The Bottom, Saba- During his recent visit to The Hague, Commissioner of Infrastructure Bruce Zagers submitted two proposals for funding with regard to Waste management and Reforestation.

Zagers presented the reforestation proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W). The Waste Management proposal was present to the Ministry of I&W.

The reforestation proposal is about planting trees on Saba, not only in the area of the new harbor at Black Rocks, but throughout the island. Reforestation is necessary to prevent erosion which is mostly caused by the prolonged yearly droughts as a result of climate change and the large uncontrolled roaming goat population. Erosion is especially taking place at the drier coastal areas.

Increased erosion is a problem not only from a nature perspective but also for safety reasons. Many roads are impacted by increased erosion making driving in certain areas unsafe especially during and after rainfall. In some coastal areas some of the landslides go directly into the sea which negatively impacts the marine environment.

Goat project

With goat culling project in progress, according to Government, the natural foliage will be able to recover over an extended period of time. But to speed up this process, especially in the drier areas, a reforestation project is necessary. This will allow for indigenous tree species to be reintroduced throughout the island. The reforestation program should also include fruit trees which are positive for food security and help to reduce Saba’s dependency on imports.

Already in the planning is a small reforestation component in the harbor project. Reforestation at the Black Rocks area will also help to mitigate the impact that the construction of a new harbor has on nature.

Work opportunities

The reforestation program could also help individuals with work opportunities who now have a distance to the labor market. These persons can be trained in tree grafting, irrigation and planting techniques which will ultimately provide a skill that can be used beyond this project.

The intention of the project is to plant 5,000 trees in two – three years. The project would start in 2022 when a good number of the roaming goats have been removed. The reforestation program fits in the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan, as do efforts to improve agriculture and animal husbandry. Hopefully in the coming months, the necessary funding for this initiative will be made available so that a start can be made.

As for waste management, Zagers explained in his proposal to the Ministry of IenW that while productivity and waste separation at the waste management facility have drastically improved, and the amount of waste being burned has drastically gone down, funding is needed to cover the increased operational costs.