ROADTOWN Tortola, BVI, June 1th 2011 - The Virgin Islands will be the host of a regional workshop on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean scheduled from June 20 to 22 on Tortola.

The workshop is being organised by the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean and the Section for Education for Sustainable Development in the Education Sector, Paris in collaboration with the BVI National Commission for UNESCO.

Secretary General for the BVI National Commission for UNESCO Dr. Allison Flax-Archer in a GIS Radio Report spoke of the importance of focusing on climate change. “Climate change is today’s biggest challenge to sustainable development and threatens to reverse progress made towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals,” she said.

“The Virgin Islands have had pouring rains for the past days which have caused flash floods and damages to the ocean and beaches,” she said, adding, “It is important to educate the community of the dangers of climate change and what it can do.”

Dr. Flax-Archer noted that it is a very good time for the Virgin Islands to host this meeting because the Territory is experiencing first-hand the effect of climate change. According to Dr. Flax-Archer it is expected that at the end of the workshop the challenges and the issues of climate change education specific to the Caribbean context, ongoing programmes and initiatives will be identified.

“We also hope to identify and agree upon plans of actions to integrate and incorporate climate change education in the Caribbean countries,” she stressed.

The two-day workshop will commence with an opening ceremony on June 20 at the Mooring Marina Inn at 9 a.m. Remarks will be made by Minister of Education and Culture the Honourable Andrew A. Fahie and Director and Representative, UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean Dr. Kwame Boafo. The keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Leighton Naraine, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Approximately, thirteen Caribbean countries will participate in this workshop Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and the Virgin Islands. The topics for discussion will include the dimensions of climate change: perspectives in the Caribbean; educational responses to the challenges arising from climate change; and networking educational outreach for climate change education.

The UNESCO enhanced plan of action for the strategy for action on climate change through 2011 is structured around three strategic objectives building, making available and maintaining the climate change knowledge base: science, assessment, monitoring and early warning; promoting mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, including through enhanced education and public awareness; and moving towards a climate-neutral UNESCO.

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