Earlier this month, agencies in Dominica began work on a project to develop a national soil map:

The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR)/Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP) under the Ministry of Health and Environment, held the inaugural mission for the commencement of the national soils survey and mapping sub-project. The Soils Survey Technical Working Group guided by the Consultant Dr. Stephen Dadio and comprised of representatives from the PCU, Division of Agriculture, DOWASCO, Physical Planning Division, Office of Disaster Management, Lands and Surveys Division, and the Ministry of Public Works and Ports, ably supported the successful outcome of the mission.

The mission was held from 8th – 12th January 2018 and entailed data review of existing soils data for the Commonwealth of Dominica. … As part of the activities, the team visited various sites island wide observing soil types and collecting representative soil samples for rapid testing.

The eventual outcome under this sub-project will be the identification of soil types, characteristics and properties to inform decisions in relation to agriculture (suitability of soil types to various crops); construction (civil and structural engineering purposes); land use planning and water and natural resources management. These key inputs are necessary for assessing watershed behaviour, soil erosion, land use suitability and risk analysis, particularly with respect to land slip potential which ultimately provide data to guide long and short-term development and investment decisions.

See the full media release at Dominica Vibes.

[Image via Dominica Vibes]