ES Program Initiatives

INITIATIVES

For 2026/27, the Environmental Sustainability Programme centres on two District-wide initiatives:

ROOTS FOR RESILIENCE 7030

Restoring Our Mangroves. Protecting Our Caribbean.

Roots for Resilience 7030 is a District-wide mangrove rehabilitation and coastal resilience initiative designed to support the protection and restoration of mangrove ecosystems throughout District 7030.
 
The initiative will mobilize Rotary Clusters, communities, environmental organisations, schools and other partners to rehabilitate degraded mangrove ecosystems while increasing awareness of the important role mangroves play in protecting Caribbean communities.
At the heart of Roots for Resilience is a simple principle:
Restore the ecosystem, not simply plant trees.
Mangrove rehabilitation is site-specific. Clusters should first understand why an ecosystem has become degraded, whether natural regeneration is possible and whether ecological conditions such as water flow need to be restored. Planting should only be undertaken where it is technically and ecologically appropriate.
  • Mangrove and coastal wetland rehabilitation
  • Removal of waste and debris
  • Support for natural mangrove regeneration
  • Restoration of water flow under technical guidance
  • Planting of native mangrove species where scientifically appropriate
  • Community and school education
  • Long-term monitoring and environmental stewardship
  • Mangrove Guardians and Mangrove Learning Stations
Through this approach, Roots for Resilience seeks to strengthen coastal resilience, protect biodiversity and encourage long-term community stewardship rather than one-time environmental action.
 

CLEAN CURRENTS 7030

Protecting Our Waterways. Preserving Our Future.

Clean Currents 7030 is a District-wide watershed management and clean waterway initiative designed to protect and rehabilitate rivers, streams, canals, wetlands, watersheds and other freshwater ecosystems across District 7030.
 
The initiative recognises that repeated clean-ups alone do not address the underlying causes of waterway degradation. Participating clusters are therefore encouraged to identify why pollution, waste accumulation, erosion or ecosystem decline is occurring and to combine direct environmental action with prevention, education and long-term stewardship.
 
The guiding principle is:
Understand the waterway first. Then address the source of the problem.
  • River and stream clean-ups
  • Removal and measurement of solid waste
  • Riverbank and watershed restoration
  • Planting of appropriate native vegetation
  • Wetland rehabilitation
  • Identification and reduction of pollution sources
  • Community waste-management education
  • Citizen science and environmental monitoring
  • Waterway Guardians programmes
  • School and community awareness activities
Clean Currents 7030 is designed to help clusters move beyond simply cleaning waterways and toward understanding the causes of environmental degradation and creating sustainable solutions.
 

Clean Currents 7030 And Community Action For Fresh Water

Clean Currents 7030 also connects District 7030’s local environmental action with Community Action for Fresh Water, a global initiative of Rotary International and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 
Community Action for Fresh Water supports community-led protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and provides opportunities for Rotary members and communities to participate in freshwater conservation, monitoring and citizen science.
 
This global initiative strongly complements Clean Currents 7030 by encouraging communities to understand the condition of their freshwater ecosystems, work with appropriate technical partners, address the causes of environmental degradation and monitor change over time.
 
Clean Currents 7030 also aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, particularly efforts to improve water quality, protect and restore water-related ecosystems and strengthen community participation in water management.
 
Learn more: