Saint Lucia’s Minister of Environment Hon. Richard Frederick, has cautioned that: “Petroleum prices are certain to rise again in the future and to impact negatively on our economies”. 

Speaking at a recent meeting of OECS Ministers of Environment in Antigua and Barbuda, Minister Frederick said the oil crisis, forced regional governments to view energy as: “a critical factor of production and a sine qua non for human existence, and not just another commodity to be purchased.” Mr. Frederick also believes the recent cutback, as a result of the global economic depression, has made governments become complacent and less bothered about the volatility of the oil phenomenon. Citing exploratory efforts in geothermal energy in St Kitts-Nevis, Dominica as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Minister added: “I believe that we have all recognized that a continued total dependence on imported energy is unsustainable, especially when we have access to environmentally friendly renewable energy options.”  In this regard, Minister Frederick informed is colleague ministers of Saint Lucia’s plan to establish a wind farm. Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Environment, Hon. Harold Lovell, the, 2009 chairperson of the OECS Ministerial Group on the Environment or Environment Policy Committee (EPC), agreed that the OECS needs to pay keen attention to global issues and adopt a proactive approach in its strategies: “We can no longer be passive in our approach. The time has come for us as sub-region to harness our resources, human and otherwise, to develop solutions applicable to our needs and situations; a time for us to take better control of what is happening in our environment.

” The Minister specifically called for better coordination of various OECS initiatives and projects that are being designed by international agencies, which he said “sometimes strain our limited resources”. He also voiced the need for input as a sub-region into initiatives and projects from the conceptual stage, in order to ensure ownership and to effect change in those instances when OECS interests are not best served. The Minister noted that this approach was especially urgent, given associated challenges of our small nations which include: “high travel costs, reduced airline seat availability, high cost of services and materials, which all point to the need to be ever conscious of these constraints and the need to work towards increased efficiency in the delivery of outputs to our people.”-Lovell

Also addressing the 12 session of the EPC, Dr. Jimmy Fletcher, Director of Social and Sustainable Development at the OECS Secretariat, spoke on potential impacts of climate change on the region, for which he advised: “We must prepare and devise strategies to mitigate the problems where possible, and adapt to the changes, where inevitable.” Referring to the impact of climate change on the rise of sea level, Dr. Fletcher affirmed that any increase in sea levels will have dramatic impacts on OECS economies, livelihoods and populations. Dr Fletcher also cited mangroves, coral reefs and agriculture as vulnerable aspects of the region’s environment, sure to be impacted by climate change: “Some studies have demonstrated that saline water can intrude many kilometers inland as a result of rising sea levels. This can have a significant impact on the productivity of our agricultural lands, which in turn can have a dramatic effect on food security.” -Fletcher

The OECS Environment Policy Committee met at a time when the world is experiencing a depressed economy that may potentially impact the amount of funds available for environmental projects in the region. Ministers reflected on the potential impact of the depressed economy on reduced revenue collection due to a decrease in inflows of foreign exchange and exports, revenue that would, in part, go towards environmental management