Environmental Problems & Solutions in Small Island Developing States | Online Seminar Series

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable to the environmental impacts of tourism, industrial development, urbanization and agriculture, as well as climate change. Island nations in the Caribbean are among the most vulnerable regions in the world to the effects of climate change, with more frequent and intense hurricanes being the most devastating example.  Other environmental problems facing SIDS in the Caribbean include dwindling water resources, the effects of inadequate treatment of sewage, unsustainable tourism practices, overfishing, an over-reliance on non-renewable sources of energy, and an expanding range of vector borne diseases.  Through a series of 13 on-line lectures by experts from academia and government agencies and by environmental consultants, course participants will learn about the environmental challenges faced by SIDS, and the solutions which can be applied to solving these problems. The geographic focus will be on SIDS in the Caribbean, but these concepts apply to SIDS all over the world.

Contributing Institutions and Organizations: University of the Virgin Islands (St. Croix), AKWATIX Consulting (Barbados), IWEco Program (St. Kitts and Nevis), Carleton University (Canada), University of West Indies-Mona (Jamaica), The Nature Conservancy (Caribbean), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (USA), ES Caribbean, TOURISK Consulting and more.

The IIES is pleased to offer a FREE online seminar series focusing on Environmental Problems and Solutions in Small Island Developing States. The series runs every Wednesday from September 21 to December 7. Each week join a speaker from one of the contributing universities or organizations who will share their research and expertise. Lectures run approximately 45 mins with a short Q&A to follow. The talks are FREE and available to anyone interested. The seminars are live each week and will begin at:

08:00 AM EST (GMT -05:00)
*Be sure to check your local timezone.

Schedule

This course has passed.

Kindly Note:

Registration confirmation and ZOOM link sent out by email after registration. Please check your JUNK FOLDER.

Recorded Lectures

Lecture 1 | Introduction to the Seminar Series and Barriers to Achieving SDGs in the Caribbean | Professor Chris Metcalfe, Trent University (Canada)

Lecture 2 | Land-based Sources of Pollution in Caribbean SIDS | Professor Marsha Serville Tertullien, Trent University (Canada)

Lecture 3 | Threats to Coral Reefs and Mangrove Ecosystems in the Caribbean | Nealla Frederick, The Nature Conservancy – Eastern Caribbean (Grenada)

Lecture 4 | Reducing Reliance on Non-renewable Energy in the Caribbean | Professor Kim Waddel & Professor Gregory Guannel, University of the Virgin Islands (St. Croix, USVI)

Lecture 5 | Sustainable Tourism in the Caribbean and in SIDS Globally | Professor Edward Manning, TOURISK; Carleton University (Canada)

Lecture 6 | Strategies for Building Resilience to Climate Change in Caribbean SIDS | Roger Pulwarty, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (USA)

Lecture 7 | Trends in Vector Borne Diseases in the Caribbean | Professor Sheena Francis, University of West Indies, Mona (Jamaica)

Lecture 8 | Management of Water and Wastewater in the Caribbean | Adrian Cashman, AKWATIX (Barbados)

Lecture 9 | Nature-based Approaches for Watershed Management in the Caribbean | Halla Sahely, IWEco (St. Kitts and Nevis)

Lecture 10 | The Blue Economy and Building Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean | Catherine Jadot, ES Caribbean (USA)

Lecture 11 | Threats to Fisheries and Impacts of Sargassum in the Caribbean | Dr. Shelly Ann Cox, Marine Fisheries (Barbados)