A Bahamian Ministry of the Environment
by Simon
•Simon is a young Bahamian with things on his mind who wishes to remain anonymous. His column 'Front Porch' is published every Tuesday in the Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at frontporchguardian@gmail.com
During the recent budget presentation Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham indicated that he would create an environmental ministry as of July 1. Former prime minister Perry Christie had created a Ministry of Energy and the Environment during his term in office.
Both leaders recognize the need for a designated cabinet post that would coordinate both the nation’s response to environmental challenges and our participation in a greening revolution that will transform individual behaviour and social practices.
While the accordion-like range of issues flow from a common theme, they cover a diversity of challenges from sustainable tourism to replenishment of fish stocks to coastal zone management to dump fires to the ways our individual actions help or hurt the environment.
The new minister will take office amidst a number of interconnected crises at home and abroad. Because of the nature of these challenges, he or she will have to think and act locally and globally.
Globally, we are confronted by climate change, soaring energy and food prices, loss of biological diversity and an expanding list of other concerns. At home, our model of economic development and consumption habits headline another list of green issues.
Though many disagree with the extremist Chicken Littles, who are convinced that the sky has already fallen, there is consensus that sea levels are rising, ground waters are increasingly contaminated and the oceans and skies have become like septic tanks for our waste.
A dual task then, for the new environment minister, is to sound the alarm on the perils we face, while fashioning imaginative, hope-filled and decisive responses to these threats.
Just as the minister will find extraordinary examples of imagination and hope throughout the archipelago, he or she will have to be decisive in adopting the best practices and insights of these environmental pioneers.
The minister will find in The Bahamas National Trust a cutting-edge model on how public-private partnerships can be utilized to protect our shared natural heritage.
This model, created by an Act of Parliament in 1959, was the first – and remains the only – national parks system in the world to be managed and developed by a non-governmental non-profit organization with various statutory powers.
Such a revolutionary approach, well ahead of its time, suggests that the Bahamas can serve as a model for innovation in environmental protection.
With this in mind, the minister must cultivate dynamic partnerships between government, business and civil society, which promote sustainable development.
The appointee will also have to help foster a culture of innovation regarding urgent environmental challenges, which cannot be left to the mercy of bureaucratic inertia or business as usual.
As the BNT approaches its Diamond Jubilee next year, the country is justifiably proud of the Trust’s stellar legacy of education, preservation and advocacy. Because of their work, we have in many areas an impressive environmental record.
Over the decades we brought the West Indian flamingo back from the edge of extinction, placed under a million acres into protected areas, and launched a still evolving National Creeks and Wetlands Restoration Programme.
We developed the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park into one of the first marine fisheries replenishment sites in the wider Caribbean and made our white-crowned pigeon population by far the most viable in the Caribbean.
The environmental czar can lead us into a greener future by first reminding us of these accomplishments and other models from which we can draw inspiration.
One of these, which our green chief should visit, is the Island School/Cape Eleuthera Institute in Deep Creek, Eleuthera.
The institute and companion school have produced novel demonstration projects in biofuels, food production, eco-education, waste treatment and a range of other environmental possibilities The Bahamas will need to embrace for a more sustainable future.
Another model is the Tiamo Resort in South Andros which is completely powered by solar energy. The resort has much to teach us about sustainable tourism and renewable energy.
We will need to draw on all of these lessons to meet significant challenges such as land preservation, preserving threatened wetlands and coral reefs, and replenishing declining fish stocks.
The legislative and regulatory framework guiding much of our economic development, particularly in tourism, needs to be strengthened. As importantly, the environment ministry must have enforcement powers, the lack of which will make any such ministry a paper tiger.
The new minister can lead the environment charge by making government as eco-friendly as possible. This may include instituting green guidelines in areas as diverse as how its vehicle fleet is powered and the conversion to solar and alternative energy sources for public buildings.
As the largest employer in the country and with significant purchasing power, a greener government will have a dramatic impact on reducing both our fuel import bill and carbon emissions.
Further, the new minister will have to provide the leadership needed to bring stakeholders together to help create not just a model for sustainable development, but also sustainable communities.
To wit, I have one additional suggestion for the minister. He or she may want to convene a historic summit, to craft a direction for an environmental future that will build on our successes while confronting urgent challenges.
All worthy thoughts but,
Perhaps the government just wants to get their hands on the National Trusts endowment?
I'm sure some puffed up political hack can liquidate that in short order.
At the very least they as a new ministry can help spend more money on our behalf.
Posted by: C.Lowe | June 23, 2008 at 07:08 PM
As long ago as 1982 it was depressing to see the tin and bottle dumps along the road near Governors Harbour. And before that the privies over the sea on many out islands. It is time to address these issues.
Posted by: Amy Core | June 24, 2008 at 07:08 AM
As a family island resident that lives on the largest island in the country surrounded by 60% of the countries natural resources, i do not have any confidence in any of our government minsties to manage our natural resource. First of all the family island are treated like colonies, its residents do not have a say on how the government ministries carry out its work on the island. How can some one in an office make a decision for MY community in a family island? They do not have a clue about life and conditions in that small community. in the family islands we get the ministry personall that they are have problams with in nassau or their boss do not like them an want them out of the way. Also the imperial mentality of the government ministries when it comes to the family islands are killing our culture and communities.
BNT is no differant from any other government ministry. It has a colonial mentality. The national Parks of the country are not managed, have very little community support or none. Also to think that the exuma land and sea park is a succcess is a joke!! It is a real estate money pit for the few real estate agencies who came up with the Trust idea in the 50s and have cays in the park and sell them to the very rich. so the rich can live and use the park with out any one controlling them but the few Bahamians who have lived in the cay for generations cannot fish or use the park with out being treated like a criminal. The exuma land and sea park is a play ground for the rich and keep bahamians out. The minsitry of the envirnment will be just as useless as the ministry of education with it's 'D' grade, The ministry of health that does not have medication, the ministry of works that does no work, and the public utilites that charge that highest rates in the world and provide the worst service.
WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL OUR COLONIAL STILE GOVERNMENT AND HAVE SOME ACCOUNTIABILITY AND GET RID OF THE CULTURE OF CORRUPTION.
I DO NOT TURST MY GOVERNMENT!!!!!!!!!!!! IT ALL ABOUT THEM NOT THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Posted by: Andros | July 14, 2008 at 11:10 PM