National parks and biodiversity
El Tucuche Nature Reserve (925 ha): protects the ecosystems of the country's second-highest peak (936 m), Mount El Tucuche, a mountain sacred to the Amerindians. In addition to archaeological remains (petroglyphs), you'll discover exceptional biodiversity.
Valencia Wildlife Sanctuary (2,760 ha): this nature reserve protects a great diversity of flora and fauna, including the emblematic peccaries (wild pigs), iguanas and armadillos.
Asa Wright Nature Centre & Lodge (80 ha): a former plantation transformed into a bird sanctuary. Here you can see the famous devil birds.
Caroni Bird Sanctuary (135 ha): this nature reserve, classified as an outstanding wetland (RAMSAR), is home to the country's second largest mangrove swamp. A true reservoir of biodiversity, it is home to an exceptional avifauna, including red ibises.
Bush Bush Wildlife Reserve (1,536 ha): this nature reserve is located in the Nariva Marsh, the country's largest freshwater wetland (classified RAMSAR). It protects a rich biodiversity and remarkable species (mammals, reptiles, fish, molluscs, birds).
Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust (25 ha): this protected area, made up of two lakes and located on the site of the Petrotrin refinery, was created by an environmental NGO dedicated to protecting biodiversity through conservation and environmental education programs.
Biodiversity decline is one of the 9 planetary limits recognized by the UN. The IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), a group of international experts, has identified the main causes of biodiversity erosion: changes in land and sea use (fragmentation and destruction of natural environments), pollution, overexploitation of species, climate change and invasive species. These factors are present in the Caribbean, one of the world's most overfished areas, also impacted by illegal fishing, which affects corals, already threatened by global warming. Trinidad & Tobago is not spared from this problem, nor from that of plastic pollution, which notably degrades the waters of its mangroves. In response, the United Nations Environment Programme in the Caribbean (UN/CEP) has launched awareness campaigns to combat poaching and overfishing. Local NGOs are also involved in mangrove restoration, with actions including waste clean-up operations.
Oil and gas, tax havens: a carbon cocktail
The country's economy is based mainly on the export of natural gas and oil. The archipelago also includes petrochemical plants (methanol), all of which are heavyCO2 emitters, adding to the country's carbon footprint. The IPCC's 6th report is unequivocal on the subject. In the words of Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, it "must sound the death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy the planet". The question of oil and gas activities also concerns the countries that use these energies. Another sector that needs to be questioned is finance, especially in a country on the European Union's list of non-cooperative countries in tax matters. Everyone can also ask questions about the ecological impact of their savings.
Facing climate change
Trinidad & Tobago is particularly vulnerable to climate change. This is reflected in the greater frequency and intensity of extreme events such as hurricanes, floods and landslides. Rising sea levels could also lead to flooding (in a country where the population and activities are concentrated on the coasts), resulting in population displacement, loss of farmland and salinization of drinking water. Climate change is also causing a rise in ocean temperatures and its corollaries, the migration of fish species, acidification of water and disruption to the development of zooplankton, the basis of the food chain. Aware of climate change, the country has ratified the Paris Climate Accords and committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (from industry, energy and transport) by 15% by 2030.
The Sargasso invasion: a symbol of global pollution
Like other parts of the Caribbean, the country is faced with the problem of seaweed - Sargassum fluitans and Sargassum natans - washing up on its shores. The proliferation of these brown algae has direct economic repercussions on the region (seaside activities and fishing), but also has environmental impacts (disruption of local biodiversity) and health risks for those exposed. This phenomenon is thought to be linked to intensive farming in Amazonia and to the rise in water temperature due to climate change. In other words, massive deforestation and the intensive use of inputs - phosphates and nitrates - lead to the leaching of soils, whose effluents then find their way into the Amazon River and the ocean, where they create conditions favorable to the development of sargassum. The currents then carry the algae as far as the Caribbean Sea. Sand mists from the Sahara also contribute to the movement of Sargassum.
Travelling differently
It is possible to opt for a more sober and authentic trip, by favoring lifestyles that have less impact on the living world, combining soft mobility, local hospitality and locavorism. We'll also be taking care to use resources wisely and to avoid certain polluting products (sun creams with certain chemical filters, for example) or products that generate waste, such as single-use plastics. Trinidad & Tobago is home to the slowfood movement. It showcases local know-how and lists initiatives based on agricultural biodiversity and gastronomic traditions (slowfood.fr). Because every gesture counts in the face of the ecological emergency, we all have a role to play both in our daily lives and in our travels.
