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| Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe (front row, centre) poses with Ministry officials and delegates of the Sub-Regional Workshop following the opening ceremony. (C. Pitt) |
Issues of air quality, noise pollution and the burning of rubbish will be among areas to be addressed in the planned Environmental Management Act.
The draft bill, Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, pointed out was now with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel responsible for drafting legislation.
He made these comments during the opening ceremony of a Sub-Regional Workshop for the Caribbean on Capacity Building for the Implementation of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas, under the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa today.
Dr. Lowe explained the proposed Act was a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to cover most aspects of environmental management.
"The landmark piece of legislation will deal with air quality, all types of pollution prevention, noise pollution, restrictions in terms of how we designate areas in Barbados and certain precincts relative to noise, [along with] the burning of rubbish that causes a lot of pollution," the Minister said.
He further noted that the legislation would also include various pieces of existing environmental regulations to provide a formal legal and procedural guide to environment management in Barbados.
"The message alone cannot be enough. We can’t just talk about environmental protection unless the framework is in place, where the government and its institutions can enforce the law. That is our biggest challenge in Barbados, as it is in other territories," he said.