Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies
Generated by GPT-5-miniExpansion Funnel Raw 96 → Dedup 0 → NER 0 → Enqueued 0
| Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies |
| Established | 1975 |
| Type | Research and postgraduate teaching institute |
| City | St. Augustine |
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Affiliations | University of the West Indies |
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies
The Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies is a postgraduate research and training institute located at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies. The centre supports applied research and policy engagement across Caribbean and international arenas, connecting scholarship with development policy in contexts such as climate change, coastal management, and sustainable livelihoods. It engages with regional bodies, multilateral agencies, and national ministries to inform practice in island states and small islands developing states.
History
The centre was founded in 1975 amid regional initiatives led by University of the West Indies, Caribbean Community, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Caribbean Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat and United Nations Environment Programme partners. Early collaborations included projects with Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Pan American Health Organization and Inter-American Development Bank. During the 1980s and 1990s it expanded links with World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture and Caribbean Conservation Association. Notable visiting scholars and advisors have included figures associated with Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, Institute of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Planning, Grenada Ministry of Agriculture, Barbados Ministry of the Environment, Bahamas National Trust and Guyana Forestry Commission.
Mission and Research Focus
The centre’s mission emphasizes applied research, capacity building and policy support relevant to Caribbean resilience and sustainable resource use. Research themes integrate work on climate adaptation with engagements involving Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Small Island Developing States, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund. Topics include coastal zone management with stakeholders such as Caribbean Public Health Agency, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, International Maritime Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization. The centre also addresses biodiversity and protected-area governance in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, BirdLife International, Conservation International, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Earthwatch Institute.
Academic Programs and Training
The centre offers postgraduate degrees, professional diplomas and short courses that draw on expertise linked to University of the West Indies Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies Faculty of Engineering, University of the West Indies Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies Institute of International Relations and regional institutions such as Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology. Training courses have been developed with United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Commonwealth of Learning, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and Regional Security System for practitioners from Jamaica Ministry of Water and Housing, Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Management Authority, Barbados Coastal Zone Management Unit and Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority. Alumni have gone on to roles at Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme, Caribbean Development Bank and national ministries.
Research Centers and Projects
The centre hosts thematic programs and project units in areas such as climate adaptation, coastal resilience, water resources, and natural resource valuation. Major project collaborations have included work with Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum, Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Project, Caribbean Water Initiative, Caribbean Coral Reef Monitoring Network, Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project and Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme. Research outputs often inform policy instruments like Havana Programme of Action, Mauritius Strategy, SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and regional plans of Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The centre maintains formal and informal partnerships across academic, governmental and non-governmental sectors, including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of the West of England, McGill University, University of Toronto, Columbia University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of the West Indies Open Campus, Caribbean Policy Development Centre, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, European Union and Commonwealth Secretariat. Regional NGO and community partnerships include Caribbean Youth Environment Network, Caribbean Policy Research Institute, Caribbean Conservation Association, Nature Conservancy, Panos Caribbean and Trinity Collaborative.
Facilities and Resources
Facilities at the St. Augustine site support laboratory analysis, geospatial research, and field training, and include partnerships with specialized labs such as Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Laboratory, Seismic Research Centre, Caribbean Public Health Agency laboratory and regional herbarium collections like National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago. Geospatial and remote sensing platforms leverage collaborations with European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United States Geological Survey, Canadian Space Agency and Australia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation for data and capacity support.
Impact and Recognition
The centre’s applied research has informed national policies and regional instruments, earning recognition from entities such as Caribbean Community, Caribbean Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank. Faculty and alumni have contributed to assessments and panels including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, Commission on Sustainable Development and regional scientific advisory committees for Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. The centre’s work appears in publications and reports produced with partners such as Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, Routledge, Cambridge University Press and Edward Elgar Publishing.