The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is located in the Eastern Caribbean between latitudes 17° 10' N and 17° 25' N and longitudes 62°W and 63° W. The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is the local legislative body which runs the affairs of Nevis. Matters relating to St. Kitts and the Federation as a whole are dealt with in the Federal Parliament. Not all ministries and departments within the Federal Parliament are duplicated within the NIA. This holds particular importance for the management of the country's resources.
The institutions which manage the land resource on St. Kitts are primarily government ministries or parastatal institutions. The Southeast Peninsular Board and the Frigate Bay Development Corporation manage land development in the Southeast of the island which is the heart of the tourism industry.
The St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC) controls about 4000 hectares of land (29 percent of the land surface), the majority of which is planted in sugar cane. The integrity of forests and wetlands is jointly monitored by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, which also houses the Fisheries Management Unit.
The Department of Lands and Housing has the responsibility for development projects on government lands, while the National Housing Corporation oversees several government housing projects at various locations on the island.
On Nevis, the Nevis Lands and Housing Development Corporation is responsible for the lease, sale and development of government lands. Their activities have been primarily in the area of housing. The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and Co-operatives has control over the annual rental and management of government lands, including government estates used for either crop or livestock production. There is an Environment Desk within the Planning Unit which has authority over environmental matters.
The Water Departments on both islands are mandated with the development of the country's water resources. On Nevis the Department of Agriculture maintains a single mountain spring and a series of earthen dams, which are used for supplying irrigation water. Eighty percent of Nevisian farmers have immediate access to water. The Water Department on St. Kitts previously allowed the St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC) to utilise a shallow well for sugar cane and vegetable irrigation trials. The Water Departments have maintained strict control over water production and utilisation.
The St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation is the primary user of plant nutrient resources in the country. There has been no monitoring of the impact on soils, or the environment in general. Plant nutrients have been used rather than managed.
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Gene Knight |
There is a concern on Nevis about the way in which private construction in some cases has obstructed waterways and diverted water, resulting in erosion, overflowing of drainage ditches and flooding.
Tropical cyclones over the last twelve years have visibly decimated the upper levels of the forests on both islands. The effect of this decimation is partly evidenced in the increased stream flows during the rainy season. Roads to hillside farms have been major casualties of this situation. In some areas portions of surrounding farms have had to be used as fill to repair roads.
In 1997 the Department of Agriculture established a multi-purpose laboratory which, when fully functional will include a soils laboratory, a plant pathology laboratory and a water quality laboratory, among other services. This multi-purpose laboratory should, in the future, contribute significantly to the management of the plant nutrient resource.
Nevisian farmers having access to domestic water supplies now pay a concessionary rate which is 50 percent of the normal rate. Consideration is being given to placing existing government irrigation schemes under the control of the Water Department. Under this plan water meters will be installed and farmers charged for water use.
The Planning Unit has prepared zoning plans with recommendations in respect of land allocation for agriculture, mining, tourism, housing, etc.
During 1999 the management of the two government farming settlement on St. Kitts was returned to the Department of Agriculture. The result was a marked increase in agricultural activity.
The Water Department on St. Kitts recently made available several wells for agricultural use. Costing of various utilisation options is ongoing.
The Nevis Water Department commissioned a new well during 2000. In St. Kitts a one million gallon reservoir is being constructed in the Frigate Bay area.
The major land management challenge for the Federation will be optimising of lands presently used for sugar cane production. Several public fora have been held to discuss the future of the sugar industry. When eventually the industry is shut down or reduced in size, the susceptibility to erosion could be greatly increased if an adequate land management plan is not speedily implemented.
The Water Department on St. Kitts continues to struggle to identify water sources for the villages of Cayon and Saddlers on the north of the island. Two recently dug wells have proved to be unproductive. These two villages are hardest hit by water shortages during the dry season.
As construction increases on the Southeast Peninsula, the Water Department will need to find and develop additional water supplies for the population in Basseterre.
There is a considerable amount of available data on the land and water resources. However, much of it is not current. The updating of this information does not appear to be a major component of any work programme in the various sub-sectors. Settlement maps are not being updated in a timely fashion. With regard to the plant resources, there are some incomplete data on the production resource (i.e. sugar cane and small farming). However, the forests, grasslands and wetlands are only known in general terms. There is no inventory of flora or fauna. This does not allow a proper assessment of damage after significant environmental events such as hurricanes and droughts.
There is a need for closer local collaboration in respect of optimally utilising the scarce natural resources. The availability of current data on land and water issues will be crucial to success. There are plans to establish a local committee to provide this vital information.
