On July 15, the Barbados Ministry of Environment and National Beautification in collaboration with the United States Government broke ground to commence infrastructural work to address flood management and drainage control in the Holetown / Trents area on the island’s West Coast tourist belt. The groundbreaking, represents the start of phase two of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Water Resources Management and Flood Resilience Project, and includes the upgrade of culverts and erection of new drainage channels to manage storm water flows to reduce flooding of homes and businesses, and address other drainage challenges during extreme rainfall weather events.

Addressing a Groundbreaking Ceremony attended by Environment Minister Trevor Prescod and other Government officials, United States Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, Linda Taglialatela said the milestone represented the culmination of several years of collaboration between USAID and the Ministry, and highlights the USG’s commitment to help Barbados to adapt to the serious impacts of climate variability. “As we all know, the Caribbean is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to storms and hurricanes. Across the eastern and southern Caribbean, including here in Barbados, a combination of increased air and sea temperatures, more intense and frequent storms, changes in rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels, threaten key economic sectors including tourism, agriculture, fishing, and transportation,” the Ambassador said.

The Project, which commenced in 2013, also included a comprehensive environmental assessment to understand the impact of the proposed works on the environment and to recommend approaches to counteract potential negative influences. To this end, given the proximity of the planned construction to the Folkstone Marine Park, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with the Government of Barbados, to establish a long term program of regular maintenance of the facilities and ensure regular monitoring of sedimentation flows and water quality to avert any negative impacts to the environment.

The United States Government contributed $5. 3 million to the Project, while the Government of Barbados invested over $1.7 million to the initiative.

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