The sustainable management of the island’s forest resource is under discussion.
Several stakeholders met today to begin a workshop designed to improve the potential of Dominica’s forestry to the local economy.
The agenda includes discussion on the impact of natural disaster and the climate change on livelihoods and forest-based tourism among other topics.
The stakeholders include the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the World Bank funded Emergency Agricultural Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project in collaboration with the Forestry, Wildlife and National Parks Division. They aimed to finalize the components of the Global Environment Facility 7 (GEF7) project.
Juliana Foster-Daniels is Monitoring and Evaluating Officer and Deputy Manager of GEF7.
She highlighted that the project has as its goal not just the well-being of the forest but its benefits to human life and development.
“Forest, wildlife and parks management are essential for economic development in Dominica. Forestry also contributes to preservation, conservation and management of natural resources. There are also initiatives for biodiversity, ecotourism, environmental services for provision of water and erosion control.”
She adds that the aim is to “support national economic development goals as well as the World Bank’s commitment to poverty reduction in all its forms ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition as well as combating climate change and its impact on sustainable agriculture.”
Environmental Economist Consultant with the World Bank, Juan Jose Miranda, says the World Bank aims to participate in finding solutions to the limitations facing foresting.
The objectives are to discuss the potentials of Dominica’s forest contribution to national development; to enable the evaluation of issues affecting forest related economic activities and; to identify opportunities, including viable investment opportunities and approaches to improve the contribution of forestry to the national economy.