A memorandum was signed between The Bahamas and representatives of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Wednesday as a part of the arrangement.
The GEO/Bahamas memorandum signing took place in the Taino Room of the Radisson hotel, where a Small Island Developing States (SIDS) conference is being held. Signing on behalf of the Government was Health and Environment Minister, Senator Dr. Marcus Bethel, and Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, Director of the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.
30 years deterioration
The GEO Bahamas is part of a global environmental outlook programme developed by UNEP. The Bahamas is one of a number of early beneficiaries of financial, technical and capacity-building support being provided by UNEP through its regional office.
According to Mr. Sosa, the main objective of the GEO Report is to present an accurate indication as to where countries are in terms of sustainable development.
He said the reports assess the state of the environment as well as the health of ecosystems and people.
Too, Mr. Sosa said, they also analyse the policy responses that have been developed to confront the steady deterioration of the natural environment, while providing possible outlooks for the future using scenarios and projections whenever possible.
“Environmental deterioration has continued to worsen over the past 30 years,” Mr. Sosa said. “This is visible in critical areas such as the loss of forests and bio-diversity, soil and water degradation, urban pollution, the present high level of human vulnerability to environmental change, and the effect all this has on the health of the regional population.”
Development obstacles
He added that through CEO assessments it has become clear that the region has allowed past development initiatives to be driven by economic considerations, in many cases at the expense of the environment.
Mr. Sosa said that poverty, social inequality and environmental deterioration continue to be the main obstacles in the way of the region’s sustainable development.
Role of BEST
Health and Environment Minister, Senator Dr. Marcus Bethel said that through the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, The Bahamas have been diligent in working towards achieving the goals of the Barbados Plan of Action and its attendant programmes that relate not only to the environment but also to all aspects of sustainable development.
Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
