OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, THE PROJECT ASSESSED CLIMATE RISKS AFFECTING COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE ECONOMY
Saint Lucia has strengthened its climate resilience efforts with the official handover of a new coastal climate risk assessment and decision-support system aimed at improving national planning, infrastructure development, and disaster preparedness.
Developed under the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) Green Climate Fund Readiness Project, the Shore Sight Decision-Support System provides government agencies with advanced mapping and climate data tools to better respond to sea level rise, coastal erosion, storm surge, flooding, and other climate-related threats impacting coastal communities and infrastructure.
Over the past two years, the project assessed climate risks affecting communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and the economy. The resulting data and technical tools have now been transferred to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Unit and the National Integrated Planning and Programme (NIPP) Unit for long-term national use.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative during the official handover session, National Project Coordinator Maxime Matthew-Charles explained that the platform will strengthen national planning and climate resilience efforts across multiple sectors. “Today, May 14, marked the official handover of the Shore Sight decision-support system during a high-level session involving permanent secretaries and heads of departments. The online mapping platform will help visualize climate risk assessments and future projections to support policy planning, land use planning, national development, budgeting, community planning, and climate finance mobilization,” she added.
The Shore Sight platform is expected to improve collaboration among government agencies by providing centralized access to climate-related geospatial information and risk assessments. Officials say the system will support more coordinated national planning and help ensure that climate resilience considerations are integrated into future development decisions.
Director of the National Integrated Planning and Programme (NIPP) Unit, Harward Wells, emphasized the importance of collective action and integrated planning in maximizing the effectiveness of the system. “This initiative strongly aligns with the government’s vision for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The value of the system will depend on how effectively it is used across government institutions. Climate resilience and sustainable development cannot be achieved in silos; we must work together by sharing information and aligning our planning processes,” noted Wells.
Department of Sustainable Development officials noted that the initiative arrives at a critical time as Saint Lucia continues to strengthen its resilience against climate-related threats that increasingly impact coastal zones, national infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and communities.
Permanent Secretary in the Department of Sustainable Development, Anita Montoute, emphasized the importance of ensuring that the technical outputs generated through the project are fully integrated into government decision-making processes. “We are now at a critical stage where the value of this work will be determined by how effectively these technical outputs are integrated into government decision-making. This includes strengthening spatial planning, guiding infrastructure investment, supporting ecosystem-based adaptation, and improving climate risk-informed development planning,” Montoute explained.
The project was implemented with technical support from HR Wallingford and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), with funding provided through the Green Climate Fund Readiness Programme. The initiative is expected to strengthen Saint Lucia’s long-term climate adaptation planning while improving the country’s ability to access climate financing opportunities.
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