Community consultation for the Riverbank Restoration continues as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development joins hands with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the residents of Anse La Raye continue efforts to increase climate resilience.

The Department of Forestry in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) via the ACP MEA’s 3 Project, is continuing efforts to increase climate resilience efforts, through the restoration of three riverbanks in the communities of Cul-de-Sac, Anse-La-Raye, and Canaries.

A community meeting was held in Anse-La-Raye where the residents shared concern for the current state of their water system and the need for assistance in curbing the level of siltation getting into the rivers.

Field Scientist at the Water Resource and Management Agency, Junior Mathurin explains that this hand of the project is aimed at re-vegetating areas that continue to degrade, and will rehabilitate these areas with agro forestry crops and forestry species to strengthen the banks.

“ Anse-La-Raye for the last ten years has been suffering with bad water quality by a lot of bad practices, deforestation, sand mining, pumice mining, illegal harvesting for persons to make a living. With this project, we welcome it so it will improve thewater quality and water quantity in our rivers.”

As erosion, deforestation, and waste disposal were some of the main issues identified, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Hon. Alfred Prospere encouraged the residents to partake in the project to ensure the project’s success, as the quality of the river water affects them directly.

“ When I see a number of bulk waste like fridges and stoves and old bicycles and so on in our rivers, it hurts because our rivers supposed to be enjoyed by all our populace and it is not a place where we are supposed to dump garbage. Our farmers, the type of land management activities close to the rivers degrading the rivers and making it difficult for any form of vegetation to survive. We need to stop this. I am hoping that our meeting will help to spread the message in Anse-La-Raye and the rest of the country that we need to appreciate our rivers a lot more and change the habit of making our rivers a dumpsite.”

As enhancing the country’s food security remains a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Prospere reaffirms the Government of Saint Lucia’s commitment to implementing measures to protect our natural resources.