The
Assessment of State Land Management in Tobago
The
Assessment of State Land Management in Tobago seeks to clarify the roles and
responsibilities of the office that the Director of Land Management Services and
the Director, Natural Resources and Environment in Tobago House of Assembly.
State lands in Tobago include 10,772 hectares under forest cover; 3,958 hectares
of these lands are declared forest reserves. State lands outside these forest
reserves that are under forest cover is estimated at 3,000 hectares. In
addition, there are 4,700 hectares of acquired estates are available for future
agricultural/housing development. This broadly represents the extent of land
resources available to the State for conservation, promotion of productive
activity and generation of income and employment.
The
Report identifies Strategic Policies for Land Management in Tobago with respect
to:
§
Land Information
§
Land Use
§
Land Conservation
§
Allocation of State Land to Competing Sectors
§
Land Tenure
§
Land Distribution
§
Squatting and Encroachment
§
Management of State Lands
§
Intersectoral Linkages
§
International Land-related Conventions
Policy for Management of State Land, Forest Resources and the Environment in Tobago [Too1]
The
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has been vested with all state land in Tobago,
which accounts for over 34% of all lands in the island of Tobago. With some
exceptions, the natural resource management policies implemented over the years
have placed Tobago in a relatively good position with respect to the state of
its natural resources and the environment. Declaration of the forest reserve and
enforcement of conservation measures have left the island with 3,958 hectares
under forest reserves, much in pristine form. The biodiversity, aesthetic value,
hydrologic balance, microclimate stabilization and wild life associated with
over one-third of the state lands have thus been preserved.
The
Policy document for the management of State
Lands in Tobago responds to some of the serious issues facing the THA including:
§
Lack of comprehensiveness and
coherence of policy for the management of state lands
§
Absence of an effective
institutional structure by which state land resources can be located, evaluated,
conserved, distributed and managed so that they may be utilized on a sustainable
basis and to the greatest national advantage.
§
Lack of a clear legal instrument
to administer or manage state lands
§
Absence of adequate guidelines
and proper planning
Absence
of a comprehensive and
effective system of land zoning
Generally,
a greater devolution of planning and land management responsibilities to THA
involves, the improvement of local governmental capacities to evaluate and
finance public projects and services and the ability to establish mutually
beneficial community partnerships with the private sector.
Yet, significant differences exist, as the bulk of new development is
attributable to tourism rather than residential or commercial construction; the
demand for new residential dwellings is relatively small and largely
attributable to the return of former residents late in life.
The
Report addresses such capacity building initiatives as:
Preparing
a Local Development Plan
Improving
Financial Management
Permitting
process and Enforcement.
This report reviews the functions and capabilities of the Town and Country Planning Regional Office in Tobago. It indicates that all of the planning functions in Tobago –Socio/Economic and Physical Planning – are coordinated by the Department of Planning within the Division of Finance and Planning, which fall within the portfolio of the Chief Secretary.
It notes that there has been a recent thrust in development planning by the Department of Planning and the Policy Research and Development Institute (PRDI), but however indicates that there has been no integration of physical planning in the plans which have been prepared and indicates the need for the integration of all of the planning elements.
The Report observes the following problems with physical planning in Tobago:
·
The THA does not carry out any physical planning functions
especially with respect to forward planning
·
None of the technical or professional skills to carry out physical
planning functions are based in Tobago.
·
There is a lack of understanding of the physical planning function
by the public
·
There is a lack of participation of the community in the physical
planning process.
Some
of these problems can only be dealt with if there is a stronger planning
capability in Tobago.
With its recent thrust in the development of socio-economic planning,
which included extensive public participation, the introduction of various
coordinating mechanisms by the THA, its physical separation from Trinidad and
its local government system, Tobago is well placed for the establishment of a
planning authority which will carry out both planning and development control
activities. This will however
require the development of professional and technical capability, supporting
equipment and resources all of which will require additional financial
resources.
The Tobago Development Plan essentially provides a socioeconomic framework to guide the process of transforming Tobago into a competitively viable economy and society in the Caribbean and the wider world. While being essentially socioeconomic in orientation, the Plan however also comprises certain physical development elements as represented by several of the policies to be pursued over the plan period.
These policies present certain spatial, environmental, and developmental implications which would need to be considered within the context of an integrated land use framework and physical development programme for Tobago. This Terms of Reference is intended to facilitate efforts of the Tobago House of Assembly to embark on the preparation of a physical development plan for the island to complement the socioeconomic policies presented in the Tobago Development Plan. Essentially, this planning project is intended to add a spatial and physical development dimension to the renewed development thrust in Tobago.