On August 6th, 2025, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development and with support from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, hosted a workshop titled “Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)” at the ODPM’s Alternative National Emergency Operations Centre in Mausica. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), Trinidad and Tobago is committed to strengthening ecosystem resilience to climate change and disasters. Given the nation’s exposure to hydro-meteorological hazards, coastal erosion, and climate-related risks, the workshop served as a critical forum for dialogue between biodiversity and disaster risk reduction stakeholders. It aimed to identify policy entry points, coordination mechanisms, and concrete actions to support risk-informed biodiversity planning.
Left to right: Anwar Baksh, Project Manager UNDRR; Mr. Julius Smith, Environmental Biologist, Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development; Dr Lena Demplewolf, Biodirversity Specialist, Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development; Mr. Ugo Blanco, Resident Coordinator (Ag) United Nations Office for Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and St. Maarten; Major General (Retired) Rodney Smart, Chief Executive Officer, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management.
Participants for the Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) at ODPM’s Alternative National Emergency Operations Centre in Mausica.
Group Workshops at the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) at ODPM’s Alternative National Emergency Operations Centre in Mausica.