Plans for Climate Change Centre closer to fruition

~~Adz:Left~~BRADES, Montserrat – THE government of Montserrat is currently preparing to enter the final phase of establishing the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Climate Change Centre at Silver Hills.

The Centre, to be situated miles north of Soufrière Hills, is expected to establish a database of statistics in relation to climate change factors, features and events relevant to the Eastern Caribbean Region. It should also extend “cutting edge information” on some primary troubling climatic matters that “impinge many important socio-economic parameters in the sub-region”.

According to Caribbean Net News, the strategic goal of the Centre is to “persuade the people of the sub-region to become more adaptive to climatic variations that interweave with many aspects of daily living”. It added that through applied research on the island and the region, the residents of that and neighbouring islands would be better prepared for adaptation to environmental changes.

The report also states that Consultant Manager Claude Gerald has revealed that the feasibility study is into its final stages of a six-month consultancy. It also stated that roads and building designs have been completed and the associated expenses are in an active stage of being realised.

The news release indicated that the next step in the project progress would be organising for individuals to submit business plans and funding proposals to construct and operate the Climate Change Centre.

The OECS Climate Change Centre is expected to work closely with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and is hoped to improve emergency preparedness on the island.