City Hall examines measures to combat climate change

Feb 08, 2011 News

With the effects of climate change bearing down on a global scale, City Hall has been seriously contemplating measures to safeguard Georgetown against the potential effects of the environmental phenomenon.
At a recent statutory meeting, this issue was listed on the municipal agenda for attention. At that very forum a concept report detailing measures that can be implemented over time by the municipality was perused and inspired meaningful discourse.
The report was prepared by the Public Relations Department of the municipality but according to Public Relations Officer, Royston King, the measures detailed in the report may require external funding if it is to be implemented in a timely manner.
It was outlined in the report that a project to this effect, is estimated to cost $10M and could be achieved by seeking funding from organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other relevant international agencies.
In addition, it has been speculated that the City Council can allocate a percentage of the total cost in its estimates of revenue and expenditure for this year.
But in order for measures to be implemented, the concept report notes the importance of the development of local audio visual training tools specifically for the council’s administration and public campaign materials for the general population.
This move, it outlines, “goes hand in hand with the sensitisation and briefing required for policy makers and the citizens of Georgetown.”
The report also speaks to the need of basic climate change literacy, awareness and understanding of global and local climate change issues among citizens. In essence, it has been ascertained that there is need for “an awareness of issues that citizens do not often get to hear about, such as the implications of climate change on solid waste, composting, energy consumption and conservation and understanding their roles in reducing carbon emissions, the value of trees, the usefulness of community development groups, and water conservation.”
The expected outcome from sensitisation efforts is that of greater public awareness on climate change and its implications for the development of the city and empowerment of citizens to support the council’s effort to address climate change. In addition it is anticipated that with the implementation of the outlined measures, communities will be enhanced even as there is a development of a feasible disaster plan for the city.
The concept report discusses the potential role of the city and local residents in the struggle against climate change and the correlation between access to quality information and the care and protection of local communities in the city is explored.
It further highlights that there is urgent need for a public project to raise awareness of the phenomenon on a global note and the likely impact on the city. The report further examines the need to facilitate a city wide conversation on climate change and its implications on the development of the city.
The document underscored the importance of measures such as a public forum, breakout sessions, community meetings, focus groups, and a final report which should detail the next steps in treating with the phenomenon as it relates to the city.
There is the suggestion that climate change interventions could serve as an opportunity for the City Council to be innovative and creative in its approach in implementing practical developmental measures.
The report states, too, that “now, more than ever, there is a direct correlation between security of livelihood as well as holistic and complete information. Those who are marginalised from information or who have incomplete information are disengaged from forming decisions about their long term security,” the report states.
It emphasised that “security” should now mean not just food security and livelihood security, but also the security of sustained natural resource resilience, of the predictability of information, the provision for those in need in the various communities, such as the frail and elderly, and financial insurance to cover times of need and recovery, the report adds.

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City Hall examines measures to combat climate change

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