Prime Minister Mia Mottley has grown a strong reputation on the international stage on matters of climate and environmental issues. She is wined and dined, given standing ovations at COP summits, and regarded as the voice of small island states concerned with rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. Truth be told the Barbados brand has penetrated previously unknown spaces because of Mottley. However, the recent flood at Charles Rowe Bridge, St. George has given us a good reason to pause.
Retired engineer Andrew Hutchinson, in a letter to the editor of the Nation newspaper last Friday (November 21, 2025), explained decisions could have been taken to mitigate the disaster – and lost of life – but there is a lack of political will to address the problem of flooding.
Development plans must factor in flooding
Barbados has experienced flooding through the years with some of the more notable events being the Jordan Flood (1901), Constitution River (1949), Constitution River (October 2, 1970), Weston Flood (1995), Woodbourne ( Tomas 2010) and several events at Holetown and Speightstown.
All these events were associated with heavy precipitation from tropical systems coming off the Atlantic, mainly during October and November.
On November 16, an Atlantic system deposited between eight and nine inches in 24 hours, mainly on the central and northern areas, resulting in the flood event at Charles Rowe Bridge and the unfortunate death on one person. This has generated much discussion on social media with little technical content.
I am therefore writing to provide some technical content on the event of November 16 and offer recommendations for remedial works necessary to mitigate a recurrence.
A look at the topographical map of the island will indicate that there are five gullies that converge on Charles Rowe Bridge (see plan) just north of the Chefette Restaurant. These gullies have a collective watershed of 2 765 acres to the north of Charles Rowe Bridge that include the communities at Airy Hill, Rowans Development, Flat Rock, Rowans Park, Thorpes, Walkers, Gun Hill, Valley, Newbury, Glebe, Bridge Cot, Bournes Village, Locust Hall and other areas of active and inactive farmland.
Utilising published rainfall data on Barbados, the event of November 16 can generally be categorised as having a recurrence interval of one in 15 years or a seven per cent chance of occurrence in any year. It appears that the cloud mass delivered rainfall across the whole watershed at the same time, producing the maximum effect. This is not often the case as storm patterns may only cover a part of the watershed.
While the gully systems provide natural drainage of the land mass, the continued development of land without appropriate drainage mitigation measures will result in events like that on November 16, at several locations.
Contrary to the popular opinion, the solution does not lie with the use of more suck wells as these cannot dispose of large run-off volumes associated with extreme storm events. The most effective mitigation measures require the construction of small check dams at intervals in the gullies to retain the run-off and provide storage and attenuation of the peak flow.
This method utilises the existing storage capacity of the gully for attenuation, with the added benefit of recharging the aquifers. Prior to the construction of check dams, a digital hydrological model should be prepared to confirm the efficiency of the proposed check dams – this technology exists and should be used.
It is imperative that we prioritise this matter to minimise future flooding of communities by extreme rainfall events. The economic impact of these flood events is not insignificant and our development plans must incorporate the necessary mitigation measures.
Andrew Hutchinson – engineerSource: Nation
Here is the dichotomy: Prime Minister Mottley does well as a global ambassador for climate justice, however, on the domestic front not so good. It is not enough to speak eloquently in New York, Scotland or Dubai if, drains, gullies in St. George remain clogged and there is a reluctance to address systemic issues of flooding in Barbados caused by random use of our land space..
Also there is the point made repeatedly in this space and posited by BU family member Bush Tea recently. Barbados voices committment to the transition from internal combustion engines to electric and hybrid vehicles. Yet a huge percentage of the charging energy is drawn from the national grid, itself powered largely by fossil fuels.
For example, the ‘plan’ to convert to ‘more efficient’ electric and hybrid vehicles has been YET ANOTHER MESS UP.vReduced taxes and other incentives have led to THOUSANDS of additional vehicles being imported… with NO PLAN for the many thousands of gas vehicles ALREADY here. The national fuel bill has INCREASED! Car loans have EXPLODED! Traffic jams are ROUTINE! WHY…?? 1 – ‘electric’ vehicles largely use electricity that is generated by FOSSIL FUEL at the electric company. 2 – Car loans are about the MOST UNPRODUCTIVE forms of debt imaginable for citizens, and for the country as a whole. ONLY the importers (and tax collectors) benefit. 3 – When owners change to electric / hybrid, their old gasoline cars are sold cheaply to others, who would otherwise have used mass transport, or shared a ride…read Bush Tea’s full comment HERE.
Mottley continues to receive international acclaim for her climate advocacy work but domestically there is ‘alotta’ room for improvement. Barbadians have to navigate the potholes made worse because of flooding and an inadequate national grid mired in regulatory bureaucratic BS .
The dichotomy remains – Mia Mottley with her well earned reputation as a climate ambassador abroad, yet questions persist about her focus at home.
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15 responses to “Mottley’s contradiction”
Pachamama
The limitations internal to Barbados must mean that there is only so much any government could do. A contradiction is, for example, that Athens was a daily small place but birthed a millennia old ‘civilization’.
But it’s irrational to presuppose that any PM of Barbados must be eternally limited to the equations of a small state. How would it ever be possible to understand a singularity without comprehending the totality.
Why must it be impossible to both exist within small island metrics and the orders of magnitude of the entire world, the universes, if you will!
We’ve alway found that those who consistently assert that the local and the local alone must always represent the only reality are as delusional now as they were when that same mindset insisted that the earth was flat.
COP IS DEAD & THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER IS APT SYMBOLOGY OF DEAD MEN WALKING – NOT KNOWING THAT THEY ARE IN RIGOR-MORTIS
More “FLUFF” – no real meaning!!!
#ClimateChange according to #ClimatologicalScience is a “GLOBAL SCAM”!!!
We don’t need an exegesis on “ANTHROPOMORPHISMS” but rather the “SCIENCE” of a world “BURIED” in the “ESCHATOLOGICAL PRESCIENCE” of a “DYING WORLD” based on the “ANSWERS IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS”!!!
MOTTLEY & CO ARE “DECEIVERS” – “LIARS OF THE WORST KIND”: #AntichristShills who are “DECEIVED” & continue 2 “DECEIVE” those “FOOLS” who drink in copious amounts of their “FILTHY, TOXIC, ALCHEMIC DRIVEL”!!!
CLIMATE CHANGE OR A DYING EARTH AS IT GROANS FROM THE DEVILISH DELIVERANCE THAT HAS HOGTIED IT FOR ALMOST 6000 YEARS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE & THE STINKING CORRUPTION, SIN & WICKEDNESS OF MEN UPON MOTHER EARTH???
#ImplosionIsComing 4 #YeshuaHimself has buried deep within “NATURE” the “APOCALYPTIC EXPLOSIVES” needed to fulfil the words of “PROPHECY” seen in (2 Peter 3:10), “But the “DAY OF THE LORD” will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat…”
THAT DAY IS HASTENING ON APACE
#StayTuned
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No songs allowed
2 camps argue Pro-Trump vs Anti-Trump now 2 more camps argue making 4 camps that argue Pro-Mottley Vs Anti-Mottley, which camp are you when it comes to God’s Climate Changes issues and tissues
No songs allowed
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Enuff
The blogmaster keeps writing without research. In this instance, a read of the Stormwater Management Act passed in April and June 2025 in the House and Senate respectively would have been a good starting point.
How does this 2024 Act address Andrew Hutchinson’s concerns about several water courses converging at Charles Rowe Bridge? The blogmaster is always willing to learn.
@ David
Lawyers ALL seem to think that complex matters can be addressed by ‘passing some shiite act’…
But Hutchinson gave the reason for the lack of action…
Engineers can only give advice, our politicians hold the purse strings, and we know that they only run talk and make promises – except where their political donors are involved.
Anything else outside of their re-election agenda gets left out…
What is needed is a situation where policy is made and implemented by engineer-types… As is the case with China for example.
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John2
“The most effective mitigation measures require the construction of small check dams at intervals in the gullies to retain the run-off and provide storage and attenuation of the peak flow.
This method utilises the existing storage capacity of the gully for attenuation, with the added benefit of recharging the aquifers”
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This method was suggested here on BU a few years ago to recharge the aquifers with the added benefit of reducing flooding down stream.
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NorthernObserver
@enuff
Interested to know WHY a read of the said Act would be of benefit?
Herein, the Chief Technical officer is referenced some 42 times, who along with her two Deputies, Operations and Projects, have a broad swath of responsibilities.
What would seem more relevant, than the Act itself, would be the plans and accomplishments of the Drainage Unit within the Ministry?
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Pachamama
Bushie
While we agree and have long argued that the engineers have given far better leadership that the lawyer-politicians in many cases.
In the case of Barbados we’re less sure this will hold. For it seems that the culture of the former has totally infected the latter, maybe everybody else toooo.
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Bush Tea
@ Pacha
Well spotted.
But remember that Brassbados is SPECIALLY CURSED with brassbowlery… even engineers, community workers and the spiritually blessed have been smitten.
LOL
Were it not for that ‘adoption exception’, Bushie’s donkey would have been similarly smitten… perhaps exceptionally so… LOL
As you (must) know, Bushie was speaking generally – and used the China example to emphasize the generality.
To your point, the few engineers in parliament in Brassbados have so far, been an embarrassment to engineering. From the Sewerage system mess to the ridiculous Sutherland housing scams – and now we are hearing of another so-called engineer seeking admission…
Has the cancer equipment at QEH been finally completed…?
Steupsss…
Barbados is so screwed, that the ‘engineers’ bout here seem to model themselves after the money-hungry, albino-centric lawyers…
What a place…!
From SPECIALLY BLESSED, …to spectacularly cursed.
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Enuff
David + Northern
The Stormwater Management Act has everything to do with Mr.Hutchinson’s article after all it says “Development Plans must factor in flooding”. Go read the Physical Development Plan and the Stormwater Management Act and see if you find the relevance. Note Mr.Hutchinson’s point about suckwells. Northern’s point about what the Drainage Unit does is another clear example of people talking for talking sake. Clearly, the BUI is clueless about stormwater management but always quick to call others incompetent and more than likely live in big able houses that aiding and abetting the problem. SMFH.
Our inability to deal with flooding is only rivaled by our 50 year struggle to regulate the PSV sector efficiently.
We pray for your government’s success.
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Bush Tea
So the problem has been solved by the stormwater management act?
The lotta recent flooding then was a figment of our collective imaginations… !!
LOL ha ha ha
As Bushie said already…
Lawyers ALL seem to think that complex matters can be addressed by ‘passing some shiite act’…
@Enuff
RESULTS ARE WHAT COUNTS.
Not shiite talk, or ill-conceived Bills (cause ‘ACT’ tends to suggest that something was ACTUALLY DONE…)
Tell us about some RESULTS –
About where South Coast sewerage has been going…
About how the PM’s PROMISED HOPE report is progressing
About the FINANCIAL STATUS at Four Seasons
About the transport quagmire, the energy mess, the housing shortage, the land gifts to squatters….
Which Bills are we to read…?
What a place!!
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