BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Alistair Edwards has disclosed that the Government has embarked on a number of projects in relation to Climate Change and the agriculture sector.
Addressing questions from reporters recently, Edwards indicated that though plans are in place for the agriculture sector, it is not limited to that one area but across the board.
He pointed to harvesting, marine management and land reserves as part of the thrust to make the Federation one of those countries that would have implemented major projects to assist in mitigating the effects of Climate Change, especially in agriculture.
“Those are merely a few of the projects onboard now that would have an immediate impact,” PS Edwards said.
The Federation is currently hosting a number of youths from around the region, who are part of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), discussing Environmental and Lifestyle issues.
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of a number of Caribbean countries that signed onto the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP21) when it had submitted its instrument of ratification.
The Federation also signed onto Principle 10, an arm of the COP21 Agreement, which gives the rights to access information in relation to the environment, justice and participation, according to UNEP.
“We want the youths to be fully aware of the effects of Climate Change and what is going on with the issues of the environment. One needs to be educated in those areas as well,” noted Edwards.
Asked what his expectations are for the Federation coming out of this summit and how messages delivered at that meeting are expected to resonate to the populace, Edwards expressed optimism that something positive would come out of that meeting and the Agriculture Department would relay that message to farmers and also the public.
“In fact, a number of our officers who are in the Department are also part of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, and we expect that it would become a natural part of their work schedule. And so the people around them and those they serve will be better trained,” he disclosed.
In recent months, St. Kitts and Nevis had felt the effects of the changing weather pattern when there was a lengthy drought-like period that severely affected the agriculture sector.
