At The Water's Edge (AWE)

 

 

The At Water’s Edge (AWE) project is currently being implemented by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with partners in St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. The project’s goal is to demonstrate that governments and communities of small island states can enhance their resilience to climate change by protecting, restoring and effectively managing their marine and coastal ecosystems and strengthening local capacity for adaptation.

 

In the Greater Grenville Area the main aim is to decrease the vulnerability of the community's shoreline to flooding, erosion and storm surges. GFC, together with the assistance of Grenada Red Cross Society, have been implementing short, medium and long term strategies. These nature based solutions are aimed at reducing the risk and vulnerability of the Grenville Bay Area by establishing a living shoreline and building the community’s adaptive capacity.

 

The project focuses on four specific coastal areas namely Telescope, Marquis, Grenville and Soubise, all part of the Greater Grenville Area. They each have their own unique set of climate change issues.

 

The project year 2013-2014 has focused on the Telescope Area for mangrove restoration and as a result, the AWE Project has currently completed the following:

 

• Participatory 3D modelling exercise
   

• ​Twenty (20) community meeting discussions through different phase of the project including plant site identification, project overview, informational sessions
   

• Two training sessions focusing on mangrove collection, storage transplanting and monitoring
   

• Three collection days with a total of 16 volunteers collecting over 3000 mangrove seedling
   

• Storage and care for the seedlings managed by community members
   

• Formation of a Project Advisory Committee of 12 individuals
   

• Beach Clean Up
   

• AWEsome Walk 1, 2, 3 & 4
   

• Installation of Reef Restoration pilot structures

 

Over 300 mangroves have been installed in PVC pipes for support and a workstation has been built. This employed a total of 15 residents in that period only.  Plants are continuously being replaced by the community. The majority of the plants are growing leaves and becoming stronger. Almond trees and sea grape have also been installed and fenced with protective mesh along the coastal edge. To date this project has obtained US $138,000.00 worth of funding.