shared among all the Member States of the OECS for two regional projects. Additionally, $104,000 will be shared among the OECS Member States of the British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent, Grenada and Anguilla.”

Minister Pickering also stated that twoservice contracts totaling $238,000 and twophysical works contracts for $641,000 have been allocated solely to the British Virgin Islands.

The projects will address issues including:Technical Assistance for the Establishment of National Land Policies;Development of National Land Use Plans; Climate Change Trust Fund Operational Manual; Brewers Bay and Cane Garden Bay Drainage Works and Retrofitting of the Cane Garden Bay Sewage Treatment Plant; Cane Garden Bay Revetment.

The Deputy Premier had announced the initiation of the North Shore Integrated Coastal and Watershed Stabilisation Project on January 25, 2016 in a sitting of the House of Assembly.

The Minister in a statement at that sitting said, “One of the key elements to the project and to the campaign surrounding  it is the need for us to build up our capacity as we prepare for possible effects of Climate Change, as we enhance our sustainable land management practices We need to become resistant to flooding. We need to put in place laws and measures that will help to guide the way we use land. So the brand that the EU and OECS have conceived is “iLand Resilience”, which is so relevant. We want people to continue to understand that we must maintain the integrity of our land, and build to resist possible impact in every way possible.

Minister Pickering also thanked the EU, OECS, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and all participating groups for assistance in securing the funding.

Photo Captions: 

Photo1 of 2: Participants for the National Land and Marine Estate Policy meeting made up of several Government departments and entities(March 9, 2017) (Photo Credit/GIS-F.Fenty)

Photo 2 of 2: Core members from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour with Consultants under the OECS GCCA project on Climate Change and Sustainable Land Management (from left to right)Dr. Mark D. Griffith, Land Management Specialist;Tessa Smith-Claxton, Environmental Officer(Ministry); Joseph Smith-Abbott, Deputy Secretary(Ministry); Angela Burnett-Penn, Environmental Officer – Climate Change (Ministry);George deBerdt-Rommily, Environmental and Climate Change Consultant(March 7,2017)  (Photo Credit/GIS-F.Fenty)