Green projects in Nevis and St. Kitts get OAS/US assistance

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 12TH 2012 (CUOPM) – Green projects in Nevis and St. Kitts are among several in the Caribbean that will be receiving grants from the Organization of American States’ Sustainable Communities in Central American and the Caribbean Project.

The two projects in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis that will also be financed by the US Department of State are HOPE Nevis Incorporated and the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) in St. Kitts.

Carmen Lomellin, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS; Joel Hernandez, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the OAS; José Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General; Albert R. Ramdin, OAS Assistant Secretary General (OAS Photo/Juan Manuel Herrera)

HOPE Nevis plans to build community resilience to drought, flooding and other natural hazards in Nevis and the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College’s plans to introduce sustainable transportation for St. Kitts and Nevis, including the development of a transportation plan for the federation.

“The challenge for this century is to reduce the urban ecological footprint, while at the same time improving the quality of life for all inhabitants,” said OAS Secretary General His Excellency Jose Miguel Insulza.

He added: “This project – promoting small grants that finance case studies that are replicable – forms the building blocks for substantive, sustainable urban development.”

Other projects in the region are a waste management programme by Plenty International Belize; The Grenada Project is a plan to recycle certain waste streams to create a protein that will lower the cost of feeding poultry while the Trinidad-based project will analyze the built and cultural heritage of five Caribbean cities for elements of smart urban design that will decrease car use and encourage cycling and walking.

The proposals have been funded by up to $50,000.

“They are creative, sometimes bold, new initiatives with the markings of social entrepreneurship,” said Belize’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, Nestor Mendez, adding: “They are all anchored in the conviction of the need for sustainable long term economic viability.”