Protecting St. Lucia's Watersheds 

Environmental Needs and Management Action Plans 

The preservation of St. Lucia's environment depends on sustainable management of the country's watersheds. 

A community based approach is essential but it may take time to establish.

Nevertheless it is the only sure way to enable the people of St. Lucia to protect their own future. 


Legend­

Implementation Year 

Estimated number of WMAFs 

Boundaries of Selected Catchments



I 1 WM 

l2WMA 

l3WM 

WMAF􀀌 I 
14°05' 
lWMAFI 1 WMAF I 
13°50' 
WMAFs I 
13°45' 
WMAFs I 
5 Km 
12 WMAFs 

I 


Programme for Development of Watershed Management Plans 


Factors Increasing 

Risk of Mass Movements 

(Landslides):( 1 to 7): 

1 . Building along ridge-line (adjacent steep slopes): producing concentration of drainage water from roads and houseplots 

2. Removal of forest vegetation which was onnchoring soil to bedrock 

3. Cultivation of seasonal crops and bananas (cultivation and paths wrongly run up-and-down slope) 

4. Siting of buildings on steep slopes 

5. Bose of slope further de-stabilised by cuttings for roods and 
house lots 

6. Banana cultivation: poor trash management: extra run-off of water, subsequently infiltrating in areas of incipient crocks on steep slopes 

7. Feeder rood construction opening up new steep areas to encroachment, deforestation and inappropriate agricultural use 

Other Features to Note: 

A. Well-established tree: deep toproot and dense, strong network of surface roots anchoring soil to firm bedrock 
B. Bonano rooting: network of surface roots, but less strong, and complete lock of deep taproots 
C. Crocks and erracettes formed by incipient moss movements: major landslide quite probable here during next Tropical Storm Debbie (TSD)-type rainfall 
D. Buildings under threat from burial by landslide materials 
E. Better land use practice: underplanting of bananas on sloping land (planted on 20 to 30 degrees slope) with fruit trees: close spacing on contour (eg. 12 foot) -wider spacing between contours (eg 24 to 30 foot) 
Bananas to continue as nurse crop for 3 to 4 years. 

An Environmental Crisis 

St. Lucia is facing an environmental crisis. The immediate symptoms are clear: 

• coral reefs are damaged and dying; 
• beaches ore degrading;
• forests are being cut down;
• banana plantations are damaged during storms; 
• present agriculture on the steeper slopes of the island is not sustainable; 
• water supplies are threatened by storms and upstream siltation and pollution;
• roads and bridges suffer increased risk of damage during floods.

Key Environmental Features 

􀀂8􀅩

Can 

26 

• 

re 

25 

0 


Leading to an Economic Crisis? 
The impact of environmental degradation could have a major impact on St. Lucia's second biggest industry-tourism. This has been the fastest growing sector on the island and now represents over 10 percent of notional income. Tourists come to St. Lucia because of the island's beauty and its natural environment. If this environment is spoilt the industry could suffer irreparable damage. 

Bananas account for over 30 percent of national income, but international prices are expected to fall; threatening the incomes of St Lucia's farmers. At the same time the poor state of the islands watersheds threatens the bananas that do exist. 

14'05' 

14"()()' 

13°55' 

13°50' 

Micoud 

13°45' 

1 2 3 4 5Km 

Tropical Storm Debbie 
Environmental degradation is often a slow and almost imperceptible process, until a special 
event highlights the scale of the problem. In St. Lucia this was Tropical Storm Debbie. 

On September 10, 1994 Tropical Storm Debbie (TSD) struck the island. In some areas 15 inches of rain fell in ten hours. There had already been heavy rain in the weeks before, and the continuous rain led to massive landslides, serious soil erosion and widespread flooding. Four people died, six hundred people had to be moved to emergency shelters, agricultural land was 
Flooded, electricity and power supplies were closed, and the island's water supply was cut off.

Tropical Storm Debbie, or 'TSD', resulted in over 400 landslides, the loss of 10 percent of the country's productive land and overall losses of about EC $153 million (about £40 million sterling).

The storm showed dramatically how vulnerable the country's watersheds are to heavy rainfall. The 
lesson was repeated on October 26th 1996 when heavy rains again caused substantial flooding and damage. 

Map Legend 
Sites of silt deposition - (Size of triangle proportional to amount of silt - max 38,000 tonnes/yr) 

Reefs 

Tourist Hotels - (Size of circle proportional to number of rooms) 

Mangrove Areas 

* Turtle Nesting Sites 
Green Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle
Leatherback Turtle
 
Flood Hazard Mapping 
Extensive flooding of agricultural lands 

Urban and major infrastructure at risk 

Main WASA Intakes 

• 
_ Intake Site (approx.)e

Extreme risk catchment

High risk catchment

Medium risk catchment

Low risk catchment


The Threatened Watersheds 
The damage caused by Tropical Storm Debbie (TSD), and the floods in 1996, highlighted the problem - but the major threat to St. Lucia's watersheds is not the possible recurrence of such heavy rains. The problems are much more fundamental. They are rooted in the ways in which the people of St. Lucia have developed and exploited the natural resource in past years. Changes in land use have exposed the land to soil erosion, which leads to landslides, land degradation, coastal siltation and coral damage: 

• clearing forest on sloping land has removed the natural cover that best protected vulnerable land; 

• the planting of bananas on land with too great a slope leads to erosion. 300,000 tonnes of soil is being lost each year as a result of inappropriate banana planting and management; 

• the introduction of annual crops on sloping lands is causing even worse erosion, especially in the absence of good management; 

• construction of roads, houses and other infrastructure in threatened areas has exacerbated erosion. 

Every year poor land use and watershed management are having a greater impact downstream, increasing the risk of flooding, causing damage to infrastructure and property, threatening the safety of the country's water supplies and leading to degradation of St. Lucia's beaches and coral reefs. 

Recent Developments and Achievements 
After Tropical Storm Debbie emergency water supplies had to be established, temporary 
bridges built, roads reopened and river channels cleared. The World Bank provided a loan for priority works for further repairs to the rivers and drainage systems, and by May 1996 these were largely completed. Unfortunately some of the works were again damaged by the heavy rains in October 1996, and further repairs were required. 

Once the immediate damage caused by Tropical Storm Debbie (TSD), and by the underlying fragility of the country's watersheds, was remedied, the Government of St. Lucia (GoSL), supported by the British Department for International Development (DFID), began to address the more fundamental issues. A joint team looked at all aspects of watershed management, and identified measures that could lead to long term improvements. 

Mahoemang is an excellent local species for slope management 

Misuse of land on a very steep slope 


Establishment of Trash Lines in banana fields 
This summary presents some of the conclusions of these investigations. 

What can be done? 
An effective approach to watershed management in St. Lucia will require a wide range of actions, including many or all of the following 

• preserving all remaining trees and natural vegetation on the steeper slopes; 
• extending forest buffer zones in landslide risk areas; 
• halting the clearing of new agricultural holdings on the steeper slopes; 
• improving soil conservation practices especially on banana lands (see Box 1); 
• controlling cultivation of land above drinking water supply intakes; 
• replacing bananas with tree crops on steep slopes and in the most sensitive areas and supporting this with a major new effort to promote tree crop product marketing (see Box 2); 
• ensuring annual crops are not grown on steeper lands -and allocating land for such crops on lower, flatter under-utilised lands; 
• rigorously enforcing the 20 metre reserves adjacent to rivers; 
• protecting river banks with a double row of trees; 
• carefully vetting proposals for new buildings and infrastructure in landslide 
and flood risk areas; 
• the enforcement of land zoning, to prevent development that would place the infrastructure at risk, or would exacerbate land instability; 
• avoiding construction of new roods in sensitive areas or above drinking water intakes; 
• rapid replanting of any areas where river bank erosion or landslips have taken place; 
• selectively moving material from desilting operations to nearby shallow soil areas or adjacent upland areas, to improve land capability; 
• improving flood and landslip warning systems; 
• flood proofing or relocation of infrastructure threatened by floods or landslips; 
• improved river engineering; 
• better environmental monitoring and response to monitoring results.

Soil Conservation Measures 
On-farm trials in 1996/97 have confirmed that major benefits to soil conservation can be obtained through implementation of various soil conservation measures, many of which are already recommended for use by WIBDECO (the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting 
Company). These measures for soil conservation include: 

• Banana trash management: 
• Protecting the soil surface with a cover of banana (or other) trash, aligned along the contour 
• Establishing "trash lines" along contours, held by closely spaced stakes Improved drainage systems: 
• Tied contour drains 
• Better designed vertical drains, with bio-engineering controls 
• Integration of field drains with paths/track drains 

Consultants' recommendations: 
The recently established banana certification programme should be extended to include soil conservation criteria. Farmers, particularly those on steeper land, would be certified only if 
these measures are carried out. 

Promoting Tree Crop Diversification 
There are two major reasons for promoting diversification away from bananas on steeper slopes: 

• Bananas have shallow roots and are not suited to cultivation on steep slopes, where they contribute to soil erosion and give relatively poor yields. 
• There is every reason to expect that the prices received for bananas by Windward Island producers will continue to fall over the next few years, as European markets are opened 
increasingly to "dollar bananas" . The economics of banana growing in St. Lucia are already marginal, given relatively high labour costs and low yields. Farmers on the steepest land 
will be the first to find that the returns to bananas become unattractive. 

A range of promising tree crops has been identified, including avocados, bread-fruit, 
cashew, golden apple, guava, jakfruit, mango and soursop. 

Consultants' recommendations: 
A major effort is required to coordinate the marketing of these tree crops, and to 
make farmers aware of the opportunities they provide. 

Some changes to land legislation may be required to enable operators of family land or rented land to obtain the full benefits from growing perennial crops. 

Cultivation of Taro on landslide/slump material produced by TSO in 1994 
The Benefits of Taking Action 
Implementation of an integrated watershed management strategy in St. Lucia will deliver 
four major benefits:
• protecting the natural beauty of the island will safeguard the country's tourism industry; 
• without a sustainable agriculture, the potential loss of land and land fertility will 
impoverish many of St. Lucia's farmers; 
• diversification of the country's agriculture will help to protect the rural population 
from worsening conditions in the international market for bananas; 
• greater stability in the steeper slopes will reduce the damage caused by future Tropical Storms. 

A National and a Community Based Approach 
Experience in St. Lucia and elsewhere has shown that an effective integrated watershed 
management programme, covering a wide range of interventions, will only be implemented successfully if it combines both national and community based initiatives. 

At the national level it will be necessary to: 
• demonstrate commitment at the highest level to sustainable management of the St. 
Lucia environment.

The adoption of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP - see Box 3) will reflect this commitment to:
• support implementation of the NEAP through the invigoration of the National Environmental Commission; 
• confirm specific commitment to a national watershed management strategy, and to 
adopt a prioritised programme for promotion of watershed community-based initiatives:


Box 3:
The National Environmental Action Plan:
A National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) was completed in June 1997, and is expected to be shortly adopted by the Government of St. Lucia. The plan covers a much broader range of issues than watershed management. The overall plan covers solid and liquid waste management, the handling of hazardous waste, water resources, land use and coastal zone management, tourism, national parks and air, noise and chemicals pollution. The plan is relatively general, and the proposals made here are consistent with the NEAP, and provide guidelines for implementation of part of the national plan. 


Problems in the Lower Watersheds and Coastal Areas 


The Community Based Approach - Watershed Management Action Forces
Local people must be involved in the protection of their own environment. If planning is determined and directed from above it will be seen as on imposition. If central impetus is lost, or if the regulations cannot be enforced by the government, the plans, however appropriate and elegant, may be a wasted effort. 

If on the other hand plans hove been developed by the local residents, in recognition of the hazards they face and the causes of their problems, they will be motivated to ensure the implementation of plans to which they have made a commitment. 

Provided the resources ore available, they will wish to see their "own" plans become reality 

In 1997 to 1998 a team from the Government of St. Lucia, with support from outside 
consultants, worked with the residents of the Dennery Watershed to develop a Community Participation Programme in Watershed Management (see Box 4). 

It is premature to draw any final conclusions from the Dennery Watershed Management Action Force, but some preliminary comments can be mode: 

• The government, the business sector and the communities themselves are increasingly appreciating the potential of community involvement in the protection of natural resources and the importance of ensuring that current economic activities are sustainable; 

• But a community based participatory planning process, involving sensitisation, 
empowerment and technical training is not a process which con be completed overnight. The development and adoption of a plan by the community takes time and patience -but once it is adopted it has a better chance of implementation; 

• A delicate balance has to be negotiated between community involvement and government support, both in the planning and implementation stages. Some central support is likely to be needed if major public works ore required, but this should not detract from the need to involve community participation in plan implementation; 

• The development of community spirit and the identification of a communal interest at the watershed level will take time, and require strong support and commitment from the Government. The process will be fostered if the WMAF has adequate financial resources, strong leadership and a clear identity. 

Local Communities 
WMAF (20 approx) to cover all Watersheds of the Island 

Operation Teams (8) 
MAFF&E MAFF&E 
River Watershed 
Management Management _ 
MAFF&E Technical Unit 
MCWT&PU assistance 
MAFF&E Coastal Management 

Unit Special Studies - externally Financed (2) 

Unit (AESD)

I 

Solid 

Waste 

MAFF&E MFPISPS 

Land 

Steering

Conservation 


Committee

Board (LCB) 

WASA Dept. of Dept. of Public Agricultural 
Authority Others Health Extension Department Department 
Community Department of
Development of Tourism 

Fisheries Fisheries 

The Dennery Watershed Management Action Force:
The idea for a community participation programme was officially introduced to residents in the Dennery watershed in January 1997. After initial meetings and discussions a group representing a wide cross-section of local community groups and organisations met and established a formal committee. This 15 person committee named itself the Dennery Watershed Management Action 
Force (WMAF), and appointed a temporary executive. The WMAF is assisted by a two person Technical Operations Team (TOT). After an initial period of discussion, sensitisation and field visits to areas where key problems were identified, the WMAF worked on participatory problem identification, and gradually developed an overall work plan. Drafts of the work plan were discussed and recirculated, and eventually a full work plan was presented to the larger community for final review and acceptance. 

The Dennery Master Plan is an overall presentation of the WMAF' s priorities, and will be the basis for Annual Work Plans. It provides the framework for a clear identification of general and specific objectives, responsibilities, budgets and timed targets. 

It is too early to evaluate the impact of the Dennery WMAF and its planning and procedures, but the foundation has been laid for introduction of a community based participatory planning and watershed management process. 


St. Lucia has approximately 37 hydrological Watersheds or catchments. The management of the Island's Environment means managing the Watersheds or catchments. The local level Management of the Watershed could be entrusted to a Watershed Management Action Force (WMAF) a proactive & active organisation. 

Towards a National Watershed Management Strategy:
The impact of Tropical Storm Debbie highlighted the vulnerability of St. Lucia's watersheds and the need to address the underlying problems of watershed management on the island. 

Over the three years since Tropical Storm Debbie (TSD) the physical damage has been repaired, and the foundations hove been laid for on integrated approach to watershed management on the island. Initiatives hove been launched to develop participatory approaches to community led planning and management, but these remain at a relatively early stage. 

Local farmers packing shed for '5 Isles' bananas. Bananas are an excellent small holder crop, but much more effort is needed on soil conservation in banana lands 

If the impetus is to be maintained the Government of St. Lucia will need: 

• to confirm its commitment to sustainable environmental management as a whole; 
• to continue to support the first Watershed Management Action Force; 
• to adopt a notional strategy to expand watershed management initiatives; 
• and, to implement the Land Conservation Board and tree crop diversification programmes that are natural complements to the watershed management programme. 


Some specific actions recommended by the Consultants are summarised in Box 5. 

Consultants' recommendations: 
Implementing the Strategy 
After discussions with the stakeholders the Consultants recommended that the Government should implement the following actions: 

• appoint members to the National Environmental Commission; 
• appoint members to the Land Conservation Board (LCB); 
• ensure the Commission and the Board both meet regularly; 
• appoint representatives of the banana and tourist industries to the LCB; 
• close the Agricultural Engineering Services Division of the Department of Agriculture and transfer the staff and assets to the LCB; 
• provide an adequate recurrent budget to enable the LCB to fulfil its proposed role; 
• consider transfer of staff from other government departments to fill vacancies in LCB; 
• consider matching the boundaries of the eight administrative regions to watershed boundaries; 
• approach possible donors for loan and grant finance to assist in strategy implementation. 

Slumping along riverbank affecting good agricultural land 
The Watershed and Environmental Management Project 
This project has been commissioned under the programme of partnership between the Government of St. Lucia and the UK Department of International Development. Phase I involved provision of engineering support to an immediate works programme supported by the World Bank . Phase II involved provision of consultant support to assist in developing a longer term approach to watershed and environmental management. The Consultants: 

• reviewed and assessed past approaches to watershed management in St. Lucia; 
• identified and field-tested possible solutions to selected unsolved technical problems; 
• examined the human, institutional and legislative framework; 
• designed and facilitated a pilot participatory watershed management planning process, and developed a strategy for expanding this process to the whole island. 

The consultancy took place between September 1996 and November 1997, and was implemented by Hunting Technical Services Limited in association with Mott MacDonald Limited. 

Although this report has been commissioned by the UK Deportment for International 
Development on behalf of the Government of St. Lucia, the Department for International 
Development bears no responsibility for, and is not in any way committed to its contents, 
conclusions or recommendations.

Experimental use of bio-degradable netting for stabilisation of mass movement scars. Note natural regrowth of vegetation through netting 

Consultant Addresses:
Hunting Technical Services limited 
Thamesfield House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7SR, United Kingdom 

Mott MacDonold Group 
St Anne House, 20-26 Wellesley Road, Croydon CR9 2UL, United Kingdom
