Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 06, 2022 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis strongly supports any initiative aimed at promoting environmental conservation and preservation in the Federation. The latest of such was witnessed on December 03 when the St. Christopher and Nevis Conservation Foundation (SCNCF) launched its first grant-making cycle.
SCNCF is an agency geared towards fostering and promoting the conservation, protection and maintenance of the biodiversity of the terrestrial and marine environment, as well as promoting resource mobilization in support of the conservation of the environment.
Minister of Environment and Climate Action, the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, welcomed the initiative and pledged the government’s fullest support.
“You have our commitment as a government to support this work and to fashion our next 20 years of development around preservation and conservation of the environment and, of course, climate resilience,” said Dr. Clarke. “We recognize that the nature base tours are all based on going into the Central Forest Reserve (CFR). We have so many people whose livelihoods are linked to the environment – terrestrial and marine – and if we recklessly use the environment and if we do not make intentional steps to protect the environment, would we have a tourism product in five years? No, so it is critical that we support initiatives such as this one,” the Environment Minister added.
Dr. Clarke said that it is important to tap into all social media platforms in the awareness campaign.
“When we establish this fund today when it is officially launched, there is a need to be very public, very social media oriented. This is St. Kitts and Nevis, unfortunately, if it is not social media it is as if it didn’t happen. It is so unfortunate but it is the reality. We have to make a commitment to penetrate social media… and infuse positive action to protect the environment,” said the Honourable Dr. Clarke.
The Honourable Dr. Clarke congratulated SCNCF and reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting environmental preservation and conservation. She added, “We will do all that we can to ensure that this fund has” the government’s “support, dedication and any action needed on behalf of the government.”
The St. Christopher and Nevis Conservation Foundation (SCNCF) was founded in 2016 through a partnership with the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund. The Foundation will provide grant-making opportunities in the NGO, private and public sector arenas. These opportunities will focus on biodiversity conservation within the protected areas. As the Foundation focuses on increasing community-based responses, it will offer startup funds for small projects that will improve the state of the country’s biodiversity.
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