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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