PET bottle nursery house. Image: via UNDP
Agriculture

Schools in Suriname grow vegetables in nursery houses made from plastic bottles

Eight thousand discarded plastic bottles were repurposed in a sustainable agriculture project that involved four primary schools in the Commewijne district of Suriname: This project titled: “Everyday food: Growing Vegetables No Matter What Weather” educated the children in protected agriculture by providing nurseries constructed from discarded PET- bottles. This made the …

Suriname flowers. Image: Joost Beljon
Biodiversity

Regional biodiversity information portal launched

The Caribbean Biodiversity Information Portal was officially launched August 9, 2018 in Barbados. The Barbados Advocate reports: Speaking at the official launching ceremony … Assistant Curator of the Natural History Department at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Kerron Hamblin, revealed that the project was a year long regional project …

Solar panels, Suriname. Image: via IADB
Energy

Solar power for rural electrification in Suriname

A report from the Inter-American Development Bank on Suriname’s first solar power plant for rural communities: The plant, with a capacity of 500 kW, will provide 24 hours electricity to the rural community of Pokigron and to Atjoni under the operational responsibility of EBS, the state-owned electric utility of Suriname, …

St. Joseph's church, Barbados. Image: Simon Bélec
Climate Change

Environment on the agenda at Caribbean theology conference

From Repeating Islands, a report on the recently held 19th Conference on Theology in the Caribbean Today, which focussed on climate change and the environment: Curaçao-based Nobo reports that the 19th Conference of Theology in the Caribbean recently took place in Suriname. The Conference saw the participation of 30 persons, …

Landscape, Barbados. Image: OakleyOriginals
Agriculture

FAO, Mexico to assist Caribbean countries with climate resilient agriculture

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the government of Mexico have established a fund to help fourteen Caribbean countries leverage additional financial support to make their agricultural systems more climate resilient: Fourteen countries from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have agreed to boost their resilience and …

CARICOM Energy Personality of the Year 2017, Hannah Olmberg-Soesman. Image: via CARICOM Today
Energy
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CARICOM Energy Personality of the Year: Suriname’s Hannah Olmberg-Soesman

Hannah Olmberg-Soesman of Suriname was recently declared the 2017 CARICOM Energy Personality of the Year. Ms. Olmberg-Soesman won the award for her work introducing off-grid solar systems to remote rural communities in Suriname: A dynamic entrepreneur with a background in social work and a degree in law, Hannah Olmberg-Soesman has …

Image: via oilnow.gy
Oil and gas

Offshore oil discovery in Suriname is “almost a certainty”

The CEO of Suriname’s state oil company is confident of a major oil find in Suriname’s offshore waters: “It’s not a question of whether we will find oil offshore, it’s a question of when,” says Rudolf Elias, Managing Director and CEO. “Chances of success are greater than 50% and I …