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Environmental Awareness in OECS Disappointing


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Contact: Claudia Monlouis 

 

Monday,  September 24, 2007 –  “The relevant agencies  in OECS territories will have to step up  their public  education campaigns on environmental issues if they are to adequately  address the findings of a recent survey.”  This was the finding of “The  Knowledge, Attitude and Practice – KAP”  survey which also indicates that “too little is known about the environment.”

 

According to a press release  from the OECS  Secretariat the survey  was conducted in six islands including Saint Lucia. “One barrier identified  was the misunderstanding  of environmental terms often perceived as jargon. For example the study  that while people spoke relatively comfortably about  environmental experiences such as hurricanes, storms and  droughts, there was far less the ability to articulate on the exotic of invasive  species. Likewise  it was easier for persons  to list garbage disposal and water pollution as threats to the environment than the loss of species  of over-fishing. The population's view of the impact of hurricanes on the environment was especially significant. Results indicate a very narrow  understanding that seems to suggest that the destruction of what is human built equates to environmental destruction rather than the medium to long term environmental impact on human  survival by the loss of trees, damage to coral reefs, and sedimentation of rivers. '

  

According to the survey's conclusion, with the exception of Saint Lucia and Dominica, which showed slightly higher levels of awareness,  people of the OECS seems to lack familiarity with environmental issues.

 

The study will assist in the fulfilment of the mandate of the OECS Protected Areas Associated Livelihood project popularly called the OPAL Project .


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