By Caribbean News Global contributor
ST GEORGE’S Grenada – Minister with responsibility for agriculture and lands, Senator Adrian Thomas, will from March 23 – 24, join other ministers from across the Caribbean Community to review the implementation of Sustainable Land and Soil Management Projects that currently impact ten nations including Grenada, the ministry of agriculture, lands, forestry, fisheries and cooperatives, announced.
“The Regional Sustainable Land and Soil Management Projects are initiatives of the Partnership for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), funded and supported by the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the University of the West Indies- St. Augustine Campus, the Global Environment Facility and member states including Grenada. These regional projects seek to create a conducive enabling environment and support countries to establish, implement, monitor, and report on progress toward Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.”
Senator Thomas will participate in the high-level engagements that will seek to review progress made in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS) – SOILCARE Phase I, approve the GEF Project Implementation Form (PIF) for CSIDS – SOILCARE Phase II, set the parameters for the Caribbean LDN Transformative Project and review the institutional capacities of PISLM to carry out its mandate.
“The high-level engagements come fresh on the heels of initiatives in Grenada, such as capacity building in soil sampling techniques, and engagement with senior management staff ahead of Grenada’s National Soil Survey that will be rolled out from March 27- April 14, with assistance from various departments of the ministry of agriculture and lands, fisheries and cooperatives,” the government press release added.
“The high-level forum comprises ministers responsible for the implementation of the UNCCD. It meets once every two years and is considered to be in quorum when a minimum of seven country member parties are present. It is the principal policy-making organ of the PISLM, and formulates national and regional sustainable development strategies for Sustainable Land Management (SLM), Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) and Integrated Land Management (ILM).”
The discussions are expected to “finalise approximately US$90M in funding that has been identified by PISLM for the execution of Sustainable Land Management and Land Degradation Projects in the Caribbean, including Grenada.”
