The Caribbean island nation of Dominica has launched a comprehensive update of management frameworks for two of its most ecologically critical protected areas: Morne Trois Pitons National Park and Morne Diablotin National Park. The entire review and revision process is scheduled to take approximately nine months to complete, with the private environmental consultancy Environment Direct Consulting Inc. leading the initiative.
The core goal of this project is to align the current management governance of the island’s protected lands with 21st-century national priorities, balancing robust conservation targets with the country’s broader social and economic development goals. Dr. Camille David, leading the project on behalf of Environment Direct Consulting, emphasized that the Dominican government has formally recognized these protected natural areas as irreplaceable strategic national assets.
Dr. David highlighted the outsized ecological importance of the parks, which serve as the island’s primary watersheds, host globally significant endemic biodiversity, and sustain a wide range of critical ecosystem services that support both local communities and national economic activity. He further noted that any updated management plan must intentionally integrate sustainable tourism development alongside protection of these fragile ecological systems, ensuring the parks deliver both environmental and economic value to the nation.
To build a collaborative, inclusive plan, a national stakeholder consultation was held earlier the same day at the island’s Fisheries Complex, giving civil society groups, local community representatives, government agencies, tourism operators and conservation advocates an early opportunity to share their perspectives and priorities for the revised plans. Dr. David explained that the entire revision process will center input from this diverse cross-section of stakeholders, a deliberate approach designed to ensure the final documents are practical, all-encompassing, and directly responsive to the unique needs of Dominica.
Over the nine-month timeline, the consulting team will conduct a deep review of multiple dimensions of current park management, addressing gaps and updating protocols to create plans that deliver on both conservation commitments and tangible contributions to Dominica’s national development strategy.