17 March 2011: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, held a three-day regional training workshop on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for senior national planning/physical planning and environmental officers from 15-17 March 2011, in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Representatives from CARICOM member States, particularly those engaged in decision-making that incorporates EIA considerations, participated in the workshop, which was conducted by Environment Canada and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat and with support from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The workshop aimed to provide an opportunity to develop a common understanding of EIA practices, experiences, trends and challenges, and build on the collective knowledgebase in efforts to improve decision-making using EIAs. The objective was to build the capacity of planning and environmental officers to apply EIAs more effectively in their working environment and represent their national interests in EIA decision-making.

The workshop covered a range of topics including: an overview of approaches and discussions on EIA frameworks at the strategic level; strategic and regional EIA as a mechanism for improved and more streamlined project-level approvals; and principles and key considerations in conducting EIAs.

Participants also heard presentations on environmental management regimes, the role of EIAs, resource policy and energy and fisheries evaluation, and regional EIA case studies from the region, as well as from Canada. [CARICOM Press Release]