President-designate of the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Alok Sharma, got to hear first-hand how Barbados is managing some of the local challenges from climate change from those on the frontline of the fight.
He paid a visit to the Richard Haynes Boardwalk in Hastings, Christ Church, this afternoon, where he observed the climate adaptation project there, as part of his two-day visit to Barbados.
Prior to his tour of the boardwalk, Mr. Sharma was briefed on a number of matters, including the Coastal Zone Development Plan; the Roofs to Reefs adaptation project; the impact of Sargassum seaweed on the nearshore environment and the lives of persons who have coastal contact, and the six areas of focus, known as impact sectors – housing, waste, water, energy, land use and ecosystems.
Other matters discussed include the measures Barbados is putting in place to rebuild stronger, following the passage of Hurricane Elsa; the impact of the ash fall from La Soufriere Volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the need for greater financing for adaptation projects for small island developing states.
Those present at the briefing and tour included Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with special responsibility for Climate Change, SIDS Issues and Law of the Sea, Elizabeth Thompson; Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Leo Brewster; British High Commissioner (Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean), Scott Furssedonn-Wood, and Director of the Roofs to Reefs Programme, Ricardo Marshall.