The Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development is seeking citizens’ feedback on what they value in nature, changes or issues in the environment they observed, ideas on how we can better care for our environment and ways different sectors like government, schools and businesses can help protect Trinidad and Tobago’s biodiversity resources.
This is being conducted via a national survey to guide how we manage and protect our biodiversity. The Planning Ministry is the national focal point for biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago and environmental management is one of its key mandates. Biodiversity is important to us because it includes all living things—plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms—that support clean air, food, flood protection, and a healthy environment.
According to Planning and Economic Affairs Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh, “Government’s agenda for economic revitalisation is dependent on proper biodiversity and environmental management from all sectors in society. Through the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean, the Environmental Policy and Planning Division and other local, regional and international partners, the Ministry is poised to ensure the sustainability of our natural resources. The environment and climate change are among our primary mandates and we are serious about this.”
Information from this survey supports the work of the Planning Ministry, which, through its Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) is currently revising the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This project is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Environment Facility and involves the engagement of a consultancy team which is a joint venture between Advisors Next Door Limited and The Cropper Foundation, all working to lead this important national process.
The third iteration of Trinidad and Tobago’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan will provide a comprehensive framework for addressing biodiversity loss while promoting sustainable development. This updated strategy is designed to:
● Mainstream biodiversity into national development planning and decision-making processes;
● Guide the implementation of realistic, measurable short-term actions within a long-term vision for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience;
● Adopt a participatory, whole-of-society approach, ensuring inclusive engagement of diverse stakeholders including communities, civil society, private sector, and government agencies across both islands;
● Tackle the key drivers of biodiversity loss in ways that are aligned with Trinidad and Tobago’s specific conditions, capacities, and development priorities.
Ultimately, this process will strengthen ecological resilience, enhance environmental governance, and support the well-being of citizens by ensuring that natural ecosystems continue to provide essential services such as clean water, food, climate regulation, and disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, aligning the national strategy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) reinforces the country’s commitment to global conservation goals and positions Trinidad and Tobago as an active contributor to the international biodiversity agenda.
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
NBSAPs are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the national level. The CBD requires countries to prepare a national biodiversity strategy and to ensure that this strategy is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on biodiversity.
Some priority actions identified in the NBSAP related to protected areas include:
Develop and update legislation for conservation of protected areas, landscapes and species, consistent with current international trends;
Build on existing law enforcement initiatives for protection of species and ecosystems;
Conduct regular programs to sensitize the Magistracy, Police and Coast Guard, to the long-term effects of detrimental activities on biodiversity;
Expedite establishment of the Environmental Court or Commission to address biodiversity and environmental crimes.