Hillsborough, Carriacou, July 16th, 2010- The Grenada Government is involving contractors in reducing land degradation across the nation. Some estimates are that in Grenada alone, half of the land is degraded. In one of the latest efforts, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries visited Carriacou for a one-day workshop for building contractors. The workshop, part of the Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP), was facilitated by a five-member team that included Project Co-ordinator Dianne Roberts; Chief Land Use Officer, Raymond Baptiste; and Senior Building Inspector in the Physical Planning Unit, Daniel Lalgie. Among concerns raised at the meeting were the inadequate management of construction debris, inappropriate diversion of natural water courses, and minimal and low reforestation of sites. The contractors were advised that to maximize the economic and social benefits of the land. In addition, they were told that to reduce the rate of degradation they should adopt some best practices, which include identifying and marking mature trees within an area proposed for erecting a building. It also involves making allowance for drainage during excavation, and using trained persons to excavate project sites. The SLMP is being funded by the Global Environmental Facility, which is a global partnership among 178 countries, international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. It provides grants for projects related to six focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. By Deanna Isaac Carriacou