Castries, July 19, 2023 - Since 2012, the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (GEF SGP UNDP), has funded and provided technical assistance to over 127 projects in Saint Lucia. The objectives of the GEF SGP UNDP are to achieve environmental sustainability, reduce or alleviate poverty and build capacities among rural communities, vulnerable populations, and marginalised persons. 

Projects funded enable communities to address the repercussions of global environmental problems at the community level by building their resilience while creating new opportunities forsustainable livelihoods. 

The local team typically provides a report to the nation at the end of each year; however, this has been suspended due to challenges brought on during the pandemic. In resuming this year's presentation, GEF provided a Tri-Annual Report for 2020-2022. 

Among the projects funded and highlighted in the report was the increase in water storage capacity in the communities of La Maz and Monzie, where there was a chronic problem; completing the work for the implementation of Saint Lucia’s first Agro-Tourism Park/Protected Landscape at Fond St. Jacques; and funding the most advanced aquaponics system for the disabled community, which was 60% completed in December 2022. Impressive achievements were also attained in developing the Apiculture Industry in Saint Lucia. 

According to the Senior Programme Manager and National Coordinator for GEF SGP UNDP Giles Romulus, “The total investment at the end of 2022 was US$9.44 Million, and our SGP investmentwas US$3.71 million. The co-funding ratio was an average of 1:1.54, meaning that for every US$1 that we invested in, Saint Lucia was attracting US $1.54 from Government sources, the privatesector, bilateral donors, multilateral donors and so on. That, by any standard, is very good. The income to communities reached US$1.12 million at the end of 2022, and employment continues,though most of it is short-term. One hundred persons were employed in 2020, 90 in 2021, and 51 in 2022, and the number of persons trained remained quite high, reaching 992 through the COVID and reporting period.” 

Limya Eltayeb, Resident Representative of UNDP Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, was highly impressed with the programme strategy used in Saint Lucia. She indicated, “One of the most interesting things you have accomplished in Saint Lucia is not to have individualised projects that are small and stand-alone but to have the strategic vision to use every grant to build on the one before it. And to use those building blocks to reach larger goals. To use those individual projects in what I call a portfolio approach, and that is the essence of real development, that is, the essence of where we need to be today. Because all our issues are interconnected, you need holistic approaches.” 

Through its Country Programme Strategy, GEF SGP lays the basis for project implementation, monitoring and evaluation and creates a vehicle for developing and maintaining a result- oriented, knowledge-driven, operational programme. 

Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Honourable Shawn Edward, observed that GEF’s country program strategy strongly aligns with national planning and development policies and global priorities, including focal areas for biodiversity and climate change. “It would be remiss of me not to say a special thank you to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) for the financial support it has provided to Saint Lucia over the last decade, without which few of the achievements to date under the programme would have been possible. Not with standing our island's challenges, we have boldly committed to pursuing sustainable development to ensure we put Saint Lucians first. We have signed onto several multilateral environmental agreements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity; the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, all to combat climate change, prevent and reverse biodiversity loss and protect our lands by mitigating the impacts of land degradation. Within the last ten years, Saint Lucia also committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreeing to a global challenge with an action plan that puts people, the planet, and prosperity at the heart of national development.” 

With these commitments, Government has made a deliberate effort to move towards implementing integrated programmes that tackle multiple sectors and result in impactful and transformational change for our citizens. We can now see that through these national programmes, more Saint Lucians have access to better healthcare, education, decent work and more resilient communities. However, we also know climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are three of theleading environmental challenges that constantly threaten to undo many of our gains. 

During the event, GEF SGP UNDP formally recognised three Saint Lucians for their leadership in various community, national and regional projects. Richard Matthias and John Charlemagne were honoured for their work in Apiculture, and Sandra Prospere for her work in community sustainable development in Fond St, Jacques. 

Outgoing members of GEF SGP’s National Steering Committee, Everistus Jn. Marie, Rosemarie Husbands-Mathurin and Norma Cherry-Fevrier were given citations and certificates of appreciation for their outstanding volunteer contribution to the SGP over six years. 

The GEF SGP now implements projects in GEF 7 and prepares for another phase of significant investment during GEF 8, which begins in July 2024. 

Click the links for more details on GEF SGP UNDP Saint Lucia:  

https://gefsgpundpsaintlucia.org  

https://www.facebook.com/gefsgpsaintlucia/  

https://www.youtube.com/@GefSGPUNDPSTLucia  

CONTACTS 

Mr. Giles Romulus 

National Coordinator Phone: +(758) 452-4900 

Fax: +(758) 452-4900 

Email: gilesr@unops.org 

Ms. Stephanie Peter 

Senior Programme Assistant 

Email: stephanie.peter@undp.org