Port of Spain, Trinidad. September 6, 2013 – Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, former member of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), has received international recognition for her extraordinary dedication and years of hard work on sustainable land management.

Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada has been selected by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat as a "Global Dryland Champion".  This programme acknowledges people who made outstanding contributions to efforts for achieving a land-degradation neutral world. The selection is not an open or competition basis, but is made by the UNCCD Executive Secretary in consultation with those who are deeply involved in the sustainable land management and the Conventions.

Zakiya was selected as one of the five people who will be recognised as the Global Dryland Champions this year. The recognition ceremony will take place at the high-level dinner hosted by the Government of Namibia on 23 September 2013 during the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UNCCD, to be held at the Windhoek Country Club Resort, in Windhoek, Namibia.  

Zakiya has worked tirelessly in her native Trinidad and Tobago as well as across the Caribbean islands, promoting the importance of protecting natural resources in order to improve the well-being of who she calls her “Caribbean brothers and sisters”.  She combines tremendous warmth of spirit with strong technical expertise and facilitation skills.  She is equally comfortable working among farmers and rural women as she is among heads of state in international meetings where she passionately speaks out on Caribbean sustainable development issues.

Zakiya has been part of the CANARI family for many years, as she served as CANARI Elected Partner (Director on the Board) in the roles of Secretary and Treasurer from January 2008 until January 2013. She has also greatly contributed to the successful implementation of work under CANARI’s Rural Livelihoods programme. Zakiya is currently serving as a Programme Advisor for CANARI’s Civil Society and Governance programme, as she continues to provide strategic advice and guidance on initiatives to engage rural communities in the Caribbean in natural resource management and the development of sustainable livelihoods.  

Nicole Leotaud, CANARI’s Executive Director, certainly spoke on behalf of the Board of Directors, Staff, Associates, and Programme Advisors in the CANARI family, when she stated “Zakiya we are very proud of you! You will always be our champion.”