ST. GEORGE’S GRENADA- AUGUST 6, 2025- Grenadian Darron Williams, has highlighted the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management’s (PISLM’s) Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) multicountry Soil Management Initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and climate-resilient food systems (CSIDS-SOILCARE) Project, as an example of innovative projects that reduces the likelihood of drought.
Mr. Williams, a PISLM CSIDS-SOILCARE Postgraduate Scholarship awardee, currently continuing his education in soil science at the University of the West Indies- St. Augustine, made mention of the PISLM’s work at the Les Avocats Forest Reserve in Grenada, correlating work done to restore 10 acres of degraded forests- to the reduction of drought in Grenada- as this Land Degradation hotspot- also serves as a vital watershed.
“This restoration is essential to Grenada’s water security, helping safeguard both environmental and economic resources,” Williams commented.
Despite its high economic and environmental value, the watershed has suffered significant degradation, which includes widespread land degradation and the unchecked proliferation of invasive plant species, particularly bamboo and blue and white mahoe. These invasive species have contributed to reduced water availability, increased soil erosion, and overall deterioration of the watershed’s capacity to support water quality and ecosystem resilience.
He was presenting at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership (GWP)– “Latin America and the Caribbean in the face of drought: Management strategies and resilience in action,” held virtually on July 28, 2025.
