Climate Change Seminar Commences in Antigua

(ZIZ News) — ZIZ’s Kilony Johnson is among regional environmental officials in Antigua for the fifth Climate Change Seminar, hosted by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), under the Rally the Region to Action on Climate Change (RRACC) project.

RRACC is a five year developmental project funded by USAID to the tune of US#9.5million and is aimed at assisting O.E.C.S. governments with building resilience through the implementation of climate change adaptation measures.

Director of the Social and Sustainable Development Division of the OECS Commission, Bentley Browne said the two-day seminar will help determine the success of the RRACC project.

“The exercise we are embarking on over the next few days will be very useful in determining the project’s focus and modalities during the extended period. However, it will provide valuable lessons which we can apply through our ongoing plans in our member states. I urge you as we focus on the review of the project to pay particular attention to the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the RRACC project,” he said.

General Development Office Director for USAID, Ted Lawrence said the recent impact of Tropical Storm Erika on Dominica served as a stark reminder of what can happen to countries in the region.

He said the challenge going forward is to ensure that all O.E.C.S. countries learn from each other.

“It is our expectation within USAID that the lessons learned from each project will be firmly disseminated throughout the region. Our charge to the OECS Commission and to participating member states is that our countries must maximise the benefits from RRACC and not have to reinvent the wheel in the development of responses to climate change. Our focus is on making this information practical to address real issues that people are facing,” he said.

The agenda for the seminar, which runs from September 9-10th, includes presentations from several beneficiary stakeholders including representatives of the Marine and Water Services Departments of St. Kitts.

The seminar is being held under the theme, “Strengthening the Environment and Building Resilience to Climate Change in O.E.C.S. Member States”.