CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Tuesday said the Caribbean region had lost a “true stalwart and environmental sustainability champion” as it paid tribute to Yves Renard, who died earlier this month.
OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules, described Renard “as an environmental visionary and pioneer whose commitment to community and people was unmatched.
“Yves’s genius lay in his use of science to create sustainable solutions yet provided economic value (such as) growing Leucaena plant for multiple communal uses, charcoal, animal fodder, skin products, etc.”.
Jules said his passion for people ensured every initiative was about cultivating community. “His resourcefulness planted the seed of many community and environmental initiatives that have blossomed – many years later – into lucrative sources of income for SIDS,” he added.
The OECS said that Renard first came to public attention in the Eastern Caribbean in the early 1980s when he spearheaded the St. Lucia-based Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Programme (ECNAMP), working with government agencies, community interests, and resource users to promote the then-novel concepts of community-based management and co-management.
“The work in which he engaged, especially along the southeast of St. Lucia, ranged from helping to introduce the now well-established seamless cultivation to assisting charcoal producers in harvesting wood from the mangrove forest in a sustainable manner.”
The Commission said that Renard was also involved in the World Heritage Site Inscription process for the St. Lucia Pitons and advised the OECS for a proposed World Heritage Sites and Conserved Areas Network.
In 1989, ECNAMP transitioned to the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), a non-profit operating here and in the United States Virgin Islands with a focus on “research, policy influence, advocacy, and capacity building towards sustainable livelihoods and participatory decision making and management of the region’s natural resources.”
Yves served as the organization’s executive director from 1992-2001. Since its establishment, CANARI, headquartered in Trinidad, has extended its reach to the entire Caribbean.
The OECS said that Renard served the region in many capacities. Including as president of the Caribbean Conservation Association and being the Caribbean representative on the IUCN Council, which is s IU CN’s main governing body in between sessions of the World Conservation Congress.
“Yves Renard was a man of many talents, with a uniquely analytical thought process. Yet, he never displayed any arrogance and could always laugh at himself. Indeed, his easy-going nature made working with him easy and undoubtedly contributed to his ability to make such a huge impact. His passing on January 20, 2023, leaves a void in the hearts of many, but his legacy will endure,” the OECS Commission added.
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