On the initiative of Mrs. Bernadette Davis, 2th Vice-President of the Collectivity of Saint-Martin in charge of the Living Environment and Ecological Transition, a meeting was held on Friday, June 27, on the French side, with the Minister of Regional Planning, Environment and Infrastructure of Sint Maarten (VROMI), Mr. Patrice Gumbs, with a view to developing sustainable partnerships.
This official meeting, the first of its kind since Mr. Gumbs' appointment just over a year ago, served to strengthen cooperation between the two parties on issues essential to our island: cleanliness, stormwater management, waste management and preparation for the hurricane season.
The discussions focused on several priority themes:
• The relaunch of the joint cleaning campaign
• Rainwater management, with a joint diagnosis of the drainage network and the desire to adopt more environmentally friendly approaches.
• Preparing for extreme climate events and improving infrastructure resilience.
• The fight against fly-tipping and the search for solutions to strengthen the application of environmental protection rules.
Among the main decisions taken:
• The implementation of a shared action plan, including regular coordination between the technical teams of the two territories.
• The organization of an awareness and education campaign aimed at the population.
• The establishment of a steering committee responsible for coordinating joint cleaning operations each year.
Minister Gumbs stressed the importance of this joint approach:
"With all our ongoing projects on zoning, waste management reform, and water drainage network maintenance, this collaboration is essential to protect our environment and strengthen the resilience of our territories, regardless of our administrative boundaries."
Ms. Davis, who is very attentive to the means of cooperation deployed to protect our common environment, recalled the need to raise awareness among all residents of these shared issues:
"This concrete cooperation is a strong signal that we are sending to the entire island's population: only by uniting our forces will we be able to sustainably preserve the quality of life and natural resources of our island."
The Collectivité de Saint-Martin and the Government of Sint Maarten wish to establish this partnership over the long term, in order to offer effective and sustainable solutions for the benefit of the island's inhabitants as well as visitors to the destination.
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