Prime Minister Davis says environmental destruction is ‘greatest threat’ to world security

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said a “triple planetary crisis” threatens world security and requires countries to “step up efforts to promote sustainable land management at home and abroad.” He called on Caribbean nations to come together as “brothers and sisters” and “political leaders and environmental warriors” ahead of the 16th Conference of Parties preparatory meeting on August 8, 2024 at the SLS Bahamas Conference Center.

The triple crisis of addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and promoting land restoration was described by Prime Minister Davis as “a priority for all of us.” He called on Caribbean leaders to engage in a “heart-to-heart” dialogue on the international stage on climate change and desertification – a major theme in the run-up to COP16.

Noting that 30 percent of degraded land in the world’s Small Island Developing States is located in the Caribbean, Prime Minister Davis said Caribbean countries cannot “recklessly clear land or extract resources, turn a blind eye to unplanned urbanization, or promote harmful farming practices that undermine rather than improve our food security.”

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the world’s foremost platform where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss today’s challenges and plan for a sustainable future for the land. The UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions, along with climate change and biodiversity. Desertification is the process by which natural or human-caused reductions in the biological productivity of drylands occur. This has significant impacts on biodiversity and food security, exacerbated by natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms, which have had a negative impact on the Caribbean region.

The preliminary event, hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, will lay the groundwork for Caribbean countries to participate in the 16th Preparatory Meeting of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

Environment Minister Vaughn P. Miller said Caribbean countries must “coordinate our policies” and “unify our voices” to speak “with one voice” on the world stage. “Mutual respect, shared responsibility and an unwavering commitment to protecting our environment are necessary,” Minister Miller told colleagues ahead of the opening ceremony of COP16.

“We must be our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper. We have a responsibility to look out for one another, to share resources and insights, and to create a more sustainable future for all of us.”

The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) is an intergovernmental body dedicated to supporting Caribbean Small Island Developing States in meeting their environmental responsibilities, particularly in the area of ​​land and soil management. It is the unifying body for the Caribbean region in relation to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Ministers, National Focal Points and government officials from the Caribbean attended the Pre-COP16 Meeting, including: His Excellency Alfred Prospere, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Government of Saint Lucia and President of the Pre-COP16 Meeting; His Excellency Anthony Smith, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Blue Economy, and Permanent Secretary Sandra Jospeh, Antigua and Barbuda; His Excellency Adrian R. Forde, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, and Permanent Secretary Yolande Howard and Technical Officer Steve Devonish, Barbados; Edgar Hunter, Senior Technical Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernization, Caribbean Revitalization and Constituency Empowerment, Dominica; Sherilita Dore-Tyson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Saint Kitts and Nevis; Ritesh Sardjoe, Permanent Secretary, Environment Directorate, Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment, Suriname; Julius Smith, Environmental Specialist, Ministry of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago; Keith Philippe, National Correspondent, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM). Executive Director Calvin James. Participating via Zoom were: Astrel Joseph, Director General of the Ministry of Environment of Haiti; Joseph Noel, Land Use Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives of Grenada; Enrique Monize, Commissioner/CEO of the Lands and Surveys Commission of Guyana; Kareem Sabir and Shaun Baugh of CARICOM; and Chamberlain Emmanuel and Cornelius Isaac of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) The 2024 COP16 preparatory meeting was hosted by the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR), chaired by Danielle Hanek, Director of the Division

National Focal Point for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. PISLM is involved in two specific projects in the Bahamas. One of the projects is Integrated Landscape Management to Address Land Degradation, Food Security and Climate Adaptation Challenges in the Bahamas. Under this project, PISLM is assisting the Bahamas in developing a Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Plan. PISLM is also in the initial stages of the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT). The MENR Department of Environmental Planning and Conservation is responsible for CBIT, a program that aims to build the capacity of the Bahamas to track emissions and the country’s response measures to mitigate climate change.