Carib Scope

分类： environment

  • In memoriam: Jan Hein Ribot

    In memoriam: Jan Hein Ribot

    Suriname’s environmental and nature education community is mourning the passing of renowned pioneer Jan Hein Ribot, who died on September 30 at the age of 74, according to an announcement from Het Green Heritage Fund Suriname. Ribot leaves behind a decades-long legacy of selfless work to expand public understanding of Suriname’s extraordinary avian biodiversity and promote local nature conservation.

    In 2023, the Green Heritage Fund Suriname nominated Ribot for a prestigious state honor in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to advancing nature education across the country. The foundation’s nomination highlighted that Ribot’s decades of unwavering commitment deserved formal national recognition and appreciation. That nomination came to fruition on December 19, 2023, when Ribot was awarded the Order of the Palm by Ambassador Radjendre Khargi in a formal ceremony.

    Ribot’s most impactful contribution came in the form of his trailblazing website, surinamebirds.nl, which he launched all the way back in 1996 — two years before Google was founded, making him one of the earliest pioneers in putting Suriname’s natural heritage online. For more than 25 years, the platform shone a spotlight on Suriname’s stunning avian life to audiences both at home and across the globe, building an irreplaceable open-access knowledge repository of information on Suriname’s native birds.

    What set Ribot’s work apart was his thoughtful, inclusive approach to nature education. Beyond bird descriptions and audio recordings of their calls, he added engaging personal anecdotes and translated content into multiple languages, including local Indigenous languages such as Arawak, a choice that reflected his deep respect for Suriname’s native cultures and linguistic heritage.

    For the local population, especially young people, the website became a vital educational tool. Featuring photo galleries, video content, and interactive range maps, the platform offered an immersive, engaging learning experience that sparked curiosity among young Surinamese and fostered a deeper awareness of the value of the country’s natural ecosystems.

    Beyond education, Ribot’s comprehensive data on bird distribution helped position Suriname as a world-class destination for ornithological research and ecotourism, driving sustainable economic growth and employment in the country’s nature tourism sector. The baseline population data he collected also continues to support formal conservation efforts, providing critical insights that inform biodiversity protection strategies.

    His influence extends far beyond international ornithology circles: the website remains a heavily used educational resource for local Surinamese students, demonstrating how one individual’s passion can create lasting impact for both local communities and the global conservation community. Ribot also shared his expertise as co-author of two landmark academic publications: the 2009 *Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Suriname* and the 2015 first edition of *Field Guide to the Birds of Suriname*.

    A defining characteristic of Ribot’s work was his complete lack of financial motivation. His website never carried advertisements, and he never sought personal profit from the countless hours he invested in the project. His work was driven entirely by a sincere passion to consolidate Suriname’s bird information in one accessible place and inspire people around the world to care about nature conservation.

    With Ribot’s passing, Suriname has lost a dedicated selfless advocate who spent decades advancing the protection of the country’s natural heritage and raising awareness of its rich avian diversity. His website remains an irreplaceable global resource that has touched millions of lives, a testament to his extraordinary contributions to conservation and environmental education. The Green Heritage Fund Suriname extended its deepest condolences to Ribot’s family during this difficult time.

  • Sleur: Mennonietenkamp Masonia ligt buiten concessiegebied

    Sleur: Mennonietenkamp Masonia ligt buiten concessiegebied

    A field investigation by environmental advocacy group ProBios has upended earlier assumptions about the location of a Mennonite settlement in Suriname’s Masonia region, revealing the community is occupying unclaimed public forest land outside all official resource extraction concessions.

    Erlan Sleur, ProBios’ chairman and a prominent environmental activist, led the September 30 mission to locate the settlement, alongside VPRO journalist Charisa Chotoe and a local guide. ProBios had spent months searching for the encampment based on initial reports that 12 Mennonite families from Bolivia had established operations within a 50,000-hectare logging concession held by local operator Roy Kong Yong Foek. But when Sleur analyzed high-resolution satellite imagery of the concession boundaries, he found no evidence of large-scale clearing or new construction in the targeted area.

    After weeks of fruitless searching, the team received assistance from a worker at a nearby logging camp, who directed them to a site roughly 10 kilometers outside the suspected concession boundaries. There, they finally located the Mennonite camp. Drone imagery captured during the mission confirms the presence of permanent structures, cleared agricultural plots, and heavy construction equipment operating within intact forest.

    Cross-referencing the new coordinates with official land records from Suriname’s Foundation for Forest Management and Forest Supervision (SBB), Sleur confirmed the settlement does not just fall outside Kong Yong Foek’s concession—it is located outside all officially approved concessions in the region. This means the community is occupying what the Suriname government classifies as free public domain land. Sleur’s mission report does not clarify whether any unrecorded permits or informal approvals for the clearing have been issued to the group by local officials.

    During his visit, Sleur spoke with Jacobus, the settlement’s self-identified leader. The 12 families, totaling roughly 50 people, left Bolivia because they could not acquire enough new land to expand their growing community, Jacobus explained. He told investigators the group had reached an agreement with Roy Kong Yong Foek, who assured them all legal matters with national authorities had been finalized. Jacobus showed Sleur contracts dated January 2026 that bear a ministerial stamp, but Sleur says he doubts the documents are legally valid. The mission report was unable to independently verify the authenticity or legal standing of the paperwork.

    Sleur also confronted the Mennonite community with a court summons issued July 12. The legal document was served to Kong Yong Foek, ordering an immediate end to the unauthorized use of public land and evacuation of the site within two weeks. Jacobus told investigators the settlement had no prior knowledge of the summons. After Sleur provided a Spanish translation of the document, the community maintained it still trusted that outstanding legal issues would be resolved, and that they would be allowed to stay once all formal permits are issued.

    Members of the community confirmed they are aware that clearing forest for agriculture and housing requires official government approval, but had no information about the government’s evacuation order. ProBios has publicly released its full investigation findings to bring attention to the unclear legal status of the settlement and demand accountability for who authorized the forest clearing on public land.

  • This is the Dominican Republic’s position on sargassum at the EU-Caribbean conference

    This is the Dominican Republic’s position on sargassum at the EU-Caribbean conference

    Cancún, Mexico — When 350 stakeholders from 45 countries and territories gathered in the Mexican coastal state of Quintana Roo for the Fourth EU-Caribbean Global Gateway Conference on Sargassum, a cross-border consensus took center stage: the growing tide of invasive Sargassum can only be contained through coordinated, cross-sector regional action. Leading calls for this unified approach, Dominican Republic’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Paíno Henríquez outlined that any effective response must be built on three core pillars: proactive anticipation, multi-stakeholder coordination, and open cross-border knowledge exchange.

    Unlike localized environmental issues, Sargassum’s rapid spread does not recognize national boundaries. As Henríquez emphasized in his keynote address, shifts in open-ocean Sargassum growth eventually impact coastlines, marine ecosystems, and coastal livelihoods across the entire Greater Caribbean region. Fishing operations, tourism economies, and the daily lives of thousands of coastal residents hang in the balance, making isolated national efforts inherently insufficient.

    “What happens offshore affects our coasts, ecosystems, fishing, tourism, and the lives of thousands of people. And precisely because it knows no borders, we cannot pretend to face it individually. This is a shared challenge, and we must face it as a team,” Henríquez told conference attendees.

    The Dominican Republic is already shifting its own national strategy from reactive cleanup to proactive, integrated management, the minister shared. Where past efforts centered solely on stockpiling harvested Sargassum from shorelines, the country is now building out layered monitoring systems that combine satellite and geospatial data with on-the-ground field teams to track blooms before they make landfall.

    For this new framework to work, Henríquez stressed, coordination across every segment of society is non-negotiable. National governments, local municipal bodies, private industry, academic institutions, the global scientific community, and local coastal populations must all align under clear shared protocols. Even routine cleanup work, he noted, requires strict adherence to science-backed guidelines to avoid unintended harm: sand removal operations must follow technical standards to prevent irreversible beach erosion, damage to coral reefs and mangrove habitats, and disruption to critical sea turtle nesting areas.

    “It’s not simply a matter of showing up with a machine and removing what we find. We have to intervene with the awareness that we are acting upon an ecosystem,” Henríquez said. “We need to understand the beach, use the right equipment, measure what we’re doing, and evaluate the results.”

    On the national level, the Dominican Republic has laid out concrete targets to back this strategic shift: by 2027, the country aims to sustainably manage 150,000 metric tons of Sargassum biomass. With financial and programmatic support from the European Union, the government launched an international call for innovative solutions across the entire Sargassum value chain, drawing 45 submitted proposals from 10 countries. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided technical support to evaluate these submissions.

    Beyond monitoring and cleanup, the country is actively exploring viable pathways to repurpose Sargassum biomass into marketable, useful products, creating new economic opportunities from the environmental challenge. All potential uses are held to strict standards, requiring environmental safety validation and alignment with peer-reviewed scientific evidence. The end goal is a model that balances ecological protection, scientific rigor, and long-term economic viability by connecting global research, technical innovation, and local operational capabilities.

    Henríquez argued that cross-border knowledge sharing is one of the most impactful forms of regional cooperation, eliminating redundant work and accelerating the rollout of proven solutions. “We don’t have to solve the same problem twenty times in twenty different countries. If a solution works, we have to share it. We have to share information, experiences, research, technology, and knowledge. That is true regional cooperation,” he said.

    He called for continued investment in strengthening collaboration across all Greater Caribbean nations, turning existing collective knowledge and capabilities into tangible on-the-ground action to address a phenomenon that impacts every coastal community in the region.

    Co-hosted by the European Union and Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), in partnership with the Quintana Roo state government, the two-day conference brought together representatives from national governments, private enterprises, academic institutions, global financial bodies, and international intergovernmental organizations.

    In closing, Henríquez reaffirmed that successfully tackling the Sargassum crisis depends on sustained collaboration across borders, sectors, and stakeholder groups. “We have to do it with science, with awareness, and together. Because united we can do so much more for our environment,” he said.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Leads Caribbean Push to Fight Illegal Fishing and Track Seafood

    Antigua and Barbuda Leads Caribbean Push to Fight Illegal Fishing and Track Seafood

    In a landmark gathering held on September 28, 2026, at Jamaica’s Ocean Coral Spring Resort during the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) advanced regional ocean governance with a historic package of policy approvals. Chaired by Antigua and Barbuda, the high-level meeting brought together fisheries, aquaculture and blue economy ministers from across the bloc, who backed 12 binding resolutions that set a new sustainable policy trajectory for the region’s critical fishing and aquaculture industry.

    Opening the 17th Special Ministerial Council meeting, CRFM Chair Hon. Randy Baltimore, Minister of State in Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, emphasized the tight alignment between the gathering’s work and the 2026 Caribbean Week of Agriculture theme: “The New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems,” which centers on four core priorities: food security, agri-business expansion, climate-smart innovation, and export growth. “Fisheries and the blue economy are non-negotiable pillars of every one of these goals,” Baltimore told delegates. “Our sector does more than feed our populations and deliver critical nutrition: it sustains millions of livelihoods, drives regional trade, and anchors economic stability for coastal communities across the Caribbean. Still, we confront persistent, growing threats: climate change degradation, overpressure on shared marine resources, rampant IUU fishing, and volatile global market shifts that put small-scale fishers at particular risk.”

    Before deliberations, the CRFM Secretariat presented updated, comprehensive sector data to assembled policymakers, offering a clear snapshot of the industry’s current scale and trajectory. CRFM Statistics and Information Analyst June Masters shared that across the bloc’s 17 member states, more than 500,000 people now rely on the fisheries and aquaculture sector for employment, including roughly 133,000 active fishers and 5,000 aquaculture workers. Between 2020 and 2025, Masters reported, every member state recorded consistent, steady employment growth across the sector.

    The new data also revealed a striking shift in the industry’s economic value: the total ex-vessel value of catch from the region’s domestic fleet, which encompasses more than 30,000 vessels and reflects the direct payment fishers receive for their catch, nearly doubled over the five-year period, jumping from US$431 million in 2020 to US$856 million in 2025 – a 99% increase. By contrast, total catch volume grew far more modestly, rising just 14% from 141,000 tons to 160,000 tons over the same window, a trend officials attribute largely to rising global seafood market prices rather than increased extraction.

    Against this backdrop of growing employment and economic value paired with persistent systemic challenges, ministers debated long-term strategic direction for the sector, as well as the capacity needs of both the CRFM Secretariat and individual member states to advance sustainable growth. The Council reviewed findings from a recently completed capacity and training needs assessment, carried out by CRFM in partnership with the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme under UNESCO auspices. Delegates committed to fast-tracking targeted interventions to close identified capacity gaps across the region.

    The meeting’s defining milestone came with the unanimous approval of three new binding protocols to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP): the Protocol on Marine Spatial Planning, the Protocol on Aquatic Foods Traceability, and the Protocol on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

    CRFM Executive Director Dr. Marc Williams framed the approvals as a transformative step forward for regional marine stewardship. “Adopting these three new protocols marks a turning point for strengthening governance, boosting long-term sustainability, and building economic resilience for Caribbean fisheries and marine resources,” Williams said. “Together, these frameworks give our member states cohesive, robust regional tools to manage conflicting demands on ocean space, build transparency and consumer confidence in Caribbean seafood, and shield our shared fish stocks from illegal exploitation.”

    Williams added that the new regulations deliver tangible benefits to frontline communities: they protect the livelihoods of law-abiding small-scale and commercial fishers, improve access to premium regional and global export markets, strengthen regional food and nutrition security, and ensure the economic benefits of marine resources are shared fairly and sustainably across current and future generations.

    In closing the special meeting, Chair Baltimore emphasized the power of regional collaboration to address shared challenges. “Our nations confront a host of common threats, but every member brings unique, valuable experience and innovative solutions to this partnership,” he said. “I urge all of us to continue learning from one another, share successful strategies, and follow through fully on the commitments we have made here. That is the only way we will build a stronger fisheries sector and an inclusive blue economy that delivers lasting, equitable benefits to our fisherfolk and coastal communities.”

    Looking ahead, CRFM Ministerial Council representatives will participate in the 127th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) – Agriculture, scheduled for this Friday, which will mark the official conclusion of the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica.

  • Joy-Marie King Calls For Greater Focus On SIDS Resilience At UN Consultation

    Joy-Marie King Calls For Greater Focus On SIDS Resilience At UN Consultation

    As global stakeholders work toward advancing collective sustainable development goals, a senior official from Antigua and Barbuda has issued a urgent call to reframe global development planning around resilience, centering the unique structural vulnerabilities that small island developing states (SIDS) navigate daily.

    Joy-Marie King, Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of International Trade and national focal point for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), delivered this appeal during a high-level regional consultation held in Quito, Ecuador, between September 29 and October 1. The gathering, which brought together a diverse cross-section of development stakeholders, was convened to collect regional insights and on-the-ground evidence to inform the upcoming UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2027.

    King emphasized that SIDS must leverage empirical evidence to design targeted, context-appropriate policies, unlock adequate financing tailored to their needs, and accelerate progress on internationally agreed development commitments. She further called for greater strategic alignment between the global 2030 SDGs, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, and individual national development frameworks.

    This coordinated approach, King explained, would allow small island nations to maximize the impact of their limited resource pools, while building stronger systemic resilience across critical sectors of their economies. Unlike larger economies, SIDS face disproportionate risks from climate change, economic volatility, and external shocks, making resilience not a secondary priority but a foundational requirement for long-term sustainable development.

    The Quito consultation drew participation from a wide range of groups, including national government delegations, United Nations agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations, academic researchers, civil society coalitions, youth delegates, and national SDG coordination focal points. Over the course of the three-day meeting, attendees delved into core themes critical to advancing sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean: sustainable financing mechanisms, governance reform, integration of science and technology, innovation scaling, institutional capacity building, and strategies to replicate successful development initiatives across borders.

    Discussions also extended to cross-cutting issues that shape equitable development progress: accessible education, closing persistent inequality gaps, strengthening accountability for development commitments, and navigating difficult policy trade-offs that many nations face as they work toward the 2030 SDG targets and long-term development beyond that deadline.

    For this regional process, Antigua and Barbuda’s participation filled a critical gap by bringing a frontline SIDS perspective to conversations about bridging the divides between science, policy, and civil society. By centering the specific needs of small island states, the consultation’s outcomes will help ensure the 2027 global report reflects the realities of the nations most vulnerable to systemic shocks, and most in need of resilience-centered development strategies.

  • Dairy cows wilting under unprecedented heat, farmers warn

    Dairy cows wilting under unprecedented heat, farmers warn

    An unprecedented combination of soaring temperatures and prolonged drought is pushing the island’s dairy herds into critical heat stress, forcing cows to divert energy from milk production to temperature regulation, the president of the Dairy and Beef Producers Association has warned. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events across global agricultural sectors, industry head McDonald Stevenson is calling for urgent, proactive changes across the sector to buffer the dairy industry from the worst impacts of the ongoing scorching heatwave.

    Stevenson emphasizes that while milk yields have dropped measurably due to heat stress, current consumer milk supplies remain secure for the time being. This unexpected stability stems largely from two key factors: the seasonal rhythm of dairy production and rapid adaptive steps taken by farmers already. The island’s traditional calving season, which runs through December to build up supply for the holiday shopping period, is already well underway. This natural cycle has increased the number of cows entering lactation, which has offset lower individual yields and kept overall production volumes steady.

    The physiological toll of the persistent heatwave on cattle is far more severe than many outside the industry recognize, Stevenson explains. Daily temperatures regularly climb above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and Stevenson notes that cows begin to experience harmful heat stress once temperatures hit just 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit—far lower than the threshold at which humans feel significant discomfort. Unlike human handlers, bovines are extremely sensitive to even small temperature increases, and the relentless heat offers little reprieve: high daytime temperatures often carry over into warm nights, leaving cows no chance to cool down and recover.

    This constant thermal strain directly cuts into milk output, as the energy cows would normally use to produce milk is rerouted to basic thermoregulation and biological survival. When an animal’s entire biological system is focused on staying cool, reduced productivity is an unavoidable outcome. The heatwave is not just impacting dairy cattle, Stevenson adds; even livestock traditionally considered tolerant of warm climates are struggling. Sheep, which are often assumed to handle high heat well, are now spending peak midday hours clustered in shade rather than grazing, a clear sign of widespread thermal stress across all grazing herds.

    To address these growing climate-driven challenges, Stevenson is pushing for sweeping, systemic changes to livestock infrastructure. He stresses that simply acknowledging the reality of climate change is not enough—immediate on-the-ground action is required to protect herds and preserve production. “If we really want to make a difference, we need to concentrate heavily on housing. Housing is critical for any animal,” he says.

    Adequate shade and active cooling systems are no longer optional upgrades for dairy farms, they are an absolute necessity, Stevenson argues. He is calling on producers to construct purpose-built cattle housing with naturally ventilated, open-roof designs that allow air to flow freely through enclosures, alongside adding mechanical cooling tools such as sprinkler systems that actively wet cattle to lower their body temperatures.

    In addition to infrastructure overhauls, Stevenson is advocating for a shift in breeding strategy, urging producers to prioritize domestic breeding of locally acclimatized cattle over importing foreign herds. Despite previous imports in 2020 and 2024, he argues that bringing in cattle from other regions carries unacceptable risks, including major biosecurity threats and difficulty acclimatizing to the island’s hotter, drier new climate pattern. “I don’t like the idea that we have to import cows because when you bring cows, you bring something with them — some little bug all the time,” Stevenson says. He adds that imported cattle struggle to adapt to the island’s current extreme heat, making local breeding the only safe, sustainable path forward. Most farmers have already shifted their focus to raising more locally bred heifers, he notes, building a steady pipeline of heat-adapted milk-producing cattle for the future.

    Beyond the direct threat of heat stress to cattle, Stevenson highlights a second, growing crisis: the devastating impact of the prolonged dry spell on pasture growth. High-quality fresh grass is a foundational input for healthy, productive dairy cows, and the ongoing lack of rain has severely stunted grass growth across the island. While brief, scattered showers have triggered temporary sprouting, the immediate return of scorching temperatures kills off the new growth almost immediately. Soils remain cracked and depleted of deep moisture, and Stevenson warns that if significant sustained rainfall does not arrive soon, the island’s agricultural sector could face a critical livestock feed shortage by the end of 2025.

    To prepare for this potential feed gap, Stevenson advises farmers to adopt a flexible, opportunistic approach to forage management. Instead of waiting for grass to reach its ideal harvest height, he urges producers to cut and store whatever usable forage is available immediately. “If you sit and say: ‘Oh, I can wait for it to grow another three inches,’ with the heat, it comes in scorching the grass all the time, so you’re not getting the growth,” he explains. Cutting and storing existing forage now will at minimum build a baseline feed reserve, he says, and also clears pastures to make space for fresh new growth when rain eventually arrives, which is expected in October.

  • Nevis Geothermal Project Poised for Regional Impact

    Nevis Geothermal Project Poised for Regional Impact

    A landmark renewable energy initiative on the Caribbean island of Nevis is poised to reshape subregional energy security, after the European Union formally committed to supporting the project with targeted technical expertise, industrial connections, and flexible financial backing.

    Located beneath Nevis Peak, an existing volcano on the small Eastern Caribbean island, the geothermal project centers on the planned construction of a 30-megawatt clean power plant that will replace the island’s current reliance on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation. Beyond local benefits, planners have long envisioned the project as a hub for exporting low-cost renewable energy to neighboring island nations across the Eastern Caribbean via a future interconnected transmission grid.

    The recent commitment from the EU followed a high-level 24 September working meeting between a three-member EU delegation and senior leadership from the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) held at the NIA Cabinet Room. The EU delegation was led by David Mogollón, Head of EU Cooperation for Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean States, and included Martino Vinci, EU Policy Officer for St. Kitts and Nevis, and Federico Fische from the EU Global Technical Assistance Facility for Sustainable Energy (EU GTAF). NIA representatives in attendance included then-Acting Premier Spencer Brand, NIA Legal Advisor Helene Lewis, Permanent Secretary for the Premier’s Ministry Wakely Daniel, and NIA Energy Consultant Dr. Ernie Stapleton.

    In remarks following the meeting, Mogollón emphasized that the initiative carries far-reaching importance that extends well beyond Nevis and the broader Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. “The European Union is ready to partner and support this initiative,” Mogollón stated, noting that the EU brings decades of specialized know-how in geothermal resource assessment, power plant engineering, and cross-border energy transmission that will help de-risk the project and ensure its successful delivery. “We are ready to mobilise financial support as well,” he added, outlining that multiple funding mechanisms are on the table, including concessional loans, targeted investment grants, and other flexible structures that can be tailored to the project’s needs. Mogollón also confirmed the EU can connect the project to experienced European industrial partners with specialized backgrounds in geothermal development, transmission infrastructure, and inter-island energy connectivity, adding that the EU’s core priority is advancing outcomes that deliver long-term benefit to the people of Nevis and the wider federation.

    Nevis Premier and Minister of Energy Mark Brantley confirmed the EU’s engagement in remarks delivered at his monthly press conference on 29 September, detailing that the EU’s proposal frames the Nevis geothermal project as the cornerstone of a broader subregional energy security initiative. Under the EU’s vision, the Nevis plant would be linked via undersea transmission lines to St. Kitts, Dutch Caribbean islands including Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, French territories St. Barths and St. Martin, and eventually extend further to markets such as Antigua.

    Brantley explained that senior EU officials have already held preliminary discussions with St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, including talks held in Brussels, before the delegation traveled to Nevis to consult with local stakeholders. “They’re trying to basically persuade us to partner with the EU on this project for a wider subregional project on geothermal and on energy security for the sub region,” Brantley said, adding that the NIA is currently conducting a thorough assessment of the EU’s proposal. He noted that the EU is not the only international partner interested in the initiative: the United States government has also expressed interest in collaborating on the project, a reflection of the initiative’s transformative potential for the entire region.

    Preparations are already advancing for the next phase of development at the project’s Hamilton geothermal site, led by the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) on behalf of the NIA. Once completed, the 30-megawatt plant is expected to deliver reliable, zero-emission electricity to Nevis, cut consumer energy costs by reducing exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets, and strengthen the island’s long-term energy independence. For neighboring small island states, which currently face disproportionately high energy costs due to their own reliance on imported fossil fuels, the project offers a pathway to access low-cost clean power that would otherwise be out of reach for many smaller economies.

    “This project is so transformative that these governments, these agencies, want to be a part of it,” Brantley said. “They want to play a role because they recognize the value of what geothermal energy exploration on the island of Nevis can mean.”

  • La Feuille clean-up highlights waste challenge

    La Feuille clean-up highlights waste challenge

    A regional environmental advocacy and diversified services group has kicked off a new community-wide environmental action campaign dubbed “Let’s Move Together,” opening with an initial clean-up pilot in the La Feuille district of Monchy that quickly revealed the depth of local waste management challenges. What was initially planned as a small-scale roadside litter removal by the Green Movement’s six-person team expanded far beyond organizers’ original projections after crews uncovered massive piles of illegally dumped household goods and miscellaneous debris piled up near the main entrance to Monchy, starting from the area adjacent to the main road bus stop.

    The unanticipated volume of accumulated waste transformed what was meant to be a one-off quick clean-up into a catalyst for broader conversation about systemic gaps in local waste stewardship and shared community accountability. From the Green Movement’s perspective, the pilot project proved that maintaining clean, healthy public spaces requires far more than just periodic removal of existing waste. The organization, which also operates commercial divisions for trucking, construction and related logistics services, notes that professional waste collection already makes up a substantial portion of its daily business—but even consistent collection services cannot resolve every challenge facing local neighborhoods.

    Instead, the group argues that long-term improvement depends on three core pillars: consistent, responsible disposal habits among all residents, ongoing public education about waste management, and active participation from across the community. The “Let’s Move Together” initiative was designed specifically to create space for local residents, neighborhood associations and volunteer groups to collaborate, map priority areas that have been neglected by regular waste services, and take tangible direct action to improve their shared surroundings. The Green Movement’s ultimate goal is to foster a broader culture of community responsibility, helping individual residents recognize their unique role in keeping public spaces clean and usable for everyone.

    “Cleaner communities require all of us,” the organization emphasized, noting that meaningful progress depends on contributions from every segment of society: individual residents, local businesses, community organizations and grassroots volunteer groups alike. There are multiple accessible ways for residents to support the campaign, from signing up to volunteer for upcoming clean-up events and correctly disposing of unwanted household items to keeping small personal surrounding areas clean and modeling responsible waste habits for neighbors.

    Education is a core non-clean-up component of the programme, with the organization intentionally framing outreach around open, non-judgmental conversations about proper waste disposal rather than blaming individuals for existing problems. While targeted clean-up events can resolve the backlog of accumulated waste that has already built up in neglected areas, the Green Movement stresses that sustained improvement will only come from ongoing public participation and consistent responsible disposal practices.

    Organizers are currently scoping locations for the next round of the initiative, and are actively calling on local residents and community groups to submit suggestions for high-need areas that would benefit from a community clean-up. Beyond volunteering time, members of the public can also support the programme by donating cleaning supplies and other critical resources, or forming formal partnerships with the Green Movement to bring the “Let’s Move Together” model to additional neighboring communities. The organization also stressed that participation does not require joining a large organized group: individual volunteers can make a meaningful impact just by contributing time and encouraging responsible behavior among their own social circles.

    Framing the La Feuille pilot as just the first step of a long-term campaign, the Green Movement is continuing to solicit public input for future event locations. Any community members interested in joining the initiative, suggesting a location, or partnering on the effort can reach the organization via phone at 758-518-2477 or by email at thegreenmovementslu@gmail.com.

  • PARADISE INTERRUPTED | When the rain doesn’t come

    PARADISE INTERRUPTED | When the rain doesn’t come

    For generations, Caribbean communities have cultivated ingrained rituals of preparation for one of the most visible climate hazard: hurricanes. Every June, as storm season kicks off, households across the region automatically spring into action: flashlights are tested, emergency battery stockpiles are topped up, shelves are filled with canned goods and bottled water, trees are trimmed, drainage systems are cleared, and critical documents are secured in waterproof storage. Hurricane preparation has become woven into the cultural identity of the Caribbean. But there is another slow-onset climate threat that has never received the same cultural focus: drought. Unlike hurricanes, drought never arrives with a dramatic, named alert, blaring headlines, or hours of nonstop live coverage. It creeps in gradually, one unusually dry week after another. Rainfall becomes increasingly sparse, regional river levels drop steadily, farmers begin rationing scarce water supplies, and eventually, taps run dry one morning without warning. By the time the public and officials recognize drought as a full-blown crisis, vulnerable communities have already been living with its devastating impacts for months.

  • Dominica’s Sherdina Antoine wins regional climate story competition

    Dominica’s Sherdina Antoine wins regional climate story competition

    Against a backdrop of growing global concern over climate vulnerability in small island developing states, a young writer from Dominica has emerged as the winner of the 2026 Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) Youth Short Story Competition. Twenty-two-year-old Sherdina Antoine secured first place with her narrative *Weathering Us*, outpacing 172 competing submissions drawn from 14 different CARICOM member states across the Caribbean region.

    Notably, Dominica earned a second spot in the competition’s top 10 rankings: another local writer, Kijuana Charity Bruno, earned recognition for her work *The Reef Keepers of Anse Chaudière*, marking a strong showing for the small island nation in this regional creative initiative. The contest, which opened for submissions on July 27, 2026, was specifically designed to invite creative input from young people aged 18 to 25 who are either citizens or residents of CARICOM countries, asking them to craft stories around the theme: “Imagine a climate-secure future for the world. Inspired by the Caribbean.”

    Founded to elevate youth voices on critical climate issues, the competition provides a dedicated platform for emerging Caribbean writers to share their perspectives on climate change, community resilience, and the kind of sustainable future they envision for their region. Alongside Antoine’s win, the final results name Priya Ramdeo of Trinidad and Tobago as second place winner for her story *Mas For The Living Sea*, who will take home a tablet as her prize. Third place went to Kaitlyn Griffith of Barbados for *The Coastline of Tomorrow*, with a Kindle awarded as the prize for this placement. Antoine’s first-place prize is a cutting-edge MacBook Neo.

    Danelle De Coteau-Campbell, Head of Communications at the CCCCC, highlighted that both the volume and creative quality of this year’s submissions made clear how deeply young people across the Caribbean care about the climate future of their home region. “We were encouraged by the response to this competition, with 173 young people from across 14 Member States sharing their perspectives on what a climate-resilient future could mean for our region,” De Coteau-Campbell shared in an official press statement. “Beyond the number of submissions, what stood out was the thought, creativity, and awareness reflected in the stories. Young people are not only experiencing the realities of climate change; they also have important perspectives on the future we are working to build. Through this competition, we wanted to create a space for those perspectives to be expressed and amplified.”

    The full list of remaining top 10 finalists includes four additional writers from Trinidad and Tobago—Rayn Cooper for *A Road Trip of Change*, Priya Jaggernath for *The Panyard that Saved the World*, Aaliyah Bruce for *What I Used To Be*, and Venus Abass for *The Weather in Her Hands*—alongside Jadique Edwards of Barbados for *FEE FI FO FUM* and Philecia Chambers of Jamaica for *A City Beneath The Heat*. All 10 finalists will receive formal recognition, custom certificates, and official CCCCC promotional packages, with their work featured across the centre’s official website and social media channels. The top five stories will receive further distribution: they will be published on the CCCCC’s public platform caribbeanclimate.org and adapted into professionally produced audio versions to expand their reach.

    Submissions to the 2026 competition arrived from all 14 participating CARICOM member states: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. To ensure fair and expert evaluation, the CCCCC assembled a diverse judging panel made up of respected figures from Caribbean literature and cultural sectors. Panel members included Barbadian writer and creative producer Ayesha GibsonGill; Cindy Allman, Jamaican book reviewer and founder of #ReadCaribbean Month; Belizean author and educator David Nicolas Ruiz; Dike Noel, Manager of Communications at the CARICOM Secretariat; and Montserratian-Barbadian writer, arts educator and academic Dr Yvonne Weekes.