BEAUTIFY BARBADOS 2000(BB 2000)

The Beautify Barbados 2000 (BB 2000) project forms part of the Commission's parent Ministry - the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources - major millennium incentive, and is expected to run over a five-year period.

The BB 2000 project is primarily concerned with the overall care of the environment and the beautification of Barbados and special emphasis is being placed on the greening of the highways.

The Environmental Special Projects Unit (ESPU) is presently responsible for the overall co-ordination and execution of the project.

The main objectives of this project are as follows:

• An increased public awareness and a development of a sense of responsibility for the preservation of the environment.

• Encouraging community and citizen participation in the upkeep of their surroundings.

• Developing a concept of beautification of open spaces as an alternative to debushing.

• Reducing and eliminating littering and illegal dumping.

• Increasing public and business awareness with respect to the importance of plant and trees, and the possibilities for their use in enhancing residential, commercial and industrial properties.

• Promoting the production and maintenance of indigenous plants.

• Stimulating new entrepreneurial activities especially among unskilled persons.

• Exposing the public to new techniques in landscape designs. Special emphasis will be placed on water conservation and zero-scoping in landscape designs - i. e. the use of drought tolerant plants.

• Enhancing vistas along the highways - "green windows to the country".

GREENING OF THE HIGHWAYS
A major focus of the project is the transformation of the ABC and 2A Highways and suitable selective areas of the coastal highways to create a vista of greenery and shrubbery, bordering the highways, thereby enhancing their attractiveness to Barbadians and visitors.

This aspect of the project is a major undertaking and therefore will be implemented in phases, the first being the area stretching from the Tom Adams Round-about to the Henry Forde Round-about. Beautification will also take place in other selected areas.

MAINTENANCE
BB 2000 intends to transform the highways into an aesthetically pleasing site and in order to perpetuate this vision, it would be necessary to have a proper maintenance programme in place. As such, the sustentation of community partnerships will be encouraged and wherever possible, the involvement of schools and community groups will be promoted.

INVOLVEMENT OF THE BUSINESS SECTOR
The support of the business sector is vital to the longevity and success of this project. Companies will be encouraged to sponsor the maintenance programmes developed by BB 2000 Officials. In some instances, businesses may choose to adopt selected section of the highways.

It must be noted however, that the participation of the business sector is by no means limited to maintenance, and they are welcome to support any aspect of the beautification process, because

"if men must love their country, we must first make their country lovely"

as aptly stated by Mr. Edmund Burke.

Our aim is for all Barbadians to love their country, therefore we shall endeavour to make the country beautiful.