Collaborative social accountability initiative launched to support biodiversity conservation in SVG
An important step towards reshaping natural resource governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was taken recently when representatives from civil society and government agencies gathered in Arnos Vale for the inaugural Collaborative Social Accountability Compact Meeting for Biodiversity Conservation. This meeting marked the beginning of a bold effort to pilot a model that aims to improve governance, strengthen accountability, foster transparency, and create opportunities for communities to actively engage in biodiversity conservation decision-making.
Traditionally used in sectors like health and education, collaborative social accountability (CSA) is a people-centred approach that focuses on improving governance, accountability, and community participation. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, stakeholders are looking to use CSA methodologies and tools to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships for biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation, ensuring local communities play an active role in shaping and overseeing decisions that impact the environment.
Convened last month by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), in its role as the Regional Implementation Team for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund’s (CEPF) second investment in the Caribbean Islands Biodiversity Hotspot (2021–2027), the day-long meeting brought together representatives from civil society and the public sector who examined pressing conservation issues and explored how CSA tools can turn community concerns into action-oriented local solutions.
After careful consideration and examination of pressing national environmental and conservation issues, stakeholders selected Chatham Bay, Union Island as the pilot site for CSA implementation. Chatham Bay is one of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ globally significant Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), recognised for its coral reefs, mangroves, and critical habitat for threatened and endemic species. Among its most iconic residents is the Union Island gecko (Gonatodes daudini)—a critically endangered species found only on the slopes above the bay and nowhere else on Earth. Despite its national and international significance, the site does not yet enjoy protected area status, and it faces pressures from tourism, unsustainable land use, and climate-related events such as hurricanes. Stakeholders agreed that applying CSA tools in Chatham Bay offers a timely opportunity to test how inclusive, transparent, and participatory approaches can be used to address environmental threats, strengthen accountability, and foster more effective stewardship of natural resources.
The meeting also highlighted the urgent need to revitalise the civil society ecosystem in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which was once vibrant but has declined in recent years. Participants expressed hope that the CSA process could help restore CSO capacity and build lasting partnerships with government entities.
Laura Stephens-Dublin, Chair of the Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN), emphasised the importance of creating more spaces to foster communities of practice. “We all have a very important role to play in biodiversity conservation, and civil society is at the frontline of it all,” she noted. Established in June 2024 through the UWI Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), the CCRN benefits from additional support for capacity building through a CEPF small grant implemented by JEMS Environmental Services.
Looking ahead, CANARI will work alongside a national working group to lead the next steps in rolling out the Chatham Bay pilot and facilitating further CSA stakeholder engagement and capacity building with the aim of embedding these practices into broader environmental governance systems in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
