Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a state in the southern Caribbean consisting of the main island of St. Vincent and a number of smaller islands. It is known for its marvellous bays and fine beaches. Harbours full of yachts, elegant private islands and volcanoes dominate the landscape. Tourism has great potential in the country and contributes decisively to the country's economy. Despite all the wealth, the economic base is still very small, and heavily dependent on agriculture, especially St. Vincent’s main export crop, bananas.
The country is facing several challenges linked to the rapid urbanization and is already affected by the impacts of climate change. Its capital Kingstown has vital infrastructure that sits in low-lying narrow coastal zones, which are vulnerable to adverse natural disasters. The country does not have major slums, but still has challenges in the provision of basic urban services, like housing and healthy surroundings, including drainage and sanitation. Residents struggle to find employment and income.
The Caribbean region has demonstrated significant commitment to addressing urban poverty during recent years. The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, represented by the Ministry of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Land and Surveys, and Physical Planning, is actively seeking to strengthen its capacity to devise and implement effective and sustainable strategies for upgrading urban slums. Driven by these motivations, in 2016, St. Vincent & the Grenadines has completed Phase I of the PSUP. During this, stakeholders improved their knowledge and capacity to assess urban development and slum upgrading needs, and improved coordination and cooperation amongst themselves. The Urban Profiling of three areas has also concluded, focusing on Bottle Glass area in Barrouallie, Fair Hall in Calliaqua town, and Pepper Village in Sandy Bay. The profiling of these areas has given a clear vision for the next steps of the PSUP, which will work towards improving the lives of slum dwellers of the island country. As St. Vincent has now entered Phase II of the PSUP, it is more committed than ever to support its communities to collaboratively devise and implement effective and sustainable strategies for upgrading its urban informal settlements at scale, thereby making a tangible improvement in the living conditions of the urban poor and low-income households.