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Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, CARICOM
CARICOM Member States are highly dependent on their natural resources base – limited and threatened
though it is – for socio-economic development. Central to our natural resources base is our forestry
sector which is characterized by two main structures: those relating to the small islands, and those of the
continental countries in the subregion.
Some of the island countries have little of their original forest cover remaining. Population density on
those islands is high, and most of the forest was cleared for agriculture, housing and tourism development.
The continental countries have low population density with relatively large tracts of forests which offer
them greater flexibility for alternative use of their forest resources. The forest resources in the Caribbean are
currently used as the major source of watersheds, providing habitat for biological diversity, ecotourism and
recreational sites, timber, fuels and other household materials.
In the Caribbean, stakeholder participation has been a significant component of strategies for the
management of our forests. There is smooth facilitation of this thrust since most of the forest resources are in
public ownership.
The development of programmes by continental Caribbean countries related to the regulation of climate
and sequestering of carbon emissions is also a critical component of the management of our forests. And,
in the context of the broader development goals of the Caribbean, the forest is being evaluated for its
contribution to economic diversification, income generation, and poverty alleviation in keeping with the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Irwin Larocque
Secretary-General
Caricom