Background

Since 2011, massive, episodic influxes of floating sargassum seaweed on Caribbean shorelines have emerged as a coastal hazard and a recurring economic shock to tourism-dependent Small Island Developing States (SIDS).  

UNDP is implementing the Project for Improving National Sargassum Management Capabilities in the Caribbean, funded by the Government of Japan. Launched in 2022, the project invests USD12.3 million in the region to bolster efforts to collect, remove, and dispose of sargassum. Five participating countries – Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago – will benefit from the provision of equipment, expertise, and technical assistance to collect, remove, transport, and dispose of sargassum accumulated on shore and/or in the nearshore. This initiative will boost marine and nearshore coastal conservation efforts, support integrated coastal management actions, and mitigate negative impacts on sectors such as fisheries, public health, and tourism. This will be complemented and supported by relevant gender-responsive training and capacity development programmes. 

Supporting activities will include increasing capacity in scientific monitoring of sargassum inundation quantities, development of sargassum collection and management plans, training in removal, transport and disposal of sargassum, and facilitation of regional dialogues, communications, sharing experiences and lessons learnt. The project also seeks to identify downstream opportunities for MSMEs on the use of freshly harvested sargassum collected prior to decomposition by leveraging partnerships with strategic partners in the region.