The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), officially launched the Resilient Ecosystems through Mangrove Restoration (REMAR) Project during a virtual ceremony held on 11 April 2026.
Valued at €5.5 million, the 5-year initiative represents a major investment in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods across the Eastern Caribbean. The project will support mangrove restoration and long-term ecosystem management in 5 OECS territories: Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique, and Guadeloupe.
Mangroves are among the most valuable coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean. They help protect shorelines from erosion and storm surges, support fisheries and biodiversity, improve water quality, and capture significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, thereby helping to mitigate climate change. However, across the region, mangrove habitats continue to face increasing threats from unsustainable human activity, climate change, hurricanes, flooding, and the growing impacts of sargassum inundation.
Delivering remarks at the launch, OECS Director General, Dr Didacus Jules, described the project as a strategic investment in people, ecosystems, and regional cooperation. “Protecting and restoring mangroves is not simply an environmental choice; it is a development imperative. REMAR is one such model. A model that brings together regional cooperation, local ownership, and strategic partnerships. A model that allows us to learn, adapt, and scale. And a model that positions the OECS not only as a beneficiary of support, but as a driver of solutions,” said Dr Jules.
He further emphasised that the initiative reflects the OECS vision of improving the quality of life of its people through collective action and meaningful development cooperation.
Domenico Ditaranto, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France to the Eastern Caribbean States, to Barbados, and to the OECS, reaffirmed France’s commitment to sustainable development and regional cooperation in the Caribbean. “REMAR is a very iconic project because it embodies regional cooperation that is highly relevant for the Caribbean,” said Ditaranto. “It shows the commitment of France and the value of working together to respond to shared challenges.”
Remarks were also delivered by Quentin Lajus of Agence Française de Développement (AFD), who underscored the importance of joint responses to shared regional challenges, including biodiversity loss, climate change, and coastal vulnerability. He stated: “The challenges that are shared by the region’s states and territories go beyond national borders and require joint, coordinated responses. This is why our partnership with the OECS is so important and why REMAR is such a meaningful initiative.”
The REMAR Project is built around 3 strategic pillars:
- Community-based restoration of degraded mangrove sites
- Improved scientific knowledge and data-sharing on mangrove ecosystems
- Strengthened institutional capacity for ecosystem management and conservation
At the regional level, the OECS Commission will coordinate implementation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support the creation of a regional mangrove and swamp forest network. At the local level, site managers and community stakeholders will lead restoration planning and implementation based on ecological and socio-economic assessments tailored to each territory.
The project is expected to generate long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits, including healthier coastal ecosystems, enhanced livelihoods, stronger community stewardship, and improved regional policy coordination for mangrove protection.
Through REMAR, the OECS Commission, and its partners are reaffirming their commitment to building a more resilient, connected, and sustainable Caribbean, rooted in nature-based solutions and strengthened through regional solidarity.
OECS
