GEF Antigua and Barbuda

The island state of Antigua and Barbuda, which includes several small nearshore islands and the uninhabited island of Redonda 40 km south west of Antigua, is situated in the eastern arc of the Leeward Islands, in the Caribbean. The islands are the emergent parts of the Barbuda bank, which is one of the largest sub-marine platforms in the Eastern Caribbean (spanning 3,400 sq. km) with water depths ranging from 27 to 33 m. The islands themselves cover a total land area 440 sq. km, and are generally low lying, surrounded by white sand beaches, wetlands and mangroves, shallow water coral reefs and seagrass beds. Antigua occupies an area of 280 sq. km while Barbuda is approximately two thirds this size occupying 160 sq. km and Redonda is 1.3 sq. km.

Antigua has three distinct geological zones that traverse the island diagonally (northwest to southeast): the hilly volcanic region in the south west, the flat central plains, and the limestone hills and valleys in the north east. The highest topographical point on Antigua is Boggy Peak in the south west with a maximum alti¬tude of 405 m. Barbuda is flatter by comparison with a maximum altitude of 40 m and average elevation of 4 m above sea level. The island is entirely formed from coralline limestone and there are three geological zones: the Highlands Limestone region, the Codrington Limestone region, and the Palmetto Point Series, which overlays the other formations in coastal areas. Redonda, by comparison is a steep sided basaltic island that rises directly to nearly 300 m above sea level.

The islands are subject to a tropical maritime climate with alternating periods of drought and periods of heavy rains that coincide with the tropical hurricane season. The islands are in the path of the north-east Trade Winds and fairly steady winds blow off the Atlantic from the NE to the SE. The dry cool season occurs between January to April and wet season between September to November when wind speeds are generally lower. While the variation in daily or seasonal air temperatures and humidity is relatively small, precipitation can be highly variable, and these islands often experience severe droughts (approximately every 5-10 years).

Rainfall on Antigua is 1050 mm per annum on average and tends to be lower in the flatter eastern and northern regions and higher in the mountainous south west. Barbuda is drier than Antigua with annual average precipitation of 750 to 900 mm. Most rainfall is received in short intense showers much of which simply runs off the islands.

A survey of the world’s biodiversity hotspots identified the Caribbean region as one of the highest priorities in any global strategy for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. The Caribbean islands are recognised for their high levels of endemism and intense species packing per unit area combined with a high degree of threat, and should therefore be considered high-priority biodiversity hotspots that deserve immediate attention from the global community. In another recent study the Lesser Antilles was recognized as a distinct ecoregion and ranked highest priority in need of conservation status (most threatened).

Furthermore, the Lesser Antilles ranks seventeenth on Birdlife International’s Critical Priority Areas for Global Conservation. The unique biodiversity of these islands is due to their geographic isolation and environmental conditions, and as the largest of all the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda should be further prioritized for protection. In support of this the Leeward dry forests of Antigua and Barbuda have been recognised as regionally important, the Leeward xeric scrub as outstanding, and the mangroves as significant. Moreover all have been designated as being at critical risk.

The islands support a wide range of globally important terrestrial and marine habitats including lowland tropical forests, xeric formations and montane forests, sand beaches, mangrove forests, lagoons, sea grass beds, coral reefs, etc. and these critical habitats all support a wide variety of other species (as both breeding, feeding and nursery grounds).

However, despite the globally significant biodiversity, at present the majority of Antigua and Barbuda’s critical habitats remain without protection. There is only one fully designated terrestrial protected area in Antigua and Barbuda (Nelsons Dockyard National Park under the National Parks Act of 1984), although there is a preliminary list of 8 proposed terrestrial sites (see Annex 1). There are two marine parks, one on each of the main islands. Diamond Reef Marine Park (2000 ha) was established off the northwest coast of Antigua in 1973, and Palaster Reef Marine Park (500 ha) is located off the southern tip of Barbuda. Neither of these areas is presently administered or managed as a protected area. A fairly significant marine reserve has been proposed and approved to the south of Antigua at Cades Reef but assistance is needed to finalise the zoning and management plan. Another larger marine reserve is planned for the northeast coast and offshore islands, which supports a number of endemic species and is under tourist pressure. More recently, Codrington Lagoon in Barbuda has been designated as a National Park.