Barbados to tackle Beryl coastal damage with IDB support

Government is expected to join forces shortly with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to shore up coastal areas that were damaged by storm surges during Hurricane Beryl last year.

This was announced by Christ Church West Central MP and Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy Adrian Forde in Parliament on Monday during the debate on the Seaport Industry (Management Operations & Development Bill) 2025. The bill aims to strengthen regulations governing use of and activities in Barbados’ territorial waters.

Forde said: “In the post-Hurricane Beryl [period], we know that there was a lot of damage along our shoreline. It ran from Oistins and Worthing to St Peter. We have said that there must be a project that looks at the entire area from the north to the south.

“I am happy to report today that over the next couple of days, we’ll be launching, along with the IDB, a project that will be looking at specific areas. . . . We will have scientific studies . . . environmental assessments so that we are able to know how we can use . . . technologies in order to build that resilience.”

Additionally, the minister highlighted the establishment of the Barbados Ocean and Coastal Authority, which is tasked with ensuring proper ocean governance and the protection of the island’s maritime resources.

Forde noted that the island was given a wake-up call last year with the impact of a major hurricane very early into the season.

“Beryl taught us, unfortunately, a hard lesson in terms of what is happening with climate change and the climate crisis that we face. It is not happenstance that we had a Category Four hurricane in July for the first time in recorded history,” he told the House, as he threw his support behind the bill.

(IMC1)