“The water was not following its natural course. The mangrove caused the river to make a curve towards the village which, when it rains heavily, would flow into a residential area posing a danger to property and lives,” said Griffith.

Mr. Griffith thanked CCRIF SPC and the OECS Commission for the much-needed assistance to implement the project and noted that residents are already experiencing benefits as heavy rains last December (2017) did not result in the usual levels of flooding.

Plans to maintain the sustainability of the project include the restoration of the mangrove, the installation of a boardwalk and wildlife park, capacity building for at least 20 young persons in Mangrove Management and a sensitisation and anti-litter campaign in the community and in schools.

“We will target adults, to try to get them to dispose of their garbage properly, but our primary aim is to target the school children so that they can develop these habits from an early age,” noted Griffith.

The Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Unit of the OECS Commission thanks CCRIF SPC for their continued support. The OECS Commission and CCRIF SPC recently signed off on a second five-year Memorandum of Understanding towards disaster risk reduction.\