Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)

Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
Name	Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
Type	Non-governmental organization
Founded	1985
Location	Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Area served	Caribbean
Focus	Natural resource management, community-based conservation, sustainable development

Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional non-governmental organization based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, working to strengthen capacities for natural resource governance across the Caribbean. It engages with a wide range of actors including community groups, regional institutions, and international agencies to promote community-based resource management and sustainable development. CANARI's work intersects with regional policy processes, multilateral environmental agreements, and civil society networks.

History

CANARI was established in 1985 amid growing regional attention to environmental issues following events such as the Brundtland Report and global initiatives like the United Nations Environment Programme. Early development of the institute was influenced by partnerships with organizations such as the Caribbean Community and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, as well as donor agencies including the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. Over successive decades CANARI contributed to regional responses to crises and policy debates involving the Caribbean Sea, coral reef decline exemplified by studies in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and community resilience after disasters like Hurricane Gilbert and Hurricane Maria. The institute evolved alongside regional bodies such as the Caribbean Development Bank and engaged with global frameworks including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mission and Objectives

CANARI's mission centers on enhancing the capacities of local communities and civil society to influence decisions affecting natural resources, reflecting priorities found in instruments like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Aarhus Convention-style principles for participation. Objectives include strengthening community leadership in coastal and terrestrial resource management, supporting participatory governance processes linked to institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank, and advancing gender-equitable approaches aligned with mandates from agencies like UN Women. CANARI frames its goals to support implementation of regional strategies such as the Caribbean Biodiversity Strategy and commitments under the Nagoya Protocol.

Governance and Funding

Governance of CANARI is guided by a board of directors drawn from civil society and technical sectors, mirroring governance arrangements seen in organizations like the Caribbean Conservation Association and the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies. Funding sources have included project grants from multilateral donors such as the Global Environment Facility, bilateral cooperation with agencies like the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the United States Agency for International Development, and partnerships with foundations including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. CANARI has also managed partnerships with regional financiers such as the Caribbean Development Bank and engaged in project implementation with technical partners like the Smithsonian Institution and universities such as the University of the West Indies.

Programs and Activities

CANARI's programmatic work spans community forestry initiatives in the vein of Forest Peoples Programme, coastal zone management informed by work on coral reefs and mangroves, and governance training similar to curricula developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Resources Institute. Activities include participatory mapping exercises using methodologies promoted by the Global Land Tool Network, legal empowerment to secure customary tenure rights inspired by cases in the Caribbean Court of Justice context, and training workshops on climate resilience reflecting guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. CANARI has run knowledge-exchange platforms analogous to those of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and supported community-based enterprises linked to initiatives by UNDP and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Partnerships and Collaborations

CANARI collaborates with a network of regional and international partners including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute’s customary partners in civil society, the Organization of American States, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. It has engaged with marine science partners such as the CERMES group at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, conservation NGOs like The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, and legal networks including the Access Initiative. Project alliances have involved technical cooperation with the Pan American Health Organization on coastal health links and coordination with disaster risk actors such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Impact and Achievements

CANARI has contributed to tangible outcomes including strengthened community protocols for resource use in sites comparable to Buckingham Canal, enhanced participatory governance models adopted by local authorities in territories across the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles, and capacity-building outputs used by networks like the Caribbean Policy Development Centre. Its work has informed national policy dialogues within Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, and fed into regional strategy processes hosted by bodies such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. CANARI's approaches to social inclusion and customary rights have been recognized in technical assessments by the Global Environment Facility and cited in academic studies from institutions including the University of the West Indies and Oxford University.

Category:Environmental organisations based in the Caribbean