Sauteurs coastal disaster remains unresolved

by Jonathan A Hanna, PhD, RPA

Over a year after taking office, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has yet to address the severe coastal erosion and destruction in the Sauteurs area caused by a poorly designed breakwater project undertaken by the previous administration in 2017.

The consequences of the project have been devastating for the local communities of Mt Craven and Mt Rodney. Dozens of homes have been destroyed, forcing families to relocate. Businesses have been shuttered, and approximately half a mile of beach has been washed away, along with hundreds of palm trees and mangroves uprooted. Alarmingly, an ancient Amerindian site containing well-preserved human burials has continued to be literally torn from the ground.

During his campaign last year, NDC candidate Joseph Andall, who went on to win the St Patrick West seat, vowed to fix the problem if elected. After assuming office, he announced that a solution was forthcoming and claimed in a January 2023 interview on the Bubb Report that $27 million was available for an initiative to address the issue. The 2024 national budget also included several million dollars specifically earmarked for the Sauteurs emergency.

However, 14 months after Andall’s interview, no action has been taken by the government to mitigate the situation. Coastal areas continue to flood during heavy swells, affecting roads like Mt Rodney Road and the La Fond Playing Field. This inaction has fuelled speculation that wealthy interests may want the area flooded to create a luxury yachting marina.

Proposed solutions over the years include armouring the beach with boulders, removing or extending the existing breakwater, constructing additional breakwaters with channels for boat traffic, building more docks to encourage regrowth, cleaning the canal and repairing drainage infrastructure, and cracking down on illegal sand mining that has exacerbated the erosion.

Concerned citizens and local residents of the affected area are frustrated with the lack of action and are calling on the government to address the crisis immediately rather than procrastinating further. At this point, any action is better than no action.