Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Trade, Housing and the Environment, Claude Hogan on Tuesday received equipment to support the his ministry’s work on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Hogan accepted the gifts, funded by the European Union through the Global Climate Change Alliance Project (GCCAP). The project chair on island is Billy Darroux. He said during the handover ceremony that agriculture and disaster risk reduction went hand in hand and the equipment was to support the continued work of the ministry departments which are all integral to dealing with climate change matters.
Minister Hogan said the equipment was timely as there was a limited budget to replace old computers in the Geographic Information System (GIS) office.
The office received two personal computers, two laptops, GPS handheld receivers and a laser printer. They are expected to also receive CAD software and new GIS software.
The minister expressed thanks for the equipment, adding that since its formation in 2014, the GCCAP has been the “key driver in assisting us with the modalities and mechanism to adapt to the rapid demands of climate change and their impacts on our fragile environment.”
Since its inception, Montserrat has benefited through the climate change alliance project with EC$85,000 to update the National Climate Change Policy and Action Plan. An updated Building Code funded for EC$50,000, which includes elements of energy efficiency and provisions for people with disability is expected to come on stream later in 2016.
The OECS has received financing from the EU to execute a five-year climate change adaptation project to the tune of EC$38.7 million. The project ends December 31, 2018.
