CASTRIES, St. Lucia - The St. Lucia government says it has held “frank and constructive dialogue” with tourism stakeholders as it seeks to address the current dry-season water supply challenges.
Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, at the head table chairing meeting of stakeholders regarding the drought situation (GIS Photo)“We acknowledge the seriousness of the water supply disruptions and the strain this is placing on tourism businesses and on the household needs of our team members. However, we are encouraged by the Prime Minister’s focus on practical measures aimed at stabilizing the situation,” said the chief executive officer of the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association, Noorani M. Azeez.
“With climate change intensifying dry-season risks, sustainable adaptation measures such as water harvesting, efficiency upgrades, and stronger resilience planning are critical to our sustainability as a small island developing state heavily dependent on tourism.”
A government statement said that Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre led a delegation that included senior government ministers and officials of the Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) for the talks with leaders from the tourism private sector and key water-sector decision makers.
It said the meeting formed part of Pierre’s continued direct engagement with stakeholders as his administration “works to stabilize water supply disruptions affecting both tourism operations and households across the island”.
The statement said that the representatives from hotels and tourism service providers raised “immediate operational concerns and presenting practical proposals aimed at minimizing disruption to businesses, safeguarding the visitor experience, and protecting the welfare of employees and their families”
It said that the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Pierre “facilitated frank and constructive dialogue focused on identifying both urgent and sustainable responses to the challenges presented by the current dry season”.
During the meeting the prime minister “acknowledged that the country’s water supply challenges are rooted in longstanding issues of ageing and vulnerable infrastructure, which now require accelerated interventions and strategic investments”.
The statement said he “underscored the importance of pursuing practical actions that can be implemented immediately while Government continues to advance medium- and long-term investments aimed at strengthening national water security”.
It said that as a result, there was agreement to establish a dedicated working group that will convene over this weekend to finalize implementation schedules and identify financial and technical requirements for priority initiatives, including the barging of water as an emergency support measure, incentive frameworks to encourage increased commercial and domestic water harvesting and a structured engagement strategy with water truckers to strengthen coordination, reliability, and service standards”.
The discussions also highlighted the broader context of climate change and its impact on small island developing states such as St. Lucia, where dry seasons are expected to become more frequent and severe.
The statement said that Office of the Prime Minister has noted that the working group mechanism will support accelerated implementation, transparent scheduling, and clear accountability for delivery, while balancing emergency stabilization efforts with the Government’s broader commitment to long-term water security.
