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Castries, Saint Lucia, Tuesday 22^nd August 2023 – The Saint Lucia Renewable Energy Sector Development Project (RESDP) led by the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Transport recently conducted a series of consultations within the project communities of Saltibus, Fond St. Jacques and Belle Plaine. The purpose of these consultations was to foster engagement with these communities, provide updates on the project’s progress and to introduce the newly established Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).

The overarching goal of the RESDP is to assess the feasibility of utilizing Saint Lucia’s geothermal resource for electricity generation while enhancing the island’s regulatory framework for renewable energy integration. The first component involves the drilling of exploratory geothermal wells in Saltibus, Fond St. Jacques and Belle Plaine. This component serves two critical functions, that of assessing the resource and determining its sufficiency to supply a geothermal power plant.

The recent community consultations provided an opportunity to update the residents of Saltibus, Fond St. Jacques and Belle Plaine on the project’s development, share insights from the proposed exploratory drilling activities and introduce the GRM. This mechanism aims to ensure transparent and effective communication channels between the RESDP and communities within the project zone, addressing any concerns or issues that may arise during the project’s implementation.  The GRM allows for unimpeded access for persons to report any issue affecting them to the project team through various means. This includes in-person to the project staff, WhatsApp, email, Facebook and suggestion boxes.

Grievances can be addressed at three levels based on complexity. The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will record and acknowledge all grievances within two working days. Parties can propose amicable solutions, which the PIU will then implement, once agreed. The complainant can rate their satisfaction before closure. If no agreement is reached, the complainant may escalate to the World Bank or seek legal remedy. The project’s co-operative and transparent approach aims to resolve most grievances within ten to thirty days.

The GRM will be available for stakeholder use throughout the four-year implementation period of the project. To report a grievance, individuals can send a WhatsApp message to 732-0030, email to grievances.resdp@govt.lc or message to Facebook  via  https://www.facebook.com/resdpsaintlucia. Suggestion boxes for logging a grievance will be available at the following locations: Fond St. Jacques Community Technology Access Centre, Region 6 Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Office and Piton Management Area Office. Grievances can also be reported to the project office within the Energy and Public Utilities Division, or through the World Bank website. All grievances will be treated confidentially.   For further information on the GRM and how it works, stakeholders can contact Windia Jaunai, the project’s Community Liaison Officer, at grievances.resdp@govt.lc or telephone number 732-0030.