EU-funded Covid-19 impact survey launched in TCI

A community survey is underway, to determine the social, economic, and environmental impact of Covid-19 in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The initiative, which is part of a new European Union-funded project, was officially launched on Monday, January 23 at the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) on Providenciales.

This project is being funded through a €939,422 grant from The Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), a €40m programme financed by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, the development cooperation agency of France.

According to visa service provider Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), TCI experienced a US$452m loss from tourism revenue during the pandemic, reducing the economy by 23%.

Reductions in tourist activity at the start of the pandemic and measures such as social distancing impacted job opportunities in the tourism sector and industries that depend on tourists, including local fisheries that rely on the demand from hotels and restaurants.

In this vein, the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will work together with key project partners, including the TCI Fishing Co-operative, TCI National Trust, and Invest Turks and Caicos, to identify sustainable livelihood ventures that simultaneously improve the natural environment and provide opportunities for the people of TCI to establish new skills and job opportunities.

The community survey will help key stakeholders develop training programmes to reach at least 150 community members across the islands through a locally-led Community Hub established by the project.

Coupled with this, the experiences of businesses in TCI will also be collected in a separate survey to understand how different sectors have been affected by the pandemic and to collect ideas for building a more resilient economy.

This survey will inform the development of a Natural Capital Investment Plan to signpost opportunities for sustainable investments in TCI.

Speaking at the press conference, DECR Director, Lormeka Williams said the Department is anticipating the positive effects and impacts the project will have on those affected by the pandemic.

She said: “The RESEMBID Resilient Community Recovery from Covid-19 in the Turks and Caicos Islands project is supporting needs for skills training and development within and beyond the department, to help us recover more sustainably and responsibly from the pandemic.”

Chief Executive at JNCC, Dr Gemma Harper said: “JNCC is delighted to support this project with our partners in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This project will assess the impact of Covid-19 to build the resilience of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ communities, economy and environment against future disruption.

“Crucially, local communities and businesses are invited to share their experiences of the pandemic through surveys launched today to shape their islands’ recovery.

“We look forward to supporting TCI’s communities in creating novel opportunities for sustainable livelihoods through this work.”

TCI Fishing Cooperative Chair Pastor Oscar Talbot said the project will help many people in the TCI who are still reeling from the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic.

“We are grateful to be a part of this project, as it highlights the importance of sustaining livelihoods post Covid-19 and beyond of the most vulnerable”, he said.

Residents are being urged to take the survey online by visiting http:// www.jncc.gov.uk/communityresilience-tc or by contacting TCIcommunity@jncc.gov.uk for more information.