ABSTRACT
Of all the economic development that has taken place in Trinidad and Tobago, half has occurred over the past four decades with devastating effect on biodiversity in the nation’s ecosystem (Kenny, 2008). The effects also include the rapid extinction of species, the loss of forest and wetland, and harm to human health. In an attempt to solve the environmental problems in the country, the government of Trinidad and Tobago established its National Environmental Policy in 1990 and revised the Act in 2005. The goal for the establishment of this crucial policy was the need to develop a framework to address the environmental problems facing the nation. Since 2005, the formulation of other environmental policies has not been transparent and has not involved local stakeholders. Political leaders tend to rely more on technology rather than involving the local community in decision making that relates to the environment (Dhillion et al., 2010; Gaskell et al., 2005; Johnson, 2007).
