by barbudanGO
In 2015 the United Nations established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. Goal number 14 and 15 are life under water and life on land respectively. Both goals speak to sustainable use of our marine resources and the restoration and protection of ecosystems both marine and terrestrial.
Barbuda, like many Caribbean islands, relies on tourism as its main industry. For this reason, conscious efforts are required to safeguard against loss of habitat as well as provide the support required to maintain healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. Now more than ever, conservationists are seeing the need for stronger enforcement and enactments of conservation policies to preserve and protect wildlife habitats.
As biodiversity is just as important as a booming economy, we recognise the importance of establishing the balance between economic growth and conservation efforts. Major investors and developers within the nation state need to buy in to the idea of supporting conservation initiatives and the varying green jobs positions that will need to be filled.
The work of conservation is a huge growing field with loads of different jobs and roles starting from volunteer and field workers to the technicians, engineers, scientists and policy makers who all work collectively to care and protect our natural resources. With a focus on ensuring that we operate in a manner that would result in very little impact on the environment, one cannot help but consider the possibility of a booming green job industry providing decent work in Barbuda.
Around 33 percent of Barbuda’s coastal waters are marine protected areas, which require varying marine scientists to monitor and evaluate their current effectiveness. There is a need for continuous restoration on Barbuda’s patch reef system.
This requires a team of marine ecologists to nurse these reefs back to health. A team of conservation biologists and nature resource managers would be a great asset as Barbuda’s wildlife needs to be effectively managed and monitored.
It is exciting to ponder that individuals can make a viable living supporting and managing our native wildlife or engaging in nature-based solution projects to mitigate the current threats we face due to climate change or even capacity building to strengthen the green jobs sector. The possibilities are endless.
BarbudanGO envisions varying conservationist teams creating projects and initiatives. With the drive for preservation and conservation comes the opportunities for vacancies for environmental consultants, technicians, managers, scientists, and compliance officers, just to name a few.
BarbudanGO is already paving the way for green jobs with the ‘Action for Habitat’ project, employing a small conservation team whose mission is to restore and strengthen existing ecosystems.
Currently an area that was an illegal dumpsite in April is now prepped and ready for the construction of a mangrove nursery equipped with an irrigation system to support hundreds of seedlings that would eventually be nurtured at the Low Pond conservation site.
Members of barbudanGO’s conservation work team believe in the green industry and are eager to be a part of the healthy change it brings.
The protection of nature starts with people. What impact do you hope to make?
