MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands presents “State of Environment 2020” report

MLA Leona Roberts,“...the health of our natural environment is intrinsically linked with the wellbeing of our community, our quality of life and our economy”.

The Falkland Islands Government has released of the ‘State of Environment 2020’ report. The publication combines environmental facts and figures to provide a summary of the overall state of the Falkland Islands' natural environment towards the end of 2019.

The report collates data from a range of different sources across the Falkland Islands and addresses environmental issues including biodiversity, climate change and responsible consumption.

Environmental Officer, Denise Blake, explains: “The report uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals as global indicators against which we can measure the aggregate state of environment. It gives us a baseline which can be used to track changes in our environment and to assess how our policies are working, which in turn will provide the evidence we need to support future decision-making.”

The report highlights many positive developments such as the health of seabird populations and the measures the government is taking in fisheries management, but also identifies areas where there is room for improvement, such as around waste management.

MLA Leona Roberts, Portfolio Lead for the Environment, added: “The value of nature can be difficult to quantify, but what is certain is that the health of our natural environment is intrinsically linked with the wellbeing of our community, our quality of life and our economy. So, it is vital that we recognise our obligations towards the environment and our globally significant biodiversity.”

The report is available to download from https://www.fig.gov.fk/policy/environment or available in print from the FIG Environment Unit by contacting 28427 or environmental.officer@sec.gov.fk (PN)