On Tuesday May 16th, 2023, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy, Drs. Rob Jetten, and his delegation visited the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity foundation (CARMABI) on Curaçao. Here, he was welcomed by Paul Stokkermans (director of CARMABI), Cor Hameete (Head Nature and Environment Education of CARMABI), and Nina Zander (Policy Advisor of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance – DCNA). Mr. Stokkermans and Mr. Hametee introduced the Minister and his delegation to CARMABI – both through a presentation and a tour of the CARMABI-building, showcasing all the important work being executed there.
Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy visits the Carmabi Foundation in Curaçao
The Minister for Climate and Energy, Drs. Rob Jetten, has co-hosted the Caribbean Climate & Energy Conference on Aruba from the 10th to the 12th of May, 2023. After the conference on Aruba, the Minister and delegation travelled to Curaçao. On Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, the Minister and his delegation visited the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity foundation (CARMABI) on Curaçao, where they were welcomed by Paul Stokkermans (Director of CARMABI), Cor Hameete (Head of Nature and Environment Education of CARMABI) and Nina Zander (Policy Advisor for the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance – DCNA).
The visit focused on the impact of climate issues on Curaçao. “There are several local environmental problems that are too big for the islands, but that the Kingdom might be able to help with, such as the pollution that travels from land into the sea,” said Paul Stokkermans, director of Carmabi.
CARMABI is a non-profit foundation that has been active on the island of Curaçao since 1955. The organization started as a marine biological research institute, but over the years it has also started to focus on the conservation of nature parks and, nature and environmental education. The organization consists of five parts:
- Research;
- Management of terrestrial parks;
- Management of marine parks;
- Nature and environmental education;
- Ecological advice and consultancy to third parties.
During his visit, Minister Jetten received an extensive presentation from Stokkermans and Hameete. “During the presentation, we were able to inform the Minister in detail about the various work Carmabi is executing on the island, such as research and education,” says Hameete, “but we were also able to tell him more about the local environmental problems we face as an island, such as the lack of wastewater treatment for chemical wastewater, the sewage problem, and the effects of overfishing on our coral ecosystem. This visit demonstrates a commitment to working together to address our climate, environmental, and energy challenges.”
After the presentation, the delegation was given a tour of the Carmabi site during which the Minister visited the Research Center, Marine Education Center (MEC), and the library. At the end of the visit, the minister was given the comic book “Coral Heroes“, which is written in Dutch and Papiamentu.
Before traveling to Aruba, the Minister visited Bonaire, where, amongst others, he was escorted through Bonaire’s mangrove forest on May 9th , 2023, by the Mangrove Maniacs and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA). “As DCNA, we think it is great to see the Minister visiting multiple Dutch Caribbean Islands to grasp the differences in culture, issues faced, and needs. We strongly support the Minister’s call for cooperation within The Kingdom” says Nina, DCNA’s Policy Advisor.
Photo 1: Minister Jetten and Jonas de Graaf (Advisor Representation of the Netherlands on CAS-islands) during presentation. Photo credit: Berber van Beek.
Photo 2: Minister Jetten during a tour through Carmabi’s Marine Education Centre. Photo credit: Berber van Beek.
Photo 3: From left to right: Nina Zander (Policy Advisor DCNA), Cor Hametee (Head Nature and Environment Education of CARMABI), Rob Jetten (Minister for Climate and Energy), and Paul Stokkermans (Director CARMABI). Photo credit: Berber van Beek