Forests For Us: Dominica Harnesses Nature for Climate Resilience and Economic Development

Dominica is not your typical Caribbean island. While it lacks white sand beaches, the country's beauty shines through its lush forests, geothermal springs, rivers, and waterfalls. Covering more than 60 percent of the island's landmass, Dominica's forests are a sanctuary for a diverse array of species, from the Jaco parrot to the Manicou possum.

The current state of nature reflects joint efforts of the government and local communities to restore what Hurricane Maria decimated. The Category 5 storm, which made landfall on the evening of September 18, 2017, battered homes, flooded the streets of the capital, Roseau, and upended life for Dominica's residents. In addition to inflicting damages of approximately US$1.3 billion, the storm destroyed a staggering 85 percent of the island's forests, which had served as a natural barrier to the winds and helped avert even further damage. In the years since, the nation has championed a remarkable regeneration of its forests, aided by a government-led tree-planting initiative at remarkable scale that has enabled trees, shrubs, and wildlife to flourish once again.

Following the devastation and subsequent rebuilding from that fateful September evening, the Government of Dominica is now on a mission to secure climate resilience for future generations. At the center of this effort are the country's forests. "The trees taught us how to be resilient - how to rise above what happened," says Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, Dominica's President. "If we do not have the forest, then we'll be in trouble."

With support from the World Bank, the government is working to accelerate economic development by harnessing, and simultaneously protecting, these forests. As Forestry Commission Director Minchinton Burton remarks, "our forests, our wildlife, our biodiversity; that forms the basis of any sustainable livelihood opportunity for individuals."

The government's mission began with laying the regulatory foundations. In 2022, the government adopted the National Forest Policy, which provides for the sustainable management and conservation of the island's forest resources. PROGREEN-a global partnership of the World Bank, Germany, Sweden, and the UK-provided technical and financial assistance in the development of the policy, the country's first since 1949.

"The Forest Policy guides what citizens ought to do - and what the government is committed to doing," explains Cozier Frederick, Minister for Environment, Rural Modernization, Kalinago Upliftment, and Constituency Empowerment. "It encapsulates a lot of the protected areas, to ensure that while we protect nature, we provide livelihoods to people in and around forest areas."

The policy's vision extends beyond conservation. Equipped with a strong regulatory base for forests, the government is now looking to further spur economic development through ecotourism. With funding from the Global Environment Facility, the government and the World Bank are working hand-in-hand to propel the island's ecotourism industry forward through the Leveraging Eco-Tourism for Biodiversity Protection in Dominica project. This partnership involves modernizing key infrastructure in forested protected areas, offering skills training to local communities, and introducing an e-ticketing platform for tourists. The project, which covers nearly a fifth of Dominica's land, not only aims to develop the ecotourism sector, but also to empower communities adjacent to forests to engage in the management of protected areas - including the Kalinago, the island's Indigenous Peoples, and the largest remaining Indigenous community in the Caribbean.

Positioned along the island's eastern edge, the Kalinago Territory experiences high poverty rates. The project aims to enhance access to jobs and skills for the Kalinago and includes mapping of their territories' natural resources. "It's not just only the tourism product," clarifies President Burton, who grew up in the Territories. "It's also our cultural heritage. The work that is being done in the [Kalinago] Territories will contribute to enhancing, promoting, and preserving the Kalinago heritage and culture."

In the climate-vulnerable Caribbean region, Dominica is charting a course towards a climate-resilient, prosperous future. "We are custodians to something beautiful," says Minister Frederick. "If we do it right, there can be a positive balance with nature and development." The World Bank is proud to stand alongside partners like Dominica, working together to invest in forests that benefit people, nature, and our climate.

Photo credit: World Bank.

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