Northern Range Assessment – People and the Northern Range (2003 – 2005)

In March 2003, The Cropper Foundation and The University of the West Indies, along with several partners, launched an assessment of the Northern Range to examine the benefits provided by the Range, the human and natural forces impacting the range, and the measures required to improve management of the ecosystem. This assessment was undertaken as part of a global effort known as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). Completed in 2005, the Northern Range Assessment report was published as the national State of Environment Report (SOER) for Trinidad and Tobago.  Through the assessment it it is clear that forests have declined in extent and quality of cover, especially in the western section. The eastern section is now under threat from encroachment through housing and agriculture. Other threats to the ecological integrity of the forests are forest fires in primary forests, increased unsustainable land use for recreational and education purposes, and poor zoning and policy. The assessment identified lack of political will, coordination, and policy for sustainable resource use as primary hindrances to improving the condition of the Northern Range. Therefore, the assessment recommended review and implementation of existing policies and development of new policies for sustainable management.