Resilience in marine communities
Active construction phase of the berthing jetty in Soufriere Bay, Dominica, 2021.
GIZ
Berthing Jetty in Soufriere Bay, Dominica, 2021.
GIZ
Berthing Jetty in Soufriere Bay, Dominica, 2021.
GIZ
Berthing Jetty in Soufriere Bay, Dominica, 2021.
GIZ
Formal handover of the jetty Facility to the Government of Dominica, 2021.
GIZ
To assist in disaster vulnerability reduction, the CATS programme assisted in the construction of a berthing jetty in the remote community of Soufriere, Dominica. Considered the most economically viable option, the jetty can provide for quick unimpeded access for goods for the community and an escape route for times of emergencies. This infrastructure reduces the emergency response time between Soufriere/Scotts Head communities and Roseau by nearly half. At the same time, the construction of such a facility is expected to create and expand new and hopefully sustained economic opportunities for the Local Area Management Authority (LAMA) and the local communities.
The need for this intervention was highlighted by the passage of multiple natural disasters, which significantly inhibited the access of the Soufriere community to goods and services from outside the immediate community, especially due to there being a compromised road network. The jetty was therefore a welcomed opportunity to overcome this challenge. The benefits to the commercial sector, fisher access and improved standard of living were other motivating factors which created the enabling environment for this intervention.
Being a multi-partner, community focussed initiative, it was noted that before such a project commenced, it was necessary to have a meeting between the project team and beneficiaries (not just leaders) to clarify everything in detail-a meeting that would bring everyone together before the project starts, and not just the leaders, is a good way to achieve this. The management of the facility post completion is a critical factor, and one to be considered and incorporated in facility design at an early stage, lest long term maintenance becomes a challenge once the partners take over. Also the engagement with a locally assigned engineer and a local construction team help secure community buy-in and support and speed up processes and approvals from local authorities.