27 May Podcast – Marie-Elise Maingot in Trinidad and Tobago

Reviving Resilience: How a Young Leader is Shaping Trinidad’s Climate Response

In the latest episode of Novara Stories on the Edge, we speak with Marie-Elise Maingot, a passionate climate advocate and member of the Global Shapers community in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Marie-Elise shares how youth are stepping up to lead their community’s response to climate change – through education, regenerative agriculture, and a deep commitment to listening and collaboration.

Trinidad and Tobago: A Vibrant Nation on the Climate Frontline
Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island nation at the southern edge of the Caribbean, home to a rich cultural heritage and a population of just over 1.4 million. Despite its small size – roughly 5,000 square kilometres – the country faces the disproportionate impacts of climate change as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). Its economy is built on oil and gas, shipping, and tourism, but the nation’s vulnerabilities lie in its coastal geography and dependence on imported food.

As Marie-Elise describes, Trinidad’s climate is defined by two seasons – a wet and a dry – each lasting around six months. But increasingly, these patterns are breaking down, with unexpected storms in the dry season and droughts during the rainy season. The result is a country where communities must be adaptable at all times, regardless of the time of year.

Climate Impacts: Floods, Heatwaves, and Shifting Seasons
Marie-Elise’s community in the northern valleys of Trinidad has been hit hard by flooding. In 2022, rivers burst their banks with such force that residents were cut off from access for days, unable to reach work or obtain supplies. Buildings were inundated for up to three days at a time. Then, just a year later, the same communities experienced an unprecedented heatwave in August 2023. These irregular patterns – extreme flooding followed by extreme heat – make adaptation profoundly challenging.

With approximately 70% of Trinidad and Tobago’s population living in coastal zones, the threats of rising sea levels, increased storm frequency, and coastal inundation affect the majority of citizens directly and immediately.

Nature-Based Solutions and Community-Led Adaptation
In response, communities are turning to locally available resources. Marie-Elise describes how vetiver grass is being planted along property lines – a nature-based solution that helps hold the soil and prevent landslides. But adaptation goes beyond physical measures. A central pillar of Marie-Elise’s work is science communication and awareness-building. As she puts it, when people understand why something is happening, they are better able to adapt to it. This means meeting communities where they are – not as climate specialists, but as artists, farmers, parents, and neighbours.

Youth in Action: Global Shapers’ Climate Connect and Food4U Projects
The Global Shapers Port of Spain Hub – a network of young leaders under 30 founded in 2014 and connected to the World Economic Forum – is driving two key initiatives. The first is Climate Connect, an event designed to move beyond climate doom-and-gloom and greenwashing. Instead, it welcomed farmers, activists, and curious members of the public alike, encouraging questions, conversations, and innovative thinking.

The second is the Food For You project, addressing one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most pressing vulnerabilities: over 85% of all food consumed in the country is imported, while domestic agriculture contributes under 1% of GDP. Food For You provides training in regenerative agriculture and permaculture principles – including composting, syntropy, agroforestry, water management, and digital marketing – equipping farmers to grow more, grow better, and reduce dependency on imports.

Lessons for Community Resilience: Listen, Connect, Adapt
When asked what lessons she would share with other communities, Marie-Elise’s advice is grounded in humility and collaboration: work together, make connections, network, and – above all – listen. She stresses that resilience work must begin by engaging with community leaders and building trust, rather than arriving with ready-made solutions. Regular impact reports, pre- and post-surveys, and honest reflection on what can be improved are essential. As Marie-Elise concludes, the climate is ever-changing – and all a community can do is adapt, adapt, adapt.

Protecting Wildlife: The Leatherback Turtle and the Importance of Awareness
Marie-Elise also shares a personal passion: sea turtle conservation. Trinidad is one of the world’s top nesting sites for the endangered leatherback turtle, massive creatures that can reach eight feet in length and weigh several thousand pounds. The sex of hatchlings is determined by sand temperature – a phenomenon Marie-Elise calls “cool dudes, hot chicks” – meaning that rising temperatures threaten the balance of future generations.

In the coastal community of Matura, conservation work has led to a remarkable resurgence. Once hunted as a delicacy, leatherback turtles are now fully protected under Trinidad’s Environmental Management Authority Act. For Marie-Elise, the joy of sharing this story with visitors – watching their faces light up with wonder – is the essence of what drives her work. Science communication and community engagement, she says, are not just nice-to-haves; they are pillars of resilience everywhere.

Conclusion
Marie-Elise’s story is one of optimism, responsibility, and the power of youth-led action. She closes by quoting Professor Klaus Schwab: “Focus on constructive optimism – the belief that improvement is possible and worth working for.” As Trinidad and Tobago faces the compounding challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and coastal vulnerability, leaders like Marie-Elise are proving that small islands can have an outsized impact – one conversation, one farm, one turtle hatchling at a time.

Trinidad and Tobago, climate change, youth leadership, Global Shapers, food security,