The Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Planning and Development and the Minister responsible for the Town and Country Planning Division (TCPD), is in full agreement with the need to begin a “national conversation” with respect to the causes of perennial floods in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Honourable Minister also highlighted that effective planning control in flood-prone areas is under the remit of several agencies of the State.
The Town and Country Planning Division’s land use policy clearly defines and stipulates setback distances from rivers and watercourses making it illegal to build within those boundaries. Enforcement of this policy then becomes the remit of many agencies such as the Municipal Corporations, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Environment Management Authority (EMA), the Commissioner of State Lands, the Land Settlement Agency as well as the Town and Country Planning Division.
The TCPD will continue to work with the other state agencies in enforcing against unauthorized development.
The Division continues to review its guidelines, standards and policies, including recommending no-build zones, to ensure that development takes place with adequate reference to disaster risk reduction. In light of the aforementioned, the TCPD has taken further steps to create Spatial Planning Guidelines to guide national development activities for Climate Change Adaptation and Flood-prone areas. These policy measures will ensure adequate adaptation to climate change and safeguarding of environmental and community resources, while emphasizing the importance of preserving agricultural lands.
The Honourable Minister also emphasized that flood risk management is a complex matter, as there are structural and non-structural options to be considered that must work in synergy, if the response is to be sustainable.
Notwithstanding the above, the treatment of waste and the simultaneous behaviour change required of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, is a critical non-structural solution which must also be considered in this national conversation. One cannot ignore the historical reasons which may have given rise to the establishment of entire communities within flood prone areas where these lands were originally approved for agriculture. Neither can the refusal of citizens to follow building guidelines that can reduce the exposure of persons to floods, be ignored. Adhering to the required standards ensures that people build where there is the requisite infrastructure and minimal impact to the environment.
Given the real and imminent threat of Climate Change, it is undeniable that Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing more frequent single-day weather events which bring more rainfall in one day than the usual monthly averages.
These severe weather events are becoming more prevalent, impacting the growing urban communities. With the severe and unpredictable changes in our weather patterns The Honourable Minister therefore urges citizens to work with the Town and Country Planning Division and our sister agencies to implement sustainable solutions to combat this challenge.
