Senior Environmental Officer Ms. Kim Downes Agard commenced the workshop by welcoming the the attendees of the workshop, She specially welcomed the Honorable Minister Trevor A. Prescod, J.P., M.P. and the Permanent Secretary Daphne Kellman of the Ministry of environment and National Beautification. She noted that the consultants would present the revised NBSAP and the Biodiversity Management policy.

The Honourable Trevor Prescod, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, gave brief remarks. The Minister highlighted that Barbados is a rich hotspot of biodiversity with high levels of native animals and plants, which makes their conservation one of our government’s highest priorities. He stated that the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided funds for the Ministry to undertake the process of revising its NBSAP, updating the core policy decisions taken in 2002 to the context in which we currently live, and aligning them with Barbados’ current fiscal and policy environment. Following the Minister’s address, Ms. Kim Downes Agard thanked the Minister for his words which set the tone for the workshop.