Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, January 25, 2008, (NEMO) - Residents of Paget Farm, Bequia and Dark View will be the first to benefit from the MoSSaiC((Management of Slope Stability in Communities) Landslide Mitigation Project implemented in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2008.

The OECS/MoSSaic Community-Based Landslide Risk Reduction Project is being implemented by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in collaboration with the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) of the OECS Secretariat with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Bristol, United Kingdom.

On site mapping at Dark View and Paget Farm will be conducted this week by a team from the OECS Secretariat and the University of Bristol during their five day visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines commencing on Monday 28th January, 2008. They will also meet with residents of these two communities to discuss plans and implementation of the project.  On Friday 1st February, 2008, the team will meet with officials from the National Emergency Management Organization and the Project Management and Technical Teams to discuss the designs for these two Projects.

The two projects are estimated to cost a total of US$145,000.00 or EC$391,500.00. This will cover expenses related to physical works and labour wage rates.  They are also expected to create jobs in the Dark View and Paget Farm Communities.

The MoSSaic Community-Based Landslide Risk Reduction Programme seeks to reduce landslide risk affecting communities and infrastructure. This is done through collaborative efforts with communities and government agencies to deliver low-cost landslide risk reduction measures and to develop sustainable strategies for slope stability management. The programme is founded and directed by Professor Malcolm Anderson and Dr. Liz Holcombe, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.    

For information, please contact:
National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO)
Ministry of National Security
Old Montrose
Kingstown
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Tel: 784-456-2975
Fax: 784-457-1691