ICZM Workshop Opening

PROJECTS LAUNCH AND WORKSHOP at

Dept. Physical Planning

FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR A CLIMATE RISK RESILIENT COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GEF IS PROJECT And

GEF NPFE

Hon. Kenred M.A. Dorsett, M.P. Minister of the Environment & Housing

Ministry of the the Environment and Housing and the Inter-American Development Bank

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DURING THIS WE LIVE IN TIMES OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES. WHEN ALBERT EINSTEIN FORGED THE BEDROCK THEORY OF MODERN PHYSICS 100 YEARS AGO, HE DID SO WITH LITTLE MORE THAN PAPER, A FOUNTAIN PEN, HARD WORK AND A MIND SHARPER THAN MOST. TODAY, SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION HAVE BLOSSOMED CONSIDERABLE AND WE HAVE MORE TOOLS THAN EINSTEIN HAD AT HIS DISPOSAL TO ADDRESS

MATTERS THAT AFFECT THE

PHYSICAL UNIVERSE. IN THE BAHAMAS WE ARE ASSISTED IN OR EFFORTS TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FINANCIAL GRANTS FROM VARIOUS ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THE BEST COMMISSION HAS A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GLOBAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

AMERICAN 2

DEVELOPMENT

FACILITY AND BANK,

WHO

THE ARE

INTER CO-

SPONSORING THE INITIATIVES THIS WEEK.

WE HAVE

PARTNERED WITH THE IDB AND GEF FOR ACTIVITIES THAT WILL ENABLE STAFF OF THE BEST COMMISSION, THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND THE MINISTRY TO BECOME BETTER EQUIP AS IMPLEMENTERS OF THREE PROJECTS FOR THE

SUSTAINABLE

PROTECTION

AND

USE

OF

OUR

ENVIRONMENT. THE INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT (ICZM) PROJECT IS ONE WE HOPE TO BETTER INFORM HOW WE MANAGE AND DEVELOP OUR COASTAL ZONE; THE PINE ISLAND PROJECT WILL HELP US TO BETTER MANAGE TERRESTRIAL

RESOURCES;

AND

THE

GEF

NATIONAL

PORTFOLIO FORMULATION EXERCISE (NPFE) WILL PROVIDE SKILLS IN HOW WE IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE THE USE OF GRANT

RESOURCES

TO

ACHIEVE

SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS.

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THESE ACTIVITIES FORM PART OF A LARGER AGENDA ENVISAGED IN OUR CHARTER FOR GOVERNANCE WHICH STATES THAT “WE MUST SAFEGUARD AND PROTECT OUR NATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THIS INCLUDES THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT….. WE MUST ALSO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROTECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE CONSERVATION OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, OCEANS AND UNDEVELOPED LAND AND MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO KEEP THE BAHAMAS IN A STATE THAT IS FIT TO BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE BAHAMIANS…”

THE ARCHIPELAGO OF THE BAHAMAS CONSIST OF VARIED COASTAL HABITATS AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, INCLUDING CORAL REEFS, MANGROVES AND WETLANDS, SAND FLATS, SANDY BEACHES AND ROCKY SHORELINE, SPANNING SOME 1,931 SQUARE MILES. THESE NATURAL RESOURCES AND

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ENVIRONS MAKE UP THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR NATIONAL ECONOMY. THIS IS WHERE OUR POPULATION RESIDES AND WHERE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE TOURISM AND FISHERIES SECTORS EXISTS. THE GOODS AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS ALSO SUPPORT OUR NATIONAL ECONOMY, AND OUR COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND POPULATIONS ARE PROTECTED BY ECOSYSTEMS SUCH AS CORAL REEFS, AND THE NURSERY HABITATS FOR IMPORTANT MARINE SPECIES PROVIDED BY MANGROVES AND WETLANDS. AS A COASTAL NATION WE ARE VULNERABLE TO NATURAL DISASTERS, SUCH AS HURRICANES, WHICH THREATEN OUR ECONOMY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. AS AN ISLAND NATION WE ARE ALSO SUSCEPTIBLE

TO

THE

INCREASED

FREQUENCY

AND

INTENSITY OF STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE, WHICH NOT ONLY THREATENS OUR

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LIVES, BUT ALSO PUTS OUR FRESHWATER RESOURCES, COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND COASTAL BIODIVERSITY AT RISK.

TODAY’S LAUNCH AND WORKSHOP IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF

OUR

COUNTRY’S

INTEGRATED

PROGRESS

COASTAL

ZONE

TOWARD

INCREASED

MANAGEMENT.

THE

TECHNICAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS AND THE IDB IN THIS

THE FEASIBILITY

STUDIES FOR A CLIMATE RISK RESILIENT COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OR ICZM PROJECT WILL HELP US TO FILL THE GAPS IN SCIENTIFIC BASELINE DATA, PROVIDE ANALYSES AND CONSENSUS IN SUPPORT OF INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT, AND BUILD CAPACITY AMONG THE NETWORK OF INSTITUTIONS, MANY OF WHICH ARE

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REPRESENTED

HERE

TODAY,

THAT

WILL

BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ICZM POLICY AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE, EACH

AND

EVERY

ONE

OF

YOU

PRESENT

TODAY,

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTORS, TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF YOUR ABILITIES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE IDB FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT AND FUNDING OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT

IMPACT

ON

OUR

FUTURE

EFFORTS

TO

INTEGRATE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND IMPROVE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS

TECHNICAL

COOPERATION

PROVIDES

A

FIRM

FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INVESTMENT PROGRAM WHICH WILL OPTIMIZE THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE 7

COASTAL

ZONE

TO

THE

NATIONAL

ECONOMIC

PLANNING PROCESS AND INCREASE OUR RESILIENCE TO COASTAL HAZARDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE

PINE

ISLANDS

PROJECT

–

FOREST/MANGROVE

INNOVATION AND INTEGRATION (GRAND BAHAMA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ABACO AND ANDROS) AIMS TO BUILD ON RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR BY INTEGRATING

BIODIVERSITY

VALUES,

ECOSYSTEM

SERVICES VALUES AND PRECEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT AND LAND-USE INTO ENHANCED LAND-USE PLANNING IN THE BAHAMAS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL PROVIDE

INSTITUTIONAL

SYSTEMIC

SUPPORT

&

ASSOCIATED CAPACITY BUILDING AND WILL ASSIST THE MINISTRY BY THE

ESTABLISHMENT

OF A FORESTRY

ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM. THIS WILL ADD BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES VALUES INTO AN UPDATED INVENTORY OF FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PINE

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ISLANDS, WHILE SUSTAINABLY MONITORING BAHAMIAN FOREST CHANGES IN THE LONG TERM. THE INTEGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE

LAND-USE

MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

AND INTO

SUSTAINABLE

FOREST

NATIONAL LAND-USE

PLANNING THRU DEVELOPMENT OF 2 SUB-NATIONAL PLANS FOR

ANDROS

AND

NEW

PROVIDENCE

WILL

BE

IN

ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANNING AND SUBDIVISIONS ACT 2010.

THE PINE ISLAND PROJECT WILL EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF FOREST AND MANGROVE SECTOR, AND WILL FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL FORESTRY ESTATE (NFE).

THE ESTATE WITH ITS 3

CATEGORIES - FOREST RESERVES, PROTECTED FORESTS AND CONSERVATION FORESTS - IS ESTIMATED AT 701, 162 ACRES OR 20% OF OUR LAND COVER (SUBJECT TO OFFICIAL SURVEY AND VERIFICATION). THE MAJORITY OF THE NFE IS IN THE

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CONSERVATION

FOREST

DESIGNATION

WHERE

HIGH

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, SIGNIFICANT WILDLIFE, NATURAL RESOURCE

(I.E.

FRESH

WATER

AQUIFERS)

AND/OR

SCIENTIFIC INTEREST WILL BE PRESERVED. ADDITIONALLY, INCREMENTAL SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL FOREST PLAN FOR THE FOREST

ESTATE,

AND

THE

TARGETED

MANAGEMENT

PLANNING FOR 15% OF PLANNED CONSERVATION FOREST ON TWO (2) PILOT AREAS ON ABACO AND ANDROS.

THIS

WORKSHOP

WILL

ENSURE

THAT ALL

PERSONS

WORKING IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR ARE AWARE OF THE PROTECTION, CONSERVATION, AND SUSTAINABLE METHODS OF USE OF OUR FORESTS. TWO PILOT AREAS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PROJECT - THE SOUTH ABACO BLUE HOLE CONSERVATION FOREST (AN EXISTING MARINE PROTECTED AREA) AND THE MAIDEN

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HAIR

CONSERVATION

FOREST

(THAT

BOARDERS

THE

EXISTING BAHAMAS NATIONAL TRUST’S PARK).

UNDER THIS PROJECT THE FORESTRY DEPARTMENT WILL FURTHER DEVELOP THE CONCEPT OF MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CONSERVATION BY ENABLING COASTAL COMMUNITIES, THRU EFFECTIVE PROVISIONING OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, WHILE PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT OF SAME. I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE TWO PILOT PROJECT TO BE UNDERTAKEN DEALING ACTIVITIES;

WITH THE

THE NATIVE

ECONOMICALLY PALM

IMPORTANT

CULTIVATION

WHICH

SUPPORTS INDIGENOUS CRAFT INDUSTRY IN RED BAYS, ANDROS AND

EASTERN

GRAND

BAHAMA; AND

THE

CASCARILLA BARK CULTIVATION AND PROCESSING OF CASCARILLA OIL IN ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLANDS.

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THE FINAL WORKSHOP THIS WEEK IS THE GEF NATIONAL PORTFOLIO FORMULATION EXERCISE (NPFE). THE NPFE IS A TOOL WHICH HAS BEEN FORMULATED BY THE GEF AND SEEKS TO EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE GEF, ITS POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. IT ALSO HELPS THE COUNTRY ESTABLISH A NATIONAL PROCESS FOR PROJECT CONCEPT FORMULATION.

PROJECTS

APPROVED

BY

THE

GEF

HAVE

NATIONAL

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS THAT ARE TRANSFORMED INTO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. THE BAHAMAS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE NPFE IN DECEMBER, 2010 AS THAT EXERCISE LED TO THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE RECENTLY COMPLETED GEF FULL SIZE PROJECT ON MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS), WHICH EXCEEDED ITS GOALS, AND THE CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “PINE ISLANDS PROJECT”.

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PARTICIPANTS,

YOU

ARE

CHARGED

WITH

BRINGING

PROJECTS IDEAS TO THE TABLE THAT WILL ALLOW THE BAHAMAS TO UTILIZE GEF RESOURCES. YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED TO ENABLE US TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE USE OF, AND ACCESS GRANT RESOURCES UNDER, THE GEF SIXTH REPLENISHMENT TO PRIORITIZE EFFORTS TO PROTECT AND SUSTAIN OUR ENVIRONMENT.

I HOPE THAT AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, KNOWLEDGE WILL BE GATHERED FROM THE THREE WORKSHOPS (ICZM, PINE ISLANDS, AND GEF NPFE).

YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT BUILDS ON THE RESULTS OF WORKSHOPS LIKE THESE.

SIMILAR

WORKSHOPS LED THE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF OUR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND TO MAKE SEVERAL ADVANCES TOWARD 13

CLIMATE RISK-RESILIENT INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT.

WE HAVE ALSO MADE PROGRESS ON

PROTECTED AREA EXPANSION AND MANAGEMENT EFFORTS, WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAHAMAS PROTECTED AREAS FUND. AND WE WILL BE FURTHERING THE WORKING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) AND THE INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION CORPS (ICC) FOR THE FORESTRY UNIT AS WE ESTABLISH PERMANENT SAMPLE

PLOTS (PSP) THROUGHOUT THE

COPPICE, MANGROVE AND PINE FORESTS ON ABACO, ANDROS, GRAND BAHAMA AND NEW PROVIDENCE.

WHEN THIS WORKSHOP END, YOUR SUSTAINED WORK BEGINS. I WISH YOU SUCCESS IN ALL OF YOUR ENDEAVOURS THIS WEEK.

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