As part of their grant from The C-FISH Initiative, the Bluefields Bay Fishermen's Friendly Society (BBFFS) in Jamaica handed over 50 rolls of legal-sized mesh (valued at USD$5,000) to fishers. The hand over took place at Belmont Fishing Beach with the support of Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Hon. Luther Buchanan.
Read further information on the C-FISH website here.
a global not-for-profit organisation that innovates, connects and implements practical solutions for sustainable development and climate change.
Showing posts with label Society and Livelihoods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society and Livelihoods. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Sustainable Business Development and Renewable Energy TechnologiesTraining Workshop
On Tuesday, August 19th, the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) and The CARIBSAVE Partnership hosted a joint workshop in association with two projects supported by The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the UNDP. The workshop was held at he Grotto, Beckles Rd. St. Michael, at the facilities of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS).
CPDC’s project, Promoting renewable energy production in farming communities in Barbados, has a goal of enhancing the application of renewable energy technologies (RETs) on farms in Barbados.
The CARIBSAVE Partnership’s project - Greening Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Coastal Communities in Barbados is helping MSMEs across Barbados to implement Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in their business practices which reduce their business’ overall carbon footprint. MSMEs will also be helped to make other changes to their operations that result in saving money and increasing environmental sustainability.
The first day of the workshop focused on training farmers and agricultural processors in sustainable business practices and the technical application of RETs and energy/water saving processes. The second day entailed a field trip for participants to witness the practical application of RETs on farms in Barbados.
This workshop was of tremendous benefit to those who attended; providing an opportunity for participants to interact with experts in RETs and energy conservation practices in an environment where sharing of knowledge and experiences is encouraged, and also the chance for participants to see the benefits of these interventions in action on Barbadian farms.
(Photo: Will Anstey, INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE, 2014)
Friday, 28 March 2014
Greening Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Barbados
The overall goal of the Greening MSMEs project is for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Barbados to implement low-carbon technologies and behavioural changes in their business practices which reduce their business’ overall carbon footprint and facilitate livelihood changes that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
[caption id="attachment_4729" align="alignleft" width="300"]
A craft and souvenir shop in one of Barbados' popular tourist districts. (Photo: CARIBSAVE 2014)[/caption]The Government of Barbados has made recent strides towards encouraging renewable energy and energy conservation nationally, and especially within the private sector. However, large corporations are often the only private sector players that are able to adopt pro-active, environmental strategies because they have the means to do so.
This project is helping MSMEs supplant their carbon-intensive operations with more sustainable, "green" technologies and practices. Many MSME operators feel they have little choice but to use the readily available yet expensive fossil-fuel-based energy sources, because even though the cost is high, the set-up cost for alternative energy solutions is prohibitive. For these MSME operators that do not have the capacity to access such opportunities or are not fully aware of the opportunities available, this project will provide the training and financing necessary to access the locally available renewable energy and energy conservation alternatives.
Country: Barbados
Duration: January 2014 – June 2015
Funder: GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP),implemented by the United Nations Development Programme for Barbados and the OECS
For further information on this project, contact Ms. Nikki Hassell via e-mail on nikki.hassell@caribsave.org.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Greening Tobago
The belief is clear – the question is how to get there. There is widespread appeal throughout the Caribbean to turn the region’s islands into green economies where the only footprint is the one left by people in the sand.
One of the big elements of this transformation would be to encourage more use of renewable technology and less consumption of ever-more expensive fossil fuels.
Trinidad and Tobago is one country that could lead the way. Unlike most other island developing states, Trinidad is a major producer and exporter of fossil fuels, mainly natural gas. The smaller sister Island of Tobago, however, is famed as one of the most pristine Caribbean tourist islands and markets as “Green, Clean and Serene”. The economic drivers of these two islands are clearly in sharp contrast, but their differences are an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to diversify both its economic and energy bases. Also, the country is in the envious position of being one of the few in the Caribbean that could afford to invest in a large-scale transition to renewable energy as part of its tourism branding for Tobago. It’s a shift that could present major business opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago in the manufacturing of low-carbon and renewable technologies.
With funding from the British High Commission and the German Embassy, CARIBSAVE carried out a consultation and workshop in Tobago to investigate the idea. The project was called Greening Tobago and it looked at the challenges Tobagonians face in making the switch to renewable energy, power-efficient technology and low-carbon economic growth.
Tobago was chosen as a pilot site because its government is committed to helping its citizens prosper, its authorities are keenly aware of the need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and it has an abundance of natural sources of renewable energy.
In the first phase of the project, talks with government, non-governmental organisations and business exposed a wealth of ideas for achieving greener development. One of the most promising proposals was to transform Tobago into a “low-carbon tourism destination”, a proposal that could both conserve the limited fossil fuels and be a major marketing pull for tourism.
The ideas from the talks were sent out to involved parties for feedback and suggestions. The results revealed broad support for low-carbon goals as well as major challenges in meeting them. The main barriers were the high initial cost of alternative energy systems, government subsidies for fuel imports, the need for more government leadership in the area and a lack of people with the technical skills to install and maintain renewable energy systems.
The study is one activity in a bigger effort to assist the people of the Caribbean move toward a sustainable future and prosperous green economies.
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For further information contact: Dr Owen Day, owen.day@caribsave.org
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[vc_row el_position="last"] [vc_column] [vc_toggle title="PROJECT SUMMARY" open="false" el_position="first last"]
Funded by the British High Commission and the German Embassy, this project focused on addressing the challenges facing Tobagonian stakeholders in adopting renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, revealing an array of actions that could be taken forward to facilitate greater investments in these areas in pursuit of a green growth low-carbon development pathway and potentially 'carbon-neutral tourism destination' status.
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One of the big elements of this transformation would be to encourage more use of renewable technology and less consumption of ever-more expensive fossil fuels.
Trinidad and Tobago is one country that could lead the way. Unlike most other island developing states, Trinidad is a major producer and exporter of fossil fuels, mainly natural gas. The smaller sister Island of Tobago, however, is famed as one of the most pristine Caribbean tourist islands and markets as “Green, Clean and Serene”. The economic drivers of these two islands are clearly in sharp contrast, but their differences are an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to diversify both its economic and energy bases. Also, the country is in the envious position of being one of the few in the Caribbean that could afford to invest in a large-scale transition to renewable energy as part of its tourism branding for Tobago. It’s a shift that could present major business opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago in the manufacturing of low-carbon and renewable technologies.
How can it be achieved?
With funding from the British High Commission and the German Embassy, CARIBSAVE carried out a consultation and workshop in Tobago to investigate the idea. The project was called Greening Tobago and it looked at the challenges Tobagonians face in making the switch to renewable energy, power-efficient technology and low-carbon economic growth.
Tobago was chosen as a pilot site because its government is committed to helping its citizens prosper, its authorities are keenly aware of the need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and it has an abundance of natural sources of renewable energy.
In the first phase of the project, talks with government, non-governmental organisations and business exposed a wealth of ideas for achieving greener development. One of the most promising proposals was to transform Tobago into a “low-carbon tourism destination”, a proposal that could both conserve the limited fossil fuels and be a major marketing pull for tourism.
The ideas from the talks were sent out to involved parties for feedback and suggestions. The results revealed broad support for low-carbon goals as well as major challenges in meeting them. The main barriers were the high initial cost of alternative energy systems, government subsidies for fuel imports, the need for more government leadership in the area and a lack of people with the technical skills to install and maintain renewable energy systems.
The study is one activity in a bigger effort to assist the people of the Caribbean move toward a sustainable future and prosperous green economies.
[vc_message color="alert-info" el_position="last"]
For further information contact: Dr Owen Day, owen.day@caribsave.org
[/vc_message]
[vc_row el_position="last"] [vc_column] [vc_toggle title="PROJECT SUMMARY" open="false" el_position="first last"]
Funded by the British High Commission and the German Embassy, this project focused on addressing the challenges facing Tobagonian stakeholders in adopting renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, revealing an array of actions that could be taken forward to facilitate greater investments in these areas in pursuit of a green growth low-carbon development pathway and potentially 'carbon-neutral tourism destination' status.
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Agriculture and Tourism in Jamaica
Agriculture and tourism are the old and the new of the Jamaican economy and have two crucial features in common: they’re both critical sources of income for the island and they are both on the front line of climate change.
As temperatures, sea levels and storm intensity rise, tourism and agriculture will be under assault and the ways that worked in the past will not be guarantees of prosperity in the future. Farmers may face lower yields, more crop failures and greater numbers of pests, while tourism operators may contend increased beachfront erosion, higher prices for imported food and infrastructure damage from flooding and storms.
In 2010, the Institute for Environment and Development with Oxfam enlisted CARIBSAVE to look at how climate change is likely to impact on tourism and agriculture and how that fallout affects socio-economic development, poverty and gender relations.
The researchers found that because tourism and agriculture are integral to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Jamaicans, they are also central to any effort to adapt to climate change. However, the sectors differ in several key ways: tourism contributes about 5.8 percent of gross domestic product and directly employs around 80,000 people, whereas farming makes a similar contribution to the economy but employs many more people - about 230,000, most of whom are the poorest in the country.
Each sector has the potential to support the other as Jamaica tries to plan for and fortify itself against the effects of climate change. Stronger links between the two, such as greater use of local food in tourist resorts, can reduce tourism’s reliance on imports and raise incomes for Jamaican farmers. That kind of interdependence gives each party an interest in the other’s future, making otherwise separate needs, such as water supply, common.
The study also concluded that an understanding of the different roles men and women play in Jamaica is essential to any plans for the future. Labour is often defined along gender lines, exposing women and men to different risks and opportunities.
Temperatures are already on the rise in Jamaica and rainfall is varying from year to year. It’s a dynamic set of factors that will influence agriculture and tourism in disparate ways but in similar amounts - capitalising on this is the best survival strategy on offer.
[vc_row el_position="last"] [vc_column] [vc_message color="alert-info" el_position="first last"]
For further information contact: admin@caribsave.org
[/vc_message] [/vc_column] [/vc_row]
As temperatures, sea levels and storm intensity rise, tourism and agriculture will be under assault and the ways that worked in the past will not be guarantees of prosperity in the future. Farmers may face lower yields, more crop failures and greater numbers of pests, while tourism operators may contend increased beachfront erosion, higher prices for imported food and infrastructure damage from flooding and storms.
In 2010, the Institute for Environment and Development with Oxfam enlisted CARIBSAVE to look at how climate change is likely to impact on tourism and agriculture and how that fallout affects socio-economic development, poverty and gender relations.
The researchers found that because tourism and agriculture are integral to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Jamaicans, they are also central to any effort to adapt to climate change. However, the sectors differ in several key ways: tourism contributes about 5.8 percent of gross domestic product and directly employs around 80,000 people, whereas farming makes a similar contribution to the economy but employs many more people - about 230,000, most of whom are the poorest in the country.
Each sector has the potential to support the other as Jamaica tries to plan for and fortify itself against the effects of climate change. Stronger links between the two, such as greater use of local food in tourist resorts, can reduce tourism’s reliance on imports and raise incomes for Jamaican farmers. That kind of interdependence gives each party an interest in the other’s future, making otherwise separate needs, such as water supply, common.
The study also concluded that an understanding of the different roles men and women play in Jamaica is essential to any plans for the future. Labour is often defined along gender lines, exposing women and men to different risks and opportunities.
Temperatures are already on the rise in Jamaica and rainfall is varying from year to year. It’s a dynamic set of factors that will influence agriculture and tourism in disparate ways but in similar amounts - capitalising on this is the best survival strategy on offer.
[vc_row el_position="last"] [vc_column] [vc_message color="alert-info" el_position="first last"]
For further information contact: admin@caribsave.org
[/vc_message] [/vc_column] [/vc_row]
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