Saint Lucia - Overview

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services

Saint Lucia’s total land area is approximately 616 km2. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the mountainous landscape and tropical location of Saint Lucia have endowed the island with a range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Ecosystems range from dry cactus scrubs to rainforest, as well as mangroves and coral reefs... More »

Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)

The main threats to biodiversity and ecosystems in Saint Lucia at this time are habitat modification and destruction and invasive alien species, such as the green iguana, giant African snail and fungal pathogens affecting agricultural biodiversity and causing severe losses. Habitat change is occurring at a rapid rate and is expected to increase even further in the future with several projected hotels, marinas and golf courses and an increase in housing and infrastructure... More »

Implementation of the NBSAP

Development of the first NBSAP for Saint Lucia commenced in 1997 and went through a process where baseline studies were conducted in 6 key areas, followed by an extensive consultation process. The NBSAP was completed and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in September 2001. The third edition was released in 2008. The establishment of a full-time Biodiversity Unit, albeit on a very small scale, provided a formal institutional framework through which actions for biodiversity management were focused... More »

Actions taken to achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Several protected areas have been established, including the Soufriere Marine Management Area and the Canaries/Anse La Raye Marine Management Area. Although 26 marine reserves have been established, including 2 Ramsar mangrove sites, a number do not have management plans in place. There is also a World Heritage Site known as the Pitons Management Area... More »

Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)

Biodiversity concerns are principally integrated into the agenda of the Ministries of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology and Agriculture. Several other government departments and other national and local levels of government have also embraced biodiversity within their agendas. Saint Lucia is a contracting party to 14 regional and international multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) relating directly to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources... More »

Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation

A 2006 State of the Environment Report (GEO Saint Lucia), which includes an assessment of key ecosystems, was published by the Sustainable Development and Environment Unit of the Ministry of the Environment. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States has also produced a regional biodiversity database with Saint Lucia as the pilot under the Protecting the Eastern Caribbean’s Biodiversity project... More »