Montserrat maps a new National Development Strategy

The Government of Montserrat is gathering input from residents and its global diaspora as it prepares to draft a new Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) and National Development Plan (NDP) for the island.

The current effort is intended to outline a 25-year growth plan (2026-2050) for the once-thriving island whose economy and society were upended by a series of major volcanic eruptions between 1995 and 2010.

It’s the latest effort to map a long-term recovery path for Montserrat.

According to a statement by the Government of Montserrat (GoM), the latest effort establishes a comprehensive long-term approach to national development.“It comprises three complementary planning horizons: The Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): A 25-year national vision spanning 2026–2051; five National Development Plans (NDPs): Sequential five-year implementation plans covering 2026–2030, 2031–2035, 2036–2040, 2041–2045, and 2046–2050; and a 15-year Detailed Strategic Evaluation in 2040.”

It also entails “a comprehensive mid-course review to assess progress, validate strategic assumptions, and recommend any necessary adjustments to ensure the Strategy remains relevant and responsive to changing national circumstances.”

As part of the ongoing study leading to the eventual SDS/DNP document, consultations are being held on-island and remotely with Montserrat’s globally dispersed diaspora.

VOLCANIC DISPLACEMENT

Thousands of Montserrat nationals and other residents were evacuated at the height of the volcano catastrophe and relocated mainly in the United Kingdom (Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory -OT), other Caribbean islands, the United States, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere.

The population, estimated at around 13,000 at the start of the eruptive phase of the Soufriere Hills volcano, has been reduced to less than half that, currently numbering around 4,000.

According to the Montserrat government, presently under the United Alliance(UA) led by Premier Reuben Meade, the most recent consultation workshops were held from 13–17 July 2026.

“Over the five-day consultation period, 111 stakeholders contributed their knowledge, expertise, and perspectives to help shape Montserrat’s long-term development agenda. Participants represented a broad cross-section of society, including public servants, private sector organisations, youth, civil society organisations, and members of the Montserratian diaspora from the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and the Middle East.”

The government says following completion of the draft documents, it will launch an extensive programme of public engagement to ensure all residents and stakeholders have an opportunity to review and provide feedback. “The draft Strategy and Plan will be made available through online platforms and will be supported by island-wide public consultations, community meetings, and radio programmes designed to encourage broad national participation.”

The ongoing consultation is being facilitated by the firm Ideas to Business Initiative, in collaboration with the government’s Policy and Planning Division.

“The consultancy has been commissioned to develop a modern, locally driven framework that will guide Montserrat’s socioeconomic transformation into the future,” the government says.

“The new Sustainable Development Strategy and National Development Plan will succeed the Montserrat Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) 2008–2020, providing an updated framework that reflects the island’s current realities, emerging opportunities, and long-term ambitions.”

ASH TO CASH

There have been previous national and sectoral redevelopment strategies beyond the short-term outlook of most political manifestos in the seven elections held on the island since 1996. Montserrat’s Soufriere Hills volcano began erupting in 1995 - 31 years ago -  and continued in a destructive eruptive phase until 2010. During that period of devastation it rendered more than half of the island uninhabitable. Although still rated as active, the intensively monitored volcano has not had an eruptive phase since then. It is now a main tourist attraction in Montserrat - for viewing from safe distances, along with the buried former capital Plymouth and abandoned villages. The natural phenomenon of an active volcano is also a living laboratory for international studies in volcanology and its related fields.

A sand-mining industry has also developed from volcanic material spewed out by the volcano.