GEF Antigua and Barbuda

Biosafety Program:
To implement effective, operable, transparent and sustainable National Biosafety Frameworks which cater for national and regional needs, deliver global benefits and are compliant with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in the current eligible Caribbean sub-region countries of Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Attached Document: Biosafety Program

The Antigua and Barbuda Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) National Implementation Plan (NIP) for 2008-2015 is a comprehensive, strategic policy document whose aim is to formalize an effective POPs management system through the implementation of a sustainable policy to secure human health and environmental protection as defined in the Stockholm (and other environmental international Conventions). The NIP was developed keeping in mind the ened to address chemicals management in a holistic manner. The Action therefore address POPs as well as other toxic chemicals.

This Project is part of the GEF-funded project on Integrating Watershed and Coastal Area Management (IWCAM) Project (www.iwcam.org). In particular it also forms part of the UNEP-CAR/RCU Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) programme, which is one of the sub-programmes of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP).

Climate change is a major issue for small island developing states (SIDS) with hurricanes and tropical storms becoming much more frequent (and have caused more damage) in recent years among other issues. Since 1995, five serious hurricanes and several tropical storms have resulted in significant damage to infrastructure, as well as to the natural environment vegetation and coastal features such as beaches and reefs. Hurricane Luis in 1995 caused major damage and emphasised the need for better designed and constructed buildings and other infrastructure.

This project which aims to develop an Integrated Watershed Management System for Antigua and Barbuda has 4 main outcomes:

Outcome 1 Coordination of inter-sectoral and planning priorities;
Outcome 2 Establishment of an effective system for the administration of all water resources in Antigua and Barbuda;
Outcome 3 Demonstration of integrated watersheds management and;
Outcome 4 Establishment of a high quality system for management of watershed data.

The Environment Division commenced the four year Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project in 2008. This project is the Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Island Resource Management Mechanism in a Small Island Developing State (SIRMM) and the Environment Division is the National Executing Agency. The GEF contribution to the project will be USD 3 million over a period of 4 years.