Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697800228648.pdf (Dominica)
Environmental Coordinating Unit Roseau Fisheries Building Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard Tel: (767) 266 5256 Tel/ Fax: (767) 448 4577 Email: ecu@dominica.gov.dm DOMINICA SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT (SLM) PROJECT Community Vulnerability Maps and Adaptation Plans Overview Community vulnerability maps and adaptation plans have been developed in 11 vulnerable communities in Dominica through a consultative process undertaken by trained extension officers in the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Environment, Local Government, Physical Planning and Health working with local residents and village councils.
This work was undertaken under a collaborative initiative supported by two Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded projects, namely the (GEF/UNDP) Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project and the GEF/World Bank Special Program on Adaptation to Climate Change (SPACC) Project.

Laminated 48 inch x 36 inch copies of these vulnerability maps and adaptation plans have been printed for distribution to the participating communities.
Prior to these projects the communities were without any form of maps or vulnerability atlases upon which to base development decisions.

By way of example, the village council of one pilot community used a 1972 hand drawn map (included in a brochure identifying sites of historical importance in the village) as the basis for decision-making on development planning.
Most importantly, awareness of climate change and other pressing environmental risks was limited at the community level and at the technical level within many government departments.

Consequently, the identification and implementation of meaningful risk management measures was not possible.
The projects have raised awareness of climate change vulnerability and site-specific risks not only in affected communities but also amongst the extension officers of Government Departments working with these communities.
Most importantly, the training of extension officers within key government Departments in the area of community vulnerability mapping, and climate change adaptation planning - and the process of community engagement by these extension officers that was a key part of the process to develop these community vulnerability maps and adaptation plans - has not only built national adaptive capacity, but also resulted in the identification and implementation of meaningful adaptation and disaster management measures in these vulnerable communities.
Recognising the value of this process, the Government of Dominica hopes to expand the community vulnerability mapping and adaptation planning process to other vulnerable communities under the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) which is currently in the design stage.
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project The Government of Dominica secured assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to undertake the Capacity Building and Mainstreaming of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project in the Commonwealth of Dominica project.
The long term goal of the Project is: “Ensure that agricultural, coastal, forestry and other terrestrial land and resource uses in Dominica are sustainable, thereby allowing for the maintenance of productive systems that assure ecosystem productivity and ecological functions while contributing directly to the environmental, economic and social well-being of the people of Dominica”.
The overall objective of this Project is “To develop capacities for sustainable land management in appropriate government, civil society institutions and user groups, and mainstream sustainable land management considerations into government planning and strategy development”.

The Government of Dominica recognises that effective land and natural resource management can only be achieved with the active participation and involvement of individuals and communities that use the country’s natural resources.
The SLM project will:  Support the development of natural resource maps, vulnerability atlases and resource management plans at the community level to facilitate Integrated Ecosystem Management while addressing critical environmental issues;  Improve community participation and ownership in coastal/terrestrial resource management (including hazard mapping and climate change adaptation planning and management) utilizing traditional/local knowledge;  Establish a Central Database for all natural resource maps and management plans in order to improved inter-agency coordination in support of Integrated Ecosystem Management; and  Strengthen environmental and natural resource management legislation to support community participation and involvement in Integrated Ecosystem Environmental Management; thereby empowering individuals and communities to assert greater ownership and responsibility in the use and management of Dominica’s natural resources.
A Handbook for Community Resource Mapping, Vulnerability Atlases and Community Resource Management Plans was developed as part of the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project and used to train over 100 people including extension officers from Departments of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and from District Councils to coordinate the development - by communities across Dominica - of these Community Resource Maps, Vulnerability Atlases and Community Resource Management Plans.
Environmental and Resource Use Problems The island is characterized by a very youthful and fragile forest landscape, which makes it very susceptible to the effects of land degradation.

However, historically Dominica has a strong tradition of conserving its land resource base.

These traditions date back to pre- Columbian times when the forms of land use employed by the indigenous peoples had very little negative impact on Dominica’s physical environment and the land in particular.
However, the introduction of plantations and the associated large-scale land clearings by Europeans caused an increased level of soil erosion, especially along the west coast.

In the post World War II period, the banana industry developed.

This led to the introduction of heavy machinery for building of infrastructure (e.g.

roads) together with increased housing needs related to the expanding economy.
Thus, significant pressures were brought to bear on the fragile resource base with increasing levels of land degradation and desertification.

The general pattern of land use in Dominica has been dictated by topographic limitations.

The highest, most rugged elevations in the interior have remained inaccessible and therefore forest cover predominates, although there has been gradual loss of forest cover in the lower elevations.
This was reported in the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Profiles on Forests, Grasslands and Dry lands which cited a percentage reduction in forest cover relative to land mass area of 65% to 61% over the period 1990 to 2000.

Much of the recorded forest loss has been through the sale of State lands and subsequent conversion out of forest cover.

Most of these lands were converted to agriculture and ultimately into housing.
The narrow flat floodplains of the major rivers in the country have seen the most intensive land utilization, predominantly agriculture, with hillside cultivation extending into the mid-elevation areas along road access routes.

Banana and temporary (vegetable and root) crops, coconut and citrus dominate commercial agricultural production in Dominica.
Urbanization has been largely confined to the narrow coastal fringe, although newer settlements have been expanding into the interior along the rural road network.

The latter half of the 1990s saw a downturn in the agricultural sector as the banana industry contracted due to the gradual loss of preferential market access to the United Kingdom (driven by World Trade Organization rulings) for Windward Island fruit.
Although there has not been a comprehensive national agricultural census since 1995, the Ministry of Agriculture estimates a decrease in the number of farm holdings to approximately 7,500 in 2004 with an undetermined, but reduced acreage (compared to 1995) under active agriculture.

Much of the lands that were formerly under banana cultivation are now under short-term cropping systems.
Some of the former agricultural lands in areas such as Woodford Hill, Melville Hall and Geneva are now under urban development with the threat of accelerated degradation due to the high degree of land disturbance and lack of soil and water conservation measures.

There are no large livestock farms as there are limited flat grazing pastures.

However, uncontrolled cattle grazing, particularly on sloping lands have had serious implications for land degradation.
Historically, the majority of the land area in Dominica was parceled into large estates owned by the Crown (mainly unutilized lands in the interior) and private owners (major agricultural estates).

As agricultural output from these large estates declined over time the lands were subdivided and sold as smaller agricultural parcels and housing lots.
From the late 1970’s to the mid 1980’s, in a major land settlement scheme, the Government acquired 11 private estates totaling 2,368 hectares which were then sub-divided and sold for housing.

The Dominica Agricultural Census of 1995 reported an increase in the number of land parcels classified as farms (from 9,101 to 10,100 from 1961 to 1995), but a decrease in the total acreage under farming systems over that period (from 30,850 hectares in 1961 down to 21,134 hectares).
This trend was due to the transition from large estate agricultural production systems, as these estates were cut up and sold, to more intensive agricultural production on smaller acreages.

The expansion in the number of holdings under cultivation corresponded to the rise of the banana industry in Dominica (although on a lesser scale than on the other Windward Islands) from the 1970’s into 1990s.
According to the agricultural census (1995) in 1961, at least 95% of private lands in Dominica were categorized as single-owner free-hold.

By 1995 this had fallen to just over 65% with an increase in the percentage of lands categorized as “family ownership[1]” to just under 11%.

The census also noted the increase in the quantum of lands classified as “leased”, “communal” and “squatter”.

By 1995 just over 12% of non-state lands fell under these categories.
There are no definitive recent statistics to update the situation from the 1995 assessment.

Areas around Cotton Hill (Buck), Picard, Geneva, Woodford Hill, Melville Hall are now dominated by squatting and unregulated development.

In the case of agricultural holdings under family ownership and other non-secure forms of tenure, challenges exist in terms of raising capital for economic investment, mainly related to inability to use the land as security.
In family land ownership situations, there is often reluctance by family members who are using the land to make long-term personal investments, given uncertainties over the eventual fate of the land under the dictates of other family owners.

The same circumstance generally applies for persons who are leasing lands or squatting.

By extension, the transition from larger-scale agriculture to small farms has also had implications for implementation of land conservation measures.
As holdings become smaller, farmers tend to cultivate the full acreage within the holding in short-term crops to maximize financial returns.

Trees that would otherwise maintain the soil are often removed resulting in accelerated land degradation in fragile environments.

A compounding factor is that small farmers tend to be resource-poor, with low capacity to invest in soil and water conservation measures.
In cases where lands are converted to housing and other urban development types, land degradation is driven by similar factors particularly where settlements are unplanned and developed without infrastructure to control pollution, runoff and erosion.

These issues translate to a situation in which lands that may be otherwise productive, remain under sub-optimal production, with the farmers remaining in a poor subsistence state.
By the 1950’s the first Forest Ordinance was enacted which authorised the establishment of forest reserves on crown lands and protected forests on private land for purposes of soil and water conservation.

Since then, a series of acts have been enacted to regulate the use of the fragile land resources.
These include inter alia: the Town and Country Planning Act; the Land Management Authority Act; the Forest Reserve Rules; the Forestry and Wildlife Act; the National Parks and Protected Areas Acts (over 20% of the island’s land mass is under legislated protection); the Beach Control Act; the Water and Sewerage Act and the Pesticide Control Act.
Notwithstanding the existence of this extensive legislative framework for regulating land use continued economic growth and development (some unregulated), has changed the traditional land use patterns of the island.

In particular agriculture has and continues to have a strong influence on land degradation in Dominica.
This is evidenced by:  Rapid expansion of the non-indigenous Citronella spp (lemon grass) on abandoned agricultural land;  The clearing of steep slopes without utilising the proper soil conservation measures;  Change from shifting cultivation by small land holders to settled farms often on steep lands;  Change from multi-cropping and use of ground cover to clean cultivated monocrops for example bananas.
Expansion in the other economic sectors particularly tourism and manufacturing has also negatively impacted on the quality and integrity of the land resource base and is of much concern presently.

Dominica is primarily an agriculture-based economy, where the importance of the land in socio-economic development cannot be overemphasized, since it represents one of the prime available resources.

Therefore, Dominica can ill-afford to have a proliferation of land degradation events.
The development policies of the country must seek to maintain the integrity of the land and incorporate mechanisms to safeguard this resource, while maximizing returns and ensuring the well being of its people.

[1] Family-owned lands are lands with clear individual title; title is often inherited by a collective of heirs of the original owner.
Causes of Land Degradation In Dominica, land and water resources degradation has been historically driven mainly by indiscriminate clearing of forests in environmentally fragile areas (steep slopes underlain by erodible soils within high rainfall zones) and subsequent replacement by intensive agricultural cultivation.

Installation of poorly constructed farm access roads in these areas in many instances contributes to land degradation.
Other activities such as poorly managed mining and quarrying operations and expansion of settlement areas in erosion-prone areas is of concern.

Land degradation has both on-site and off-site effects.

On-site effects include the lowering of the productive capacity of the land, causing either reduced outputs (crop yields, livestock yields) and/or the need for increased inputs.

Off-site effects include changes in water regime, such as decline in water quality and sedimentation of river beds and reservoirs.
High sedimentation rates in rivers are observed in Dominica during the rainy season.

Internal Root Causes and Driving Forces Poor agricultural practices: Agriculture has had a strong influence on land degradation in Dominica.

Presently, (conservatively assessed) almost fourteen percent (14%) of the total agriculture land area under cultivation is vulnerable to some land degradation from anthropogenic origins.
Soil losses from steep hillside farms remain unquantified, but have undoubtedly taken a significant toll on land productivity.

The cycle of erosion that leads to soil fatigue and nutrient replacement through fertilization contributes to pollutant loading in runoff following rains.

Furthermore, on many farm holdings harmful chemicals and pesticides are often abused, negatively impacting fresh and coastal waters eventually leading to eutrophication of fragile ecosystems (e.g.
rivers, mangroves, sea grass, and wetlands).

On excessive slopes the risk of landslides and mass wasting is also heightened.

The lower reaches of many watersheds have become more predisposed to the risk of flashfloods as deposited material (mobilized in erosion processes) reduces the hydraulic capacities of the river channels.
The cycle of land degradation is perpetuated particularly on small holdings (which dominate the agricultural sector) since the average small farmer is often unable to secure the necessary resources required to implement soil and water conservation measures which usually require heavy capital investments.

The education level and awareness of these farmers are also limiting factors that inhibit uptake of appropriate technologies aimed at mitigating land degradation.
Poor management of forest lands: The most immediate and primary threats to forests are the increasing pressure on the resource as a source of land for agriculture and settlement expansion, and wood for fuel and construction material.

This is of concern on privately-owned forests where there are generally no regulatory frameworks that provide for sustainable development of forest resources.
In Dominica where most of the interior lands are still covered by forest, these lands constitute important reserves for biodiversity and water resources.

Although physical access to many areas is hampered by topographic limitations some areas in Pont Cassé, the Carib Reserve, Picard, Mahaut, Colihaut are threatened by significant land clearing, in response to declining land availability for settlement along the coast.
Evidence of land degradation associated with landslides along road cuts and surface erosion from open clearings is noted within development sites.

Poorly managed mineral/aggregate mining and quarrying activity: All material required in the construction industry is mined locally.

Extensive mining and quarrying activities in upland areas and along the coast are a cause for concern, particularly where overburden and spoil material are not contained and immobilized.
In such circumstances runoff will mobilize loose aggregate and contribute to siltation of adjacent waterways and eventual pollution of near-shore waters.

It is anticipated that as the population and economic activity of the country grows, the demand for aggregate will continue to expand with anticipated greater negative impacts if control measures are not instituted to mitigate degradation.
Unplanned and/or poorly planned infrastructural development: Road accesses that are not properly maintained to control drainage (in high rainfall environments) can be significant contributors to land degradation, as are roads that are cut into unstable hillsides in areas that are prone to landslides due to the physical nature of the parent material.
Recent road projects in support of industrial and commercial infrastructure development (as is the case of the roads at Morne Espaniol and Scotts Head Point for installation of telecommunication towers) have been observed to contribute to accelerated land degradation and soil erosion.

The lack of routine environmental assessment of the consequences of these activities before implementation, which will allow for the provision of mitigation measures, is a challenge.
The construction of coastal seawalls and other mitigation infrastructure to combat coastal degradation, may present adverse impacts on marine ecosystems at various stages of development, if not adequately conceived.

Additionally, some industrial activities that release effluents into the sea present serious environmental challenges.

This is of concern with respect to petroleum hydrocarbon derivatives and varied types of industrial waste that are discharged into the environment.
The proposed establishment of a bulk petroleum terminal to service the sub-region is additional for concern.

Unplanned housing development: The most significant trend in land use over the last 30 years has been the change of use from agricultural to residential, with large agricultural estates transformed into major housing developments over that period.
These developments are cause for much concern since these former estates occupied the most suitable lands for agriculture and were located within close proximity to the ports to facilitate shipping of produce.

This situation presents a food security problem of strategic development concern, in a country with limited prime agricultural land.
With respect to land degradation, many housing developments, in spite of receipt of planning permission, are carried out with little attention paid to mitigating land degradation as formal regulatory requirements are minimal or non-existent.

The problem is aggravated in high-density housing areas that are sited in upland areas underlain by relatively unstable soils as is the case in Picard, Portsmouth and the Carib Reserve.
The other major problem associated with such developments is improper solid and liquid waste disposal, which is of serious concern in terms of contamination of waterways and the near-shore environment.

This is more acute in high-density, low-income housing development areas.
Uncontrolled expansion of exotic species: Over the last two decades, the explosive growth of the exotic lemon grass (Cymobopogon nardus) along Dominica’s west coast, particularly in the areas around Colihaut, St. Joseph, Tarou, Mero is threatening biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (source: Division of Agriculture) in these areas.
This invasive alien species first colonized previously cultivated land along the west coast, but over time advanced into savannah and grazing lands, and further into dry scrub woodlands, and eventually into secondary forests.
The areas now colonized by lemon grass have become predisposed to fires deliberately set during the dry season resulting in significant loss of biodiversity, micro-environmental change, and considerable land degradation as repeated burning of these areas predisposes the land to soil erosion and landslides.

There is also a build up of toxicity in the soil profile contributed by the grass, which tends to retard growth of other plant species.
The danger posed by proliferation of lemon grass is its persistence, rapid advancement and replacement of natural vegetation.

Of note is the fact that the dry scrub woodland ecological zone which represents 7.9% of the total land area, is the natural habitat for the National flower, the “Bois Caraibe” (Sabinea carinalis).
External Root Causes of Environmental Degradation and Driving Forces External root causes of land degradation in Dominica are related to the heightened vulnerability the country (and the rest of the Caribbean region) finds itself in with respect to climate change impacts and the prevailing, and future economic climate.

In the climate change arena, two major issues are of concern according to experts: the increased frequency of destructive hurricanes and increased occurrence of prolonged drought conditions.
Risks associated with climatic phenomenon: The Earth has warmed on average by 0.74°C over the last hundred years, with 0.4°C of this warming occurring since 1970.

The past decade is the warmest on record since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850, according to data sources compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Globally the rate of warming averaged over the last 50 years is nearly twice that for the last 100 years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)[1] has determined that 90% of the warming effect can be attributed to human activities since the onset of the industrial revolution, such as burning of fossil fuels for power generation, transport, industrial processes and housing.

Emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), which are the cause of global warming and associated climate change, continue to rise.
The IPCC, in periodic reports summarizing the extensive review of scientific literature, has determined that the impact of this warming is already changing the world’s climate.

For Dominica, the projected changes of most concern including rising temperatures (by 1.5°C by the 2080s), changing rainfall patterns so that more extreme events (i.e.

floods and droughts) are expected, and great likelihood of stronger hurricanes and rising sea level.
While Caribbean countries contribute less than 0.1% to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions they will be amongst the earliest and worst adversely affected by climate change.

Their small size, relative isolation, concentration of communities and infrastructure in coastal areas, narrow economic base, dependence on natural resources, susceptibility to external shocks and limited financial, technical and institutional capacity are inherent vulnerabilities of small island developing states (SIDS).
Exposure to current weather-related hazards and other climate variability compound these vulnerabilities which are often linked to inappropriate development paradigms.

Changing weather patterns associated with climate change is expected to exacerbate the vulnerabilities and impacts currently experienced in the region.
[1] The IPCC is an intergovernmental body open to all member Countries of the United Nations (UN) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) with a mandate to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

The IPCC is a scientific body.


It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change.

It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters.

Thousands of scientists from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC on a voluntary basis.

Review is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment of current information.
IPCC aims to reflect a range of views and expertise.

The Secretariat coordinates all the IPCC work and liaises with Governments.

Rising average temperatures have already triggered mass coral bleaching events across the region and are causing shifts in the growing season of various trees and crops.

Continued rises in temperature are expected to result in migration of critical commercial fisheries species out of the region and rising energy bills for cooling.
Heavier rainfall events are already challenging the capacity of some nations to cope, leading to more frequent flooding of settlements and infrastructure, and raising human health concerns.

The frequency of floods in the Caribbean has increased since the mid 1990s.

The region is also experiencing longer dry spells that have resulted in a significant increase in droughts since 1960, affecting water resources needed for agriculture and human consumption.
These weather extremes are likely to be accompanied by stronger hurricanes bringing the potential for increased damage and larger financial losses, greater pressure on national budgets and lengthier recovery times.
With rising sea levels, higher storm surges associated with these events will exacerbate losses from coastal erosion and flooding that impact tourism activities and the wider national economy, temporarily disrupting port operations and food security as well as access along essential roads and isolating or displacing settlements and businesses.

Sea-level rise further threatens freshwater aquifers from intrusion of salt water which could impact agricultural production and the quality of drinking water.
Dominica’s beach and shoreline stability, coastal and marine ecosystems, forestry and biodiversity, fisheries, tourism sector, insurance and banking sector, food security, human health, critical infrastructure, human settlements, water resources and energy security are highly vulnerable to the anticipated, and in some cases ongoing, impacts of climate change, which include, among others:  erosion and submergence of beaches, wetlands and coastal lowlands due to sea level rise;  loss of marine and terrestrial biodiversity as a result of changes in temperature and rainfall, especially loss of coral reefs as a result of bleaching and ocean acidification;  degradation of natural tourist attractions and accommodations, jeopardizing the important tourism sector;  reduced agricultural productivity and decline in commercially important fish stocks, increasing the threat to food security;  increases in the occurrence of pests and vectors, contagious diseases and stress-related diseases;  loss of or more costly damage to critical infrastructure and human settlements as a result of increased frequency of floods, stronger hurricanes and storm surges, and sea level rise;  depletion of water supplies and water quality;  increased demand for and cost of energy and increased threat to energy security.
A comprehensive overview of risks associated with climate change is presented in the Handbook for Community Resource Mapping, Vulnerability Atlases and Community Resource Management Plans.

Risks associated with seismic activity: Earthquakes and volcanic activity are ever-present threats in Dominica and these events can wreak destruction in inhabited areas and lands used for economic output.
Catastrophic landslides such as that which occurred in the Carholm/Matthieu area in 1997 (that dammed a tributary of the Layou River) can be significant contributors to increased sediment discharge for extended periods.

Planning regulations with respect to enhancing resiliency to natural phenomenon are weak or silent, and as Dominica’s development pattern tends towards utilization of inland areas, this issue will need to be addressed.
Uncertainties in the economic environment: In the context of the economic climate, Dominica, as is the case of its Caribbean neighbours is a small open vulnerable economy that is subject inter-alia to the vagaries of reformed trade regimes, heightened travel security associated with the risk from terrorism and the variable investment climate in the Caribbean.
These factors significantly affect the macro-economic outlook for the country and can dictate the nature and extent to which land resources are exploited.

In a worse-case scenario where the country is severely impacted by dwindling foreign exchange earnings and increased poverty, there is a risk that the lands may be over-exploited for basic food and fuel needs causing acute land degradation that will be difficult to reverse.
It is assumed that under a positive scenario, with sustained economic growth, the population will have options that will not involve exploitation of its land resources beyond its carrying capacity.

Institutional and Governance: There are several key issues of note.

At the state planning level environmental management issues are generally handled in a rather fragmented approach between agencies.
There is no central coordinating entity that has technical and policy oversight for land development across all sectors.

All various state agencies operate in an isolated manner within their jurisdictions, except under special circumstances (only major developments may require an inter-agency EIA review process).

There are gaps in institutional mandates as well as in support legislative and regulatory instruments that does not adequately address coordinated planning for SLM.
While the overarching policy guide may be enshrined in particular laws, the regulations to operationalize the principles are often not elaborated in the context of addressing SLM.

Human resource capacity of the various agencies in specialized areas of land management is weak.

Noted gaps include integration of natural resource economics to guide effective policy decision with respect to land development options and availability of timely and accurate information for decision making.
The private sector (inclusive of interests in the agriculture, tourism, commercial, manufacturing, industrial sectors), community groups and NGOs are not sufficiently integrated into the process of land development planning due to lack of any formalized mechanism to elicit collaboration.

Economic and Financial: Resource capacity has to be evaluated at the institutional and individual levels.
The bulk of the State investment is directed to poverty alleviation, health care and education, and relatively little is spent in the area of SLM in terms of building capacities within agencies and its resource personnel.
The Ministry of Agriculture and its Agriculture and Forestry Divisions have outreach programmes to farmers and communities but these are more directed at crop/livestock production and control of infractions within forest reserve areas, with little emphasis on direct technical support in SLM on account of resource limitations.

Research and monitoring programmes are minimal given limited investment by government.
Stakeholders who rely exclusively on the land resources for livelihoods, including farmers, are often financially resource-poor, and unable to make the investments in required soil conservation measures.

The downward trend in the agricultural sector (mainly associated with declining banana production) has forced abandonment of cultivation; agriculture has traditionally been one of the primary vehicles within which investment in soil conservation can be made.
Social and Behavioral: Dominicans have a heightened awareness of environmental issues related to the promotion of the country as an eco-tourism destination.

This has in some way translated to a more favourable policy environment in the context of sustainable resource development, but has not been fully translated into actions at the institutional and individual levels.

Behaviors tend to be governed by the degree to which personal values incorporate a sense of environmental stewardship.
In some cases, this is related to the level of exposure to environmental awareness efforts (within schools, via the mass media) or the degree to which it is instilled within the home.

In other cases it may be imposed due to formal requirements within the work or business culture.
Given the problems associated with poor land management practices in Dominica the population requires continued sensitization of the risks posed by land degradation, and means must be sought to demonstrate how change in behaviors at both the personal and institutional levels can redound to positive environmental benefits.

Technological and Knowledge: There has been rather limited investment in technology to combat the problems of land degradation in Dominica.
While there have been education efforts for farmers by the Agricultural and Forestry Divisions in the area of soil conservation, introduction of appropriate technologies to systematically assess, mitigate and monitor land degradation has been lacking.

Among the challenges faced is absence of efficient access to information on the state of land resources and the environment in the country to facilitate national level planning.
A land resources information system based on GIS technology that is accessible to technical and policy level professionals has been identified as a pressing need.

This system, which has been developed and established under Dominica’s Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project will greatly enhance harmonized and coordinated planning efforts by all agencies concerned with land management and climate change risk management.
THE SLM PROJECT IN PICTURES TRAINING OF TECHNICAL OFFICERS IN GIS TECHNICAL OFFICERS BEING TRAINED TECHNICAL OFFICERS BEING GPS TO USE GPS IN THE FIELD GPS INFORMATION BEING USED TO CREATE ASSET MAPS TRAINING AT PLANNING DIVISION USING GPS TO MAP MARINE ASSETS CONSULTATION SESSION ON LEGAL LAND MANAGEMENT ISSUES TRAINED TECHNICAL OFFICERS IN THE FIELD TRAINED OPFICERS AND STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON THE FIELS DISCUSSION ON SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT ISSUES TECHNICAL OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONDUCTING FIELD WORK CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION OF TRAINING COURSE