Summary
- St Lucia opposition queries water authority WASCO.
- How the 5Cs can assist the Government of Saint Lucia in advancing national initiatives aimed at safeguarding the island’s water resources.
- Saint Lucia’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2018-2028
- Saint Lucia’s water insecurity is a civilisation crisis that should not be blindfolded by narrow political ideology.
- Importing water from Dominica is a lazy way out of trying to use technology, craft mechanisms, and engage specialists.
- Saint Lucia has plenty of untapped water sources in Millet, Babonneau, Soufriere, Canaries, Saltibus, Micoud, and Grace-Vieux-Fort, to mention a few. Yet, with today’s technology and available domestic experts, Saint Lucian authorities and WASCO cannot harvest and produce sufficient portable water for 180,000 inhabitants?
- This is unacceptable; meanwhile, those responsible continue to be employed, milking taxpayers.
- The frustration is more intense considering WASCO is a statutory body. The government is obligated to guarantee operational and capital financing, while taxpayers subsidise WASCO at XCD 1.2 million per month.
- Therefore, where did things go wrong? What are the mechanisms to repair the systemic political, economic and institutional damage? How long will the suffering last?
By Caribbean News Global
CASTRIES, St Lucia – The government of Saint Lucia, on Friday, announced a series of targeted measures aimed at averting a water crisis in Saint Lucia, based on weather forecasts and water levels by WASCO, says the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
“In the short term, three immediate initiatives are in the pipeline, which include: (1) the reconstruction of a section of the Northern Pipeline from Bonneterre to Cap Estate, (2) the barging of water from the Commonwealth of Dominica to avert a water crisis within the hospitality sector, and (3) water harvesting and conservation practices.” The OPM continued: “Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre confirmed that the initiatives form part of a coordinated response developed in consultation with the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the chamber of commerce, the ministry of tourism, the ministry of public utilities, and the OPM.”
The 2026 dry season severe droughts updates, January 12, 2026, conclusion reads:
“Persistent dry and warmer-than-normal conditions will remain the dominant feature of the 2026 dry season. Coordinated water management and active public cooperation are essential to mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of this event.”
The January 2026 public advisory said: “Saint Lucia is likely to experience a severe dry season. The following measures are urged: (1) Water Conservation: Repair household leaks immediately and avoid non-essential water use (e.g., power washing, garden hoses). (2) Storage: Utilise rainwater harvesting systems to supplement the central supply. (3) Fire Safety: Exercise extreme caution to prevent bushfires, which are more likely in these cured (dry) vegetation conditions.”
The OPM March 13, 2026, announcement to advance short-term water support measures noted:
“The plans to barge water from the Commonwealth of Dominica to support hospitality operations are at an advanced stage, with initial shipments expected on island in the coming weeks.” To which the government of Saint Lucia emphasises that: “These measures are critical at stabilising the water supply, particularly in the north of the island during the current dry season,” adding, “This measure is designed to curb the depletion of local water sources and supplies from the 8 percent desilted John Compton Dam, allowing greater prioritisation of supply to residential communities while supporting commercial and tourism operations.”
- “The Government of Saint Lucia, through the Water and Sewage Company (WASCO), on May 21, 2018, held the groundbreaking ceremony to signal the commencement of works on the first phase of the John Compton Dam Rehabilitation Project. The desilting project will see the removal of approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of sediment from the reservoir.”
The 2026 dry season severe droughts updates, January 12, 2026 – ‘Seasonal Outlook & Expectations (January – June 2026)’ notes:
“While some near-normal rainfall may occur in the immediate January–March window, the long-term forecast suggests a worsening trend: April to June: Forecasts favour a drier-than-normal conclusion to the dry season, coinciding with the start of the heat season. Water Resilience: The 2025 wet season delivered roughly 34 percent less rain than average. Because the wet season typically provides 70 percent of the island’s annual water, reservoirs entered 2026 in a “stressed” state with very low resilience for a prolonged drought. Peak Heat: Peak heat conditions are expected between August and October 2026, which may further complicate water recovery if the 2026 wet season is also delayed.”
The OPM March 13, 2026, report said:
“The prime minister hastened to add that if the situation further deteriorates, the government of Saint Lucia will spare no effort to ensure that water is barged into the island to supply this much-needed resource to the people of Saint Lucia.”
Importing water from Dominica is a lazy way out of trying to use technology, craft mechanisms, and engage specialists.
Saint Lucia has plenty of untapped water sources in Millet, Babonneau, Soufriere, Canaries, Saltibus, Micoud, and Grace-Vieux-Fort, to mention a few. Yet, with today’s technology and available domestic experts, Saint Lucian authorities and WASCO cannot harvest and produce sufficient portable water for 180,000 inhabitants?
This is unacceptable; meanwhile, those responsible continue to be employed, milking taxpayers. The frustration is more intense considering WASCO is a statutory body. The government is obligated to guarantee operational and capital financing, while taxpayers subsidise WASCO at XCD 1.2 million per month.
Where did things go wrong?
Dr James ‘Jimmy’ Fletcher, a former Saint Lucian government minister, for the public service, information, broadcasting, sustainable development, energy, science and technology from 2011 to 2016, and currently, a renowned climate change advocate and expert in sustainable energy, Facebook post March 14, 2026, reads in part:
“Saint Lucia has 37 major watersheds. The top-ranked watershed in terms of area, annual flow, wet season flow and dry season flow is the Roseau watershed. 10 watersheds account for approximately 90 percent of the dry season flow, and 15 watersheds account for 99 percent of the dry season flow. Many important watersheds have been damaged from deforestation and poor land use. Some are no longer productive. Therefore, any serious water improvement program in Saint Lucia must address the rehabilitation of our watersheds and the absolute protection of those that are still productive.”
“On the question of the hotels importing and barging water from Dominica – no harm, no foul. It assures the hotels a supply of water, which is critical for their operations, the funds to purchase this water are not coming from the government or from the taxpayer, and it will reduce the demand from the hotels for water from WASCO, which makes more water available to all of us.”
Saint Lucia’s commitment to practical climate adaptation measures, preparedness for climate-related shocks
The OPM report on March 13, 2026, advised the public that the prime minister met with Dr Colin Young, executive director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs), to explore expanded collaboration to strengthen Saint Lucia’s climate resilience, particularly in the area of water security.
“The meeting focused on how the 5Cs can assist the government of Saint Lucia in advancing national initiatives aimed at safeguarding the island’s water resources in the face of increasing climate pressures such as drought, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. Discussions also examined opportunities for technical support, capacity building, and access to climate financing to implement projects that improve water management and resilience,” and “underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration between regional institutions and national governments to accelerate climate resilience initiatives that directly benefit Caribbean communities,” OPM said.
Prime Minister Pierre also serves as the CARICOM lead head of government for sustainable development and climate change, chairs the prime ministerial sub-committee on climate change and climate finance and leads regional advocacy on climate issues at major international forums, including global climate negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Under his leadership, Caribbean ministers coordinate strategic regional priorities including climate finance, loss and damage, adaptation, and the transition to sustainable energy systems.
The OPM added: “The government of Saint Lucia has identified the water sector as a priority area for national resilience. Prime Minister Pierre has repeatedly emphasised the importance of rainwater harvesting, water conservation, and the modernisation of water infrastructure to ensure sustainable and reliable access to water for communities across the island.”
“Further engagements between the government of Saint Lucia and the CCCCC are expected as both parties work to advance practical solutions to safeguard the island’s water security and climate resilience.”
“Saint Lucia’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) has been defined as a ten‐year process (2018‐2028), consisting of priority cross‐sectoral and sectoral adaptation measures for eight key sectors/areas and a segment on the ‘limits to adaptation’, complemented, incrementally, with Sectoral Adaptation Strategies & Action Plans (SASAPs). Priority sectors for adaptation action include: Tourism; Water; Agriculture; Fisheries; Infrastructure and spatial planning; Natural resource management (terrestrial, coastal and marine); Education; and Health. Other key sectors will be identified through a cyclical, iterative NAP process.”
“The cost of inaction on climate change in Saint Lucia has been calculated to be at 12.1 percent of GDP by 2025, rising to 24.5 percent by 2050 and 49.1 percent by 2100.2 Recent extreme climate events have highlighted the vulnerability of the country to climate hazards and provided an indication of the additional future costs in failing to prepare for climate change.”
- National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in 2017. Saint Lucia’s NAP (2018-2028) is therefore the starting point for the implementation of coordinated adaptation action at the national level.
“The Government of Saint Lucia (GoSL) recognises the challenges that climate change poses to its population, natural resources and economy, and has taken considerable measures to identify and address, to the extent possible, current and future climate risks at the policy and operational level.
“Today, various sectoral policies address climate change and a wide range of interventions have been designed or established as adaptation measures, often facilitated or supported by international donors.
“To facilitate effective mid and long-term climate adaptation planning and to enable the integration of climate change adaptation considerations into all relevant policies and programmes and into development planning, Saint Lucia initiated its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in 2017.
“Through the NAP process, efforts to address critical climate change-related risks and development priorities will take place in an integrated and coordinated manner, utilising existing and future synergies. The NAP process is expected to reduce existing vulnerabilities by building adaptive capacity and resilience in all sectors and at all levels of society.”
“The NAP process entails strong information management, coordination and communication efforts across sectors and stakeholders, and requires the resources and skills needed to assess, plan, prioritise, coordinate, implement, monitor and review progress.”
“Saint Lucia’s NAP (2018-2028) is therefore the starting point for the implementation of coordinated adaptation action at the national level.”
“Concretely, the NAP includes 40 cross-sectoral and a total of 271 adaptation measures for the 7 sectors/areas prioritised in 2017 and tourism. The measures are deemed critical for strengthening Saint Lucia’s capacity to prepare for, withstand and recover from the impacts of climate variability and climate change and for tapping into opportunities to address climate change.”
“The measures, endorsed by relevant stakeholders, offer solutions to information, technical, institutional, financial, regulatory and policy limitations hampering climate change adaptation in the country.”
Saint Lucia’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2018 –2028 introduction says in part:
“The Government of Saint Lucia (GoSL) recognises the challenges that climate change poses to its population, natural resources and economy, and has taken considerable measures to identify and address, to the extent possible, current and future climate risks at the policy and operational level.”
With water insecurity, we all suffer!
Saint Lucia’s water insecurity is a civilisation crisis that should not be blindfolded by narrow political ideology.
Saint Lucia is vulnerable to climate change in a geographic area that is relatively exposed to seismic activity, the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans. This is compounded by dependence on the agriculture and tourism sectors for a substantial part of its gross domestic product (GDP). Today, Saint Lucia is experiencing severe droughts, water shortages, decreased water production, significant intake reductions and distribution in WASCO’s networks.
Therefore, where did things go wrong? What are the mechanisms to repair the systemic political, economic and institutional damage? How long will the suffering last?
Related: DAM the DAM – Back to the river: Part 1 – Part 2
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