THA, IMA to protect coasts from erosion

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment Kwesi DesVignes says plans are in place for the THA to collaborate with the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) to preserve the coasts, as beachfronts at Pigeon Point and Milford Bay continue to be under threat from rising sea levels.

Addressing reporters recently during the weekly post Executive Council media briefing, at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough, DesVignes said his division met with the IMA, following a coral bleaching alert for Tobago.

“That alert indicated that the water around Tobago was expected to be above average sea temperature. This is something that we cannot control, this is a direct impact of climate change.

“What we are doing is improving our relationship with the IMA coming out of that because we cannot sit idly by and say, 'Well climate change is happening and its bigger than us, we can do nothing.' We are looking to collaborate or rather intensify our collaborations with the IMA.

“To that end, the IMA has already agreed to provide technical support to the DIQE to gather coastal and near shore data in the Milford Bay and Pigeon Point locality. I’m sure many persons would have noticed that we would have lost significant beachfront in the Pigeon Point area, actually the last recorded was about 25 feet of beachfront would have already been lost at Pigeon Point; so it means that one of our gems, our international treasure, is under significant threat as a result of climate change,” he said.

He said the DIQE and IMA are committed to "saving the affected areas.

“We’ve agreed on the way forward for technical support from the IMA, as we look to conceptualise a project to save and protect the Milford Bay and Pigeon Point area, which of course will mean the construction eventually of a breakwater system.

“This, of course, cannot be done without the requisite studies so we’re getting that done.”