Saint Lucia has officially launched its first National Hydro-Meteorological Policy, marking a significant milestone in enhancing the island’s preparedness for climate change and weather-related threats. The policy establishes a structured framework for the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services and lays the foundation for new legislation to regulate all agencies involved in meteorology.
Director of the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services, Vigil Saltibus, highlighted that the policy addresses longstanding coordination and regulatory challenges. “This policy addresses long-standing coordination issues, sets standards and ensures regulatory compliance with both national priorities and international agreements. Most importantly, it provides a clear mandate, strategic direction, and framework for the Saint Lucia Meteorological Services to deliver essential weather, climate and hydrological services. It is a crucial step towards strengthening our preparedness and resilience against the growing impacts of climate vulnerability and change,” Saltibus stated.
Infrastructure Minister Stephenson King described the initiative as a cornerstone in Saint Lucia’s climate resilience efforts. “This policy is a critical cog in developing the country’s national meteorological legislation to enable effective performance of meteorological services in the country that meets the society’s needs and for maintaining and enhancing the authoritative role of the meteorological services in the provision of services mandated by the government,” he explained.
With this launch, Saint Lucia is positioning itself to improve weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, and align with international best practices in climate governance.
