Grenada is in the process of better defining its land use policy. The national parks and protected areas program is an important step towards viewing the finite resource of land in a multiple use context. Grenada's actions in the protection of the upper watersheds and important ecosystems, promotion of cultural and natural attractions, and the development of educational and tourism programs are noteworthy in this respect.
The methodology for the establishment and management of a system of national parks and protected areas was developed by a team of national and international specialists working together under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture. The inventory of the natural and cultural resource base relied on an interdisciplinary team made up of fisheries, forestry, land use, extension, and physical planning personnel as well as first-hand information of local hikers, naturalists and historians.
In conjunction with this report, and as part of the Government of Grenada/OAS Integrated Development Project, land policy and infrastructure development guidelines have also been defined. A zoning map has been generated to identify productive agricultural and grazing lands, especially in the southeast section of the island of Grenada where development pressures are most intense. The goal of these efforts is to protect and develop the natural resources of Grenada and Carriacou.
The studies in land policy and zoning, national parks, resource conservation, and tourism development are part of the ongoing assistance of the Department of Regional Development to integrated development planning and implementation in Grenada. The experience has provided valuable guidance for the formulation of a methodological approach for the establishment of national parks programs which hopefully can be utilized by other island states in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Kirk P. Rodgers
Director
Department of Regional Development
