Minister yearns for more green spaces nationwide

“I want to challenge every Vincentian to let us employ the concept or the idea of creating more green spaces across the country.”

That was the declaration of Minister of Tourism and Sustainable Development, Carlos James, as he spoke on Tuesday, May 7, 2025 at a media launch of activities to mark the 260th anniversary of the Botanic Gardens.

The launch ,organised by the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority (NPRBA) took place at the Curator’s House in the gardens which is listed as the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Minister James was among those in attendance making remarks at the event.

In his address the minister highlighted the urgent need for expanding green spaces across communities as a strategic response to the global climate crisis.

“In our communities, villages, towns— we have that responsibility in our environmental practices to expand and increase green spaces across the length and breadth of civilisation.”

Amid the rise in global temperature, and increased frequency of climatic shocks, James stressed the importance of cultivating more green spaces to mitigate the effects. He referred to Kingstown as a concrete jungle, which makes it vulnerable to climate-related shocks.

He reflected on the historic and symbolic significance of the Botanic Gardens referring to it as “the epicentre of modern-day conservation practices and environmental sustainability.”

The diverse 260-year-old gardens provides the space for many plant species to flourish and be shared across the mainland, and James urged that this legacy should spread out into villages and throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

In an interview, Director of Forestry Fitzgerald Providence, told SEARCHLIGHT that green spaces can help keep the atmosphere cool. He noted that they support biodiversity and improve air quality, benefits that James anticipates can be added to villages nation-wide with the creation of more green spaces.

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