The recently ended 11th session of the OECS Ministerial Environment Policy Committee (EPC) identified environmental impact assessments, renewable energy and waste recycling among the possible priority areas.

Williams added that the OECS EPC is considering approaches that will lead towards a broader scale of support from the international donor community. He said this will facilitate continuous approaches towards effective environmental management.

The Environment Minister also identified the OECS Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (OECS ESDU) as the agency that could best represent the sub region in strategic discussions at the international level. Assessing the impact of development on the environment was a recurring theme of the recent EPC meeting. To this end, head of the OECS ESDU Keith Nichols has advised that an institutional framework to continuously inform and sustain the management of environmental impact assessments must be in place with the constant backing of government: What happens is that if the information or the expertise resides in persons who are highly mobile within their careers then we need to re-invest in that knowledge base on a regular basis.  In the absence of an institutional framework it will be difficult to do so. From the OECS perspective, we need to develop a comprehensive framework for EIA management so that the process remains an instrument and that whosever comes on board will fit into and sustain that process.”

The 15th meeting of the OECS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on the environment preceded the 11th meeting of the Ministerial EPC. The 12th OECS Environment Policy Committee Meeting is slated for November in Antigua-Barbuda.