Caribbean environmental issues seem to be taking up a lot of energy at the moment. Here is another meeting in Kingston: consultations, in fact, based on the CEPF’s decision to reinvest in the Caribbean. So good news – and I expect, good discussions. It can only benefit Jamaica and, of course, the Caribbean. Here is the press release from CANARI, which is leading the regional consultations.
National consultation in Jamaica on updating the CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot
Port of Spain, July 05, 2017 – Conservation partners from civil society and government in Jamaica will meet on the 6/7 July 2017 to identify how the global Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) can best support national efforts to protect and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems for human well-being. This is the third in a series of consultations being held across the Caribbean to define the parameters of a new investment by the CEPF in the Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspot. Lt. Col. Oral Khan, Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will be the key note speaker at the opening of the meeting, which will be held at the Alhambra Inn, Kingston, Jamaica.
Between 2010 and 2016, the CEPF invested US$6.9 million in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot, 19% of which supported activities in Jamaica. In mid-2016, the CEPF Donor Council approved reinvestment in the region, with a new funding phase expected to begin in 2018. The workshop in Jamaica and similar workshops taking place across the Caribbean will develop a stakeholder-driven framework for the new CEPF investment. The regional consultation process is being led by Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) in association with BirdLife International, and supported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). The consultation process in Jamaica is being supported by national partners and co-hosts the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) and the Institute for Sustainable Development, University of the West Indies, Mona.
“Our region is one of the world’s greatest centres of unique biodiversity and we have a chance to set an agenda for funding that will help civil society play its role in conserving biodiversity for the wellbeing of our people and livelihoods,” remarked CANARI’s Executive Director, Nicole Leotaud.
Founded in 2000, the CEPF is a global leader in enabling civil society to participate in and benefit from conserving some of the world’s most critical ecosystems.
“I am pleased that the CEPF is back in the region. Their decision suggests that they understand the needs and recognize the gaps,” said Ingrid Parchment, Executive Director of C-CAM Foundation. “This new investment presents an opportunity to bolster or build on work already being done, as well as to revitalise relationships with organisations the CEPF has worked with previously. It also provides much needed conservation funds for the region,” she added.
About CEPF: The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. CEPF is a global program that provides grants to civil society to safeguard the world’s biodiversity hotspot. Learn more about the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Caribbean islands ecosystem profiling update here: http://www.canari.org/criticalecosystem-partnership-fund-cepf-caribbean-islands-ecosystem-profiling-update.
About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for more than 20 years. Our mission is to promote equitable
participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, capacity building and fostering
regional partnerships. For more information on CANARI, visit our website at http://www.canari.org/.
For further information, please contact: Nicole Brown, Adjunct Senior Technical Officer, CANARI at 1 876 818-4285 or nicolebrown@canari.org
Connect with us: Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #cepfcaribbean.
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