As T&T officially entered the dry season, many are surprised at the wet weather and consequential flooding that some areas of the country continue to experience. More than that, we have not fully recovered from the last dry season, when we experienced drought conditions and forest fires on a scale unprecedented for many years. The above, taken together with the worldwide change in weather patterns being experienced, from which this country cannot reasonably expect to be excluded, point to an urgent need for us to adopt proper land use planning and practices.
In the 2007 CSO report: "First Compendium of Environmental Statistics," land use or physical planning and the environment are intricately linked. Land use planning is also linked to human development and given our small island, the social needs of the population and our economic goals, there will always be decisions to be made regarding the allocation of lands for different uses. Land use decisions carry with it opportunities but also challenges to overcome. These discussions can assist in the further development of industries, create residential neighbourhoods but also may lead to deforestation, elimination of wetlands and exploitation of natural resources. The negative impact however, can be mitigated with foresight, proper planning and implementation.
In T&T, the Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 35:01governs land use and is administered by the Town and Country Planning Division. The chamber believes that laws have become antiquated and, as such, the relevant laws and regulations should be updated as the developmental and environmental needs of the country change over time. Environmentalists and other interest groups have already expressed their outrage that some of our best agricultural lands have gone towards housing and industrial development. Effective and sustainable management for the exploitation of mineral deposits such oil, natural gas, asphalt as well as the significant quantities of gravels, sands, clays and limestone is also necessary.
While we would like to ensure their economic value is realised, we must monitor the environmental impact of extraction and quarrying, which have both received much opposition from local environmentalists as quarrying companies rushed to meet the increased demand brought on by the construction boom experienced from 2004 to 2009. Furthermore, it is necessary that an inventory of abandoned quarrying sites be established to monitor if rehabilitation has been taking place, as is mandatory under the Minerals Act 2000.
In north-west Trinidad, we have continued to fill wetlands to create land for roads, houses and commercial centres. Wetlands, bottomlands, marshes and swamps are valuable in preventing and controlling floods. The wetlands serve as sponges that soak up huge amounts of water and let it run off slowly. Thus, when these areas are filled in and built over, floods are more likely to occur. Additionally, deforestation on the slopes of the Northern Range have caused an increase in the rapid run off, eroding topsoil and flooding the land below as there are less tree roots to hold the excess water after heavy rains. The run-off subsequently collects in the Caroni and Caparo basins where the soils are of low permeability, hindering infiltration and thus leading to flooding.
These activities emphasise the need for proper land use practices and conservation methods. Spatial planning systems are needed, which considers the natural factors such as soils with impeded drainage, erosion, heavy rainfall, high run off, prevalence of high tides and settlement development in the flood plains of main rivers which make certain areas susceptible to flooding. Poor drainage systems in built up areas and new housing estates where the drains are choked or there are insufficient outlets for the water to drain off after a heavy downpour is also undoubtedly one of the areas which needs to be urgently addressed.
Last year, flood victims at Peters Field, Felicity blamed housing development contractors for the severe flooding they were experiencing. They have identified that "watercourses that once ran through the abandoned canfields were blocked up, thus causing an overflow of water into existing drains." One can be tempted to question whether the indigenous knowledge of the residents of an area may be more accurate than any assessment which has or should have been carried out by engineers. Or whether the residents of adjacent villages were consulted before the building developments took place. Other ways to prevent and control floods include constructing flood control dams across rivers; building dikes and levees alongside rivers to prevent overflowing and using canals to help drain off extra water.
Diverting streams and rivers to avoid highly populated areas as well as regulation of floodplain development and urbanisation would reduce flood losses. There is no doubt that the long-term solutions to fix the current problems are expensive, however the long term benefits of having proper systems in place with the proper maintenance will significantly outweigh the initial cost. After all, isn't this all part of what taxpayers monies should be covering? Undoubtedly, the effects of flooding are certainly not only economic but also a highly social and psychological one.
The chamber is pleased that the Government has taken a hands on approach with the victims. The next step we would like to see would be for the Government, the mayors and regional corporation and chairmen to implement systems, both short- and long-term solutions that would significantly reduce if not eradicate what seems to have become a fixture in our nation's annual calendar of events. Plans that have been in the making over the last few months, need to be implemented now. We need to maximise the dry weather and take the appropriate action (in a timely manner) to avoid a recurrence of what has been allowed to become a national problem, causing displacement and distress, environmental damage, and costing the country millions of dollars in lost productivity, goods and infrastructure.
T&T CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY & COMMERCE