By Tecla Fontenard
St. Vincent and the Grenadines face several significant challenges, many of which are exacerbated by climate change and its status as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS).
In the last decade, the multi-island state has experienced numerous natural disasters and climate-related catastrophes that have led to widespread economic displacements. These events include devastating hurricanes, severe flooding, and the catastrophic eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in April 2021. Each of these disasters has caused significant damage to infrastructure, and agricultural lands; disrupting the lives of thousands of residents.
The economic impact has been profound, with many people losing their livelihoods and being forced to relocate. According to Giselle Myers, Senior Economist in the Ministry of Economic Development of St Vincent and the Grenadines during a recent project launch, “The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has identified climate change as a development challenge in its National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) 2013-2025. Specifically, Goal No. 4 – Improving Physical Infrastructure, Preserving the Environment and Building Resilience to Climate Change – seeks to address this challenge.”
Because of the island’s mountainous nature, its largest tourism investments, human settlements, and numerous businesses are situated along the coast, exacerbating the vulnerability to climate change impacts. Rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and coastal erosion pose substantial risks to infrastructure, livelihoods, and the natural environment.
On its own, the government is not capable of overcoming these challenges. However, with the support of international partners and the active participation of local communities, there is hope for building a more resilient and sustainable future for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Through the CCCCC, one funding agency that has been providing support to the government of SVG is the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the world’s largest fund of its kind. According to Meyers, “Our engagement with the GCF is about seven years old, this engagement commenced in 2017” when the first US 300,000 grant was received to build the government’s capacity to address climate-related challenges.
Since then, the government has benefitted from USD 8 million in climate funds from the GCF – one of the most recent projects under implementation is the SVG-National Adaptation Project (NAP). The objectives of the project include promoting the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into the planning, budgeting, and implementation of processes of the public and private sectors and civil society. This is to be achieved through the implementation of the Private Sector Engagement Strategy and Action Plan.
“The planning process will focus on two key sectors: Tourism and the Coastal and Marine environment. As we know, these two sectors are of high importance to our country. We depend on these sectors for livelihoods, food security, boosting the revenue of the economy, and increasing economic empowerment, amongst many other reasons, hence it is vital that we ensure Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is well positioned to fulfill adaptive capacity and resilience, thus making us less vulnerable to the shocks of climate change”, said Implementation Specialist with the Project Manager, Mrs. D’Andre De Freitas during recent discussions on the Project.
Since being battered by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, the islands of the Grenadines have been struggling to rebuild. Therefore, community involvement is a cornerstone of the project. Through recent community consultations on mainland St Vincent in Calliaqua and Georgetown, and on the islands of Mayreau, Union Island, the CCCCC working with consultants acknowledges the crucial role they play in disaster recovery and climate resilience.
Community consultations have highlighted the need to focus on local issues to build strong social connections that foster empathy and understanding, and intensify public awareness to promote individual climate action and civic engagement.
