Project Description: Palm Island

Climate change has resulted in sea level rise, increasing storm intensity, and frequency at Tamarind Beach, Palm Island in the Grenadines. This has severely impacted the risk of beach/shoreline recession at Palm Island, which has resulted in property damage at some of the lots. In response to this threat, BME- International was contracted to produce a Conceptual Coastal Engineering Memo and Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The objectives were to recommend feasible design concepts that would reduce the risk of storm-related property damage and to recommend minimum setbacks to ensure that buildings do not pose a risk to either the stability of the beach or the integrity of the foundations of permanent structures. The Design Memo evaluated the vulnerability of the coastal strip and conceptualized a range of feasible design options to reduce the risks. The preliminary EIA Report described each option in plain language, presenting an analysis of alternatives given specific decision criteria (cost-effectiveness, longevity/sustainability and environmental considerations) and the relevant permitting framework. Using site investigations and available literature, the report described the baseline condition of valued environmental components and outlined potential environmental impacts that could result from implementation of the proposed design options.

A Review Memo was produced after the passage of Hurricane Beryl (July 2024). This Memo reviewed the 2023 recommendations, as observational/survey information on the flood damage to buildings, sand ingress and newly available Lidar elevation data allowed for better predictions to be made. After reviewing new evidence, strong recommendations were made to guide better investment decisions about the replacement of existing structures and the design and placement of new buildings.