There’s a lot at stake.
From cultural traditions to sea turtle nests, these luxury foreign resorts threaten everything about Barbuda.
Local Governance
These developments directly undermine the land rights and self-determination of local Barbudans, who have communally owned this land together ever since the abolition of slavery over 100 years ago.
Human Rights
UN experts have expressed “deep concerns regarding the potential impacts of the Barbuda Ocean Club Project on human rights, including the rights to food, water and sanitation, housing, and a healthy environment, as well as cultural rights.”
Ecological Systems
On Barbuda, there’s no people without the land, and no land without the people. Barbudan life and culture centers on the land, and throughout history, Barbudans have kept the land safe and sustainable. These land grabs change everything.
Protected Wetlands
Since 2005, Codrington Lagoon National Park has been recognized as a Wetland of International Importance with protection under the RAMSAR Convention. Today, PLH is building 400 luxury villages and a golf course right on top of it.
Flora and Fauna
The construction could interfere with the lives and habitats of diverse species, including critically endangered turtles, the red-footed tortoise, fallow deer, the Barbudan warbler, the endangered West Indian Whistling Duck, and the largest colony of the Magnificent Frigate Bird in the western hemisphere.
Increasing Exposure to Climate Change
The construction also threatens Barbuda’s protection from severe weather events, as changes to the coastline remove natural defences against hurricanes and other severe climate change events.
Surf
The Barbuda Ocean Club’s construction threatens Barbuda’s natural coastline and wave quality, including the world-class Palmetto Point wave, a highly-delicate sand pointbreak that could vanish if the coastal morphology is interfered with.