Project Summary
Countries: Montserrat
Delivery Partner: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Project Partners: Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), University of Cambridge, Montserrat National Trust, University of Edinburgh Department of Environment
Principal Investigator: Louise Soanes, Senior Conservation Scientist
Challenge
Montserrat, a small (102km2) Caribbean Island was severely impacted by the 1995 volcanic eruptions. Farmers, displaced from traditional agricultural areas, have been forced onto fragile slopes and forest edges, leading to unsustainable practices that threaten both livelihoods and biodiversity. The island’s remaining communities face limited economic opportunities, heavy dependence on subsistence agriculture, and growing climate risks, not least from the increasing threat of severe storms and hurricanes. Sitting in the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, Montserrat has been impacted by 11 hurricanes since 1995.
While government and civil society demonstrate strong commitment to sustainable development, knowledge gaps and capacity constraints prevent effective adoption of climate-smart and resilient land management.
This project addresses challenges by restoring degraded forests and watersheds, integrating climate-smart agriculture and agroforestry to enhance resilience and diversify livelihoods. It will deliver a National Forest Inventory, a water resource assessment, and implement fine-scale climate modelling to guide restoration and adaptation.
On-the-ground actions will include restoring forests, developing climate-resilient agroforestry systems, and building value chains around products such as forest honey and medicinal plants. By strengthening ecosystem services, safeguarding biodiversity, and creating sustainable economic opportunities, the project will bridge socio-economic and ecological needs, providing a scalable model for climate adaptation and sustainable development in small islands.
More on the project will be added soon.
In the meantime, explore our Projects page to discover the diverse portfolio of initiatives GCBC is supporting around the world, and see where our research is making an impact.
