Grenada National Action Plan for the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (2012)

Grenada, at the 8th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 8) recognizing the significance of their natural and cultural diversity and the vulnerability of their ecological, social and economic values from world events and natural disasters, pledged to effectively conserve at least 25% of its near shore marine area and at least 25% of its terrestrial area by 2020 as a means to contribute to the sustainable livelihoods for its people and to contribute to protection of the world’s biodiversity. 

The gap analysis conducted in 2006 as part of a partnership with The Nature Conservancy on representative marine and terrestrial ecosystems and specified wildlife habitats identified the degree of representation on existing and proposed protected areas and brought a structured and scientific, conservation approach to the selection process. This gap analysis was supported by numerous studies including the Grenada Dove Conservation Program which highlighted representative habitats and features and their degree of inclusion within designated protected areas. It also highlighted those habitats and features with little or no representation, thus providing a focus and target for protected area candidates and attempting to ensure that the system truly meets the biodiversity goals of Grenada.

To date, the Gap Analysis assessments have focused on conservation values. “Comprehensive assessments on heritage, recreation and tourism components of protected areas have been limited and no targets for those components, except for those identified in the OAS system plan and the Tourism Master Plan, have been established. To address this limitation and to update the gap analysis, a workshop was held in St. George’s in February, 2009 to further refine the selection of protected area candidates.

The vision for the protected area system is to confirm Grenada’s existing protected areas and identify nationally-significant marine and terrestrial environments that meet the criteria as potential protected areas and could be designated, in a phased approach, as protected areas by 2020, thus meeting the goals of the Grenada Declaration.

Area of interest: Grenada

Year: 2012