Lessons from St. Lucia: Building local adaptive capacity through community empowerment, stakeholder partnerships, and institutional diversity

This policy brief examines climate vulnerability and adaptation strategies in Saint Lucia, specifically focusing on the Soufriere district through the GIVRAPD project's approach to coastal resilience and stakeholder partnerships.

• Saint Lucia is a middle-income Small Island Developing State (SIDS) facing significant climate threats, including sea level rise, storm surges, coral bleaching, heat waves, and increased tropical storms. These factors threaten the country's economy, which relies heavily on tourism, banana crops, fisheries, and coastal resources, as well as human well-being regarding water access.
• The Soufriere district on the southwest coast of Saint Lucia, which specializes in ecotourism and agriculture, is particularly vulnerable. Its physical capital is unable to withstand the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes, and its key industries are threatened by climate impacts on fisheries and freshwater supply. The area also faces socio-economic challenges including poverty, high unemployment, gender inequalities, crime, and brain drain.
• The GIVRAPD project implemented adaptation planning and coastal resilience strategies in three primary areas: biophysical and vulnerability assessments, multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral participatory planning, and the application of micro-insurance as an adaptation tool. The brief suggests that institutional partnerships across government levels and stakeholder networks can enhance community resilience via local leadership.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). Lessons from St. Lucia: Building local adaptive capacity through community empowerment, stakeholder partnerships, and institutional diversity. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-lessons-form-st-lucia-building-local-adaptive-capacity-community-empowerment-stakeholder-partnerships-institutional-diversity

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Lessons from St. Lucia: Building local adaptive capacity through community empowerment, stakeholder partnerships, and institutional diversity. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-lessons-form-st-lucia-building-local-adaptive-capacity-community-empowerment-stakeholder-partnerships-institutional-diversity.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Lessons from St. Lucia: Building local adaptive capacity through community empowerment, stakeholder partnerships, and institutional diversity |date=3 February 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-lessons-form-st-lucia-building-local-adaptive-capacity-community-empowerment-stakeholder-partnerships-institutional-diversity |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017lessons, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Lessons from St. Lucia: Building local adaptive capacity through community empowerment, stakeholder partnerships, and institutional diversity}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/policy-brief-lessons-form-st-lucia-building-local-adaptive-capacity-community-empowerment-stakeholder-partnerships-institutional-diversity}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }