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Minister of the Environment, Dr. Denis Lowe (FP)??

Minister of the Environment, Dr. Denis Lowe, has made it clear that Barbados cannot yield to developers whose consumption of land borders on them being avaricious, and who seem to have placed the feeding of the nation’s people on the back burner.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of a Sustainable Land Management Workshop at the Savannah Hotel, this morning, Dr. Lowe stated that Barbados must guard against "the creeping violation of the commercialisation of Barbadian land space".

He also issued a challenge to those in the Ministry of Agriculture to be enthusiastic in their representation of the preservation of agricultural space in Barbados. "Be vigorous in ensuring that your message is one that puts the feeding of our people first, and then any number can play," the Minister stated.

Dr. Lowe also warned that if the tenants of the green economy were not pursued, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), due to their limited natural resources, would be faced with the loss of environmental resources, the loss biodiversity, limited access to clean drinking water and sanitation; persistent poverty, destruction of coastlines and the degradation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

The Minister said land degradation occurred in Barbados’ two main geological regions – the Scotland District and the limestone region.

He added that the UNDP/GEF Targeted Portfolio approach to sustainable land management was developed to enhance national capacities to effectively mainstream sustainable land management into all relevant agencies, ministries and non-governmental organisations.

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

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