Sainte Lucie

Natural Hazard Risk

Saint Lucia, a small Windward Island in the Eastern Caribbean, is exposed to several natural hazards, including hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions. The risk from these hazards is exacerbated by the Caribbean’s natural weather patterns of heavy rain and frequent hurricanes, which have become increasingly intense with climate change. With a terrain largely consisting of mountains and steep slopes, the country’s population and economic activity are mostly concentrated along low-lying coastal areas that have inadequate drainage or infrastructure to withstand the impacts of flooding and storm surge. Critical public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, water supply systems, and health and education facilities, remain vulnerable to flooding and landslides. Additionally, critical sectors of Saint Lucia’s economy include agriculture and tourism, both of which are heavily dependent on good weather and are vulnerable to climate-related hazards. In October 2010, Hurricane Tomas produced intensely excessive rainfall and triggered widespread flooding and landslides, which resulted in damages and losses equivalent to more than 40 percent of Saint Lucia’s 2010 GDP. In December 2013, a tropical trough system produced excessively heavy rainfall in Saint Lucia resulting in rapid and intense flooding, as well as landslides throughout the country. Estimated damages and losses were equivalent to roughly 8 percent of the country’s GDP. More recently, in 2016, Hurricane Matthew passed through Saint Lucia, severely damaging infrastructure. Downed power lines left about 70 percent of the island’s population without power. The island’s agriculture sector was also affected and approximately 80 percent of banana plantations were damaged.

Government Priorities

The Government of Saint Lucia has taken important steps to measurably reduce disaster and climate risk, as laid out in its national disaster reduction program, Vision 2030. Established in 2000, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is responsible for preparing the country for natural hazard events and coordinating post-disaster response at local, regional, and international levels. The Disaster Management Act was enacted in 2006 and is the country’s legislative framework for disaster risk management (DRM). The Hazard Mitigation Policy, also signed in 2006, puts a focus on reducing risk and building the nation’s resilience to hazard impacts. Strengthening disaster resilience is a priority and in the 2018 budget speech the prime minister emphasized the importance of strengthening DRM across sectors, particularly housing, and establishing comprehensive disaster risk financing mechanisms.

Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), a regional risk-pooling mechanism for Caribbean countries to provide immediate liquidity shortly after a devastating hurricane, earthquake and / or excess rainfall event. In 2016, CCRIF completed payments totaling roughly $30 million to four member countries that were affected by Hurricane Matthew, including Saint Lucia.   

To further advance its disaster and climate resilience agenda, the Government of Saint Lucia is prioritizing:

• Strengthening public institutions to efficiently execute a comprehensive and multi-sectoral nationwide disaster risk reduction program, including a disaster risk financing strategy; 
• Introducing legal and policy reforms to increase climate and disaster resilience in priority sectors; 
• Implementing a more diverse set of risk finance instruments to withstand the fiscal shocks associated with natural hazard events; 
• Ensuring the public is educated about natural hazards, including preventive and mitigation measures; and, 
• Directing resources toward priority sectors highly vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and climate change, such as transport, education and health.