By Lenita Joseph

Chief Transport Officer
Ministry of Infrastructure, Port Services and transport Saint Lucia

Every year, thousands of young persons leave school at secondary or tertiary level, some with aspirations of furthering their education and others with  hopes of finding employment.  The introduction of Universal Secondary Education into the Saint Lucia education system assured that every child would benefit from and derive life skills at least at secondary school level.

The Benefits of Defensive Driving

By Eric Kipps
Road safety Consultant

A comprehensive study of road traffic accidents in the United States and Canada found that human error was the sole cause in 57% of all accidents and was a contributing factor in over90%. In contrast, only 2.4% were due solely to mechanical fault and only 4.7% were caused only by environmental factors (Treat et al., 1977). Over the years, there have been several other related studies in other countries that have reported similar results. These include Industrial Accident Prevention E. G, Heinrich (1959) and Preventable Anesthesia Mishaps: A Study of Human Factors Cooper, Newbower, & McPeek, (1978). In response, there have been a number of intervention strategies developed by reputed researchers and practitioners in the field of road safety, one such strategy is the Defensive Driving Course (DDC) as a means of crash reduction. 

Rainwater Harvesting: Adapting To Climate Change And Improving Water Security Using An Age-old Technique

By Norma Cherry-Fevrier
Programme Officer II

Harvesting rainwater is an ancient technique now being promoted as a climate change adaptation option to reduce vulnerability and contribute to building resilience in the water sector and increase water security overall.  While many Caribbean territories have had an abundance of surface water, with increased development and population growth, the demend for water is also inceasing. Additionally, climate variability and changes in the hydrological cycle water is also increasing. Additionally, climate variability and changes in the hydrological cycle driven by climate change are occurring; rainfall patterns are changing and longer dry periods are being experienced.  Many water sources have either dried up or their yields have significantly reduced.  Coupled with this is an increasing water demand.