By Sue-Ann Wayow
SUSTAINED collaboration and communication are needed going forward for the year 2023 for the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
This was emphasised by Senior Environmental Education Officer Marcia Tinto as she discussed the way forward for 2023.
The communication and collaboration were needed amongst Environmental Officers’ (EOs) and the EMA’s Point Persons who serve as liaisons between the EMA and government ministries and agencies.
Last week, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the EMA, Nadra Nathai-Gyan, welcomed the EOs to the EMA’s Fourth Quarterly/End-of-Year Meeting at the Normandie Hotel, St Ann’s.
This was the first in-person meeting, due to the Covid-19 restrictions since the EOs Programme was restructured in 2020, a release from the EMA on Monday stated.
EMA’s Environmental Education Officer Reyad Mohammed also presented a year-in-review summary of each quarter, including a synopsis of discussions on environmental complaints, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In attendance were the EOs from various government ministries and agencies, including Planning and Development, Works and Transport, Public Utilities, Housing and Urban Development, Finance, Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), Trinidad and Tobago Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL), National Energy Corporation (NEC) of Trinidad and Tobago Limited and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).
Civil society was represented by the Council of Presidents of the Environment (COPE).
The Environmental Officers’ Programme was implemented in compliance with Section 33 (2) of the Environmental Management Act Chapter 35:05 which treats with maintaining intragovernmental co-ordination, communication and institutional linkages for the development, integration and effective implementation of the various policies, laws, regulations, rules, guidelines, programmes and other activities designed to protect and conserve the environment.
