Caribbean Land Conference 2019

October 10-11, 2019
Hilton Trinidad and Conference Center

About the Conference Sponsors Abstracts Photos

LSBTT CPD RICS CPD Conference Magazine Presentations Agenda

Abraham Derry

Academic Administration Chair
2018/2019

Greetings from the Academic Administration Chair 2018/2019 Land is a concept that is not limited to the Earth’s surface but encompasses the natural resources below and above it. It is a valuable and finite resource and begs for proper management and governance. This need is exacerbated by rapidly expanding populations, increased demand for housing, the effects of climate change, and the history of land settlement and land tenure systems which are a few of the challenges faced in the small island developing states of the Caribbean. This year’s Land Conference addresses some of these challenges and raises awareness on the theme “Surveying best practices toward the sustainable development of Caribbean SIDS.” As Chair of academic administration and having the privilege of reviewing papers, this conference promises to be dynamic and engaging featuring several land professionals and industry leaders speaking on the viability of state-owned hotels; land tenure formalisation; natural resource management; flood mitigation; sustainable housing; 3D cadastres; automated valuation models; valuation of historical property; green buildings; reliance on historical aerial photography for land disputes; challenges in Caribbean airspace; construction and quantity surveying; and land records management systems. On behalf of the Conference Committee, we thank you for participating in the conference and supporting our efforts to stimulate the growth and development of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean through the promotion of surveying best practice.

Sunil Lalloo

President 2018/2019

Message from the President 2018/2019 I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all participants, speakers, panelists and sponsors to the Caribbean Land Conference 2019. I hope the event proves to be an invaluable experience of knowledge exchange, networking and regional cooperation. The theme of this year’s Conference is centered on the role Surveyors play in sustainable development that is focused on climate change adaptability. Caribbean countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), are disproportionately affected by the negative outcomes of climate change. Minor increases in ocean temperatures can result in more devastating and calamitous hurricanes, as seen recently with the Category 5 Storm, Karen, which plundered the Bahamas. Surveyors have an important role to play in the physical development of Caribbean SIDS that would not only be sustainable, but adaptive to climate change. In recent years, the conversation has been on disaster risk reduction; however, it is equally important for us to work toward strategies for post-disaster recovery. Re-establishing property boundaries and a functioning property market are expected to be a significant challenge when dealing with an island that has suffered massive losses. While these areas are often overlooked in the allocation of funding and other aid resources, the benefits gained from securing access to land and private property rights can help a community recover economically and socially. With the ease of access to spatial and other land information such as aerial/satellite imagery, records of land rights through titling and registration, property transaction data and other market evidence, Surveyors can help return normalcy to islands that were severely affected by natural disasters by developing key land governance strategies. Undoubtedly, political and public buy-in are essential ingredients in the development, and more so the implementation of those strategies. It is for this reason, that conferences like this are so vital. Public discourse that targets major stakeholders, including the political decision makers, is an integral part of every stage of the governance process. It is therefore anticipated that the proceedings of this conference would make a significant contribution to the ongoing discussions by raising awareness of the issues, providing an avenue for the dispensation of current research, and generating greater interest in providing solutions to the imminent climate crisis.

Dinelle Ramkoon

Vice-President 2018/2019

Message from the Vice-President 2018/2019 There is a Native American proverb which reminds us that, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” This begs the question, why then do we take our dear Mother Earth for granted? In recent times, we have ‘children’ crying out for our assistance in promoting sustainability. One can agree that we are in dire straits when a sixteen year old Swedish environmental activist has to be the voice of her generation, fighting to have a world to live in tomorrow. So many of us trivialise this situation, as we think in the short term and assume that we will be gone before the worst of it unravels. How can we be so selfish? We, as property professionals, have a duty of care to perform our job within the confines of the legislation and guidelines which protect the environment and the world at large. For example, if a Surveyor is conducting a site inspection on an industrial plant in a residential development he ought to report the matter to the Development Authorities so that the necessary steps may be taken to rectify the problem. We must ensure that we do our due diligence at all times. Our climate is breaking down, partially due to a series of poor decisions made by so many of our revered Professionals. We must protect and restore. It is essential that we perform our duties in such a manner that we meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow. The Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago (ISTT) looks forward to making property professionals aware of a situation to which they have become desensitised and more so to the part that they play.

Shiva Kissoon

Secretary (Ag.) 2018/2019

Message from the Secretary (Ag.) 2018/2019 The Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago was established as a non-governmental organisation in 1996, upon the amalgamation of the Land Survey Association, Quantity Surveyor's Society of Trinidad and Tobago and ProVal (the Association of Valuation Surveyors). The Institute plays a pivotal role in providing the Minister with responsibility for Lands and Land Surveying advice on several types of nominees that enable the enactment of the Land Surveyors Act 33 of 1996 (Act). The ISTT provides for the registration of Full Members, Associate Members, Student Members and Honourary Life Members who are engaged at various levels within the profession. It also serves as the main stakeholder representing local surveying professionals and provides training, dissemination of information to the public and advice to both surveyors and the public. At the Institute’s Annual General Meeting held on October 11th, 2018, the proposed Bylaws were ratified. The Bylaws, under Section 7.12, also gives the Institute’s Board of Directors the power to delegate its powers to Sub-Committees comprising any or all types of Members. More specifically, the Section provides for the establishment of Sub-Committees “to represent and put forward the views of separate divisions of Surveyors”. In this vein, three Sub-Committees were established within the Institute, each representing the members of a specific profession, and headed by a Convener, who is elected by and from the Board of Directors at the Board’s first monthly meeting. Each Convener is mandated to convene a meeting of the members of the particular profession to discuss matters affecting them and/or the profession as a whole. These meetings are to take place at least quarterly throughout the year and the Convener is required to report the proceedings of the meeting to the Board of Directors at its next monthly meeting to effect any necessary actions. Another Committee established to carry out the mandate of the Board is the Admissions Committee. This Committee comprises members from each of the professions, again elected by and from the Board, who are required to review applications for membership, determine whether they have met the minimum criteria and make relevant recommendations to the Chair of the Admissions Committee. In early 2019, the Institute established its Disciplinary Committee as outlined in Section 12.0 of the Bylaws. The members were selected after careful consideration and are volunteering their services for the period June 4th, 2019 to June 3rd, 2022. The Committee comprises members from each of the Professions, one Attorney-at-Law and one Non-Surveying member. The members are Mr. Clint Langton (Quantity Surveyor) – Chair, Mr. Ainsley Charles (Land Surveyor), Mr. Glen Nancoo (Valuation Surveyor), Mrs. Vahini Jainarine-Birch (Attorney-at-Law) and Mr. Chandradath Maharaj (Chartered Accountant). The Committee meets when necessary and deliberates on the complaints presented to the Institute and the Code of Ethics as outlined in the Bylaws. Finally, a world-class conference requires a team of dedicated planners, managers and executors to ensure it successfully achieves its objectives. The 2019 Caribbean Land Conference Committee comprises the following professionals: Dr. Sunil Lalloo, Ms. Dinelle Ramkoon, Mr. Nigel Ramsey, Mr. Abraham Derry, Mr. Winston Doyle, Mr. Rudranath Maharaj and myself. A very special thank you goes to Mr. Ricardo Sullivan, ISTT’s Office Administrator, Ms. Sharon Francis and Ms. Darlene Guevara as without their guidance, support, coordination and expertise, the Conference would not have been possible. I also wish to thank you for your participation at this conference and hope to see you next time.

Institute of Surveyors of Trinidad and Tobago

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Caribbean Land Conference 2019