Kralendijk – The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance’s (DCNA) bi-annual board meeting took place during the recent convention held in Curaçao. Their Excellencies, Governors Holiday and Boekhoudt from Sint Maarten and Aruba, as well as Mr. Jaime Saleh, patron of DCNA, were present as observers for crucial discussions on governance and DCNA’s strategic vision moving forward.
Strategic vision
After 15 years of existence, DCNA has the requisite tools needed to enable its member organizations to withstand looming challenges. While the immediate support to parks due to COVID-19 remains essential, DCNA must also focus on the impact of climate change, which is an existential threat to the lives and livelihoods of Dutch Caribbean Communities. Director of DCNA, Tadzio Bervoets, says “it is crucial to increase the resiliency of our Protected Area Management Organizations to hold out against the myriad external shocks that are heading our way due to global warming. Another important strategic objective is to advice our local governments more effectively since they remain an important stakeholder.”
Good governance
In order to better serve the Protected Area Management Organizations, DCNA will move from a one-tiered to a two-tiered governance structure. This will allow management to focus on routine managerial tasks, while the board handles long-term decision-making and strategic planning. During the board meeting, the team dealt with the basic good governance procedures, such as approval of the budget for 2022 and approval of the 2021 Financial Statements. The board meeting also offered an opportunity for the secretariat and the Protected Area Management Organizations to share activities carried out since the last board meeting in April.
The way forward
The board agreed on a strategic plan for the period of 2021-2030 that takes into consideration the common challenges among the nature conservation organizations as well as island-specific needs. Raising awareness of these developments is an import aspect of DCNA’s goals. “We are in the final stages of hiring a PR and Information Officer who will increase our own capacity to communicate and help the parks to communicate with their respective communities as well”, says Bervoets.
More information about the DCNA board meeting can be found on DCNA’s Facebook page: DutchCaribbeanNatureAlliance
