Planning Minister praises Tobago for UNESCO award

Minister of Planning and Development Camile Robinson-Regis congratulated Tobago for achieving the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve award designated to the North East of the island.

The announcement was made by UNESCO last Wednesday at the 32nd sitting of the Man and the Biosphere international co-ordinating committee.

The area in Tobago is now the largest UNESCO-branded site in the English-speaking Caribbean, spanning 15 communities from Belle Garden in the east towards Moriah in the northern part of the island.

In a media release, the minister said the award could be seen as a pillar towards strengthening Tobago’s tourism product.

“Such a designation has financial benefits for tourism, and although the sector is down 70 per cent globally in 2020 due to covid19, TT environmental resources place us in a strategic position to reap fiscal rewards once global travel fully opens up again, especially in niche eco-tourism markets.

"The government is also exploring activities now that will allow us to creatively reach tourism markets across the world while ensuring that we adhere to covid19 protocols and still maintain the safety of our citizens.”

The release said in addition to tourism, there was also economic potential in TT ecosystem. The country’s wetlands and protected forested areas, taken together with other services such as erosion control, water purification, flood protection and the provision of sustainable timber, are estimated to be worth at least US$2,195 per hectare per year.

The release said the ability of this country’s watersheds to deliver water of good quality (water purification services) is valued at approximately $520 million annually. Trinidad’s Northern Range provides soil retention services that are valued as high as US$622 million annually. Carbon-dioxide removal from the atmosphere by TT’s forests is valued at approximately US$1,088 per hectare per year. And forests on hillsides also provide flood prevention, which is approximately US$5 per hectare per year.

“A survey conducted revealed that T&T’s activities from protected areas brought in revenue of over TT $18 million from 2018 to 2019 to communities in and around Protected Areas (PAs).”