One year since work began on the stabilization of the river bank in the Anse La Raye community in Saint Lucia, New Zealand High Commissioner H.E. Jan Henderson paid a visit to the site which has seen a marked difference in flooding incidents.
The Grande Rivière river, which flows through the coastal village to the sea, would frequently overflow its banks during bouts of heavy rainfall causing severe flooding in the bordering infant school and the Anse La Raye community on a whole.
“I was here a year ago and the [infant] school was flooded. The water was coming down the river and, when there are big rains, it would flood this community. The local authorities were looking to build this flood protection wall and we were delighted to assist. I’ve come back a year later and I am just so pleased to see that it is up and that it is strong,” Ambassador Henderson said.
The New Zealand High Commissioner was also pleased to receive hopeful reports from community members that recent rains and heavy river flows went straight out to sea and did not result in further flooding.