Community Assets & Livelihoods

Asset-based community development begins with a simple but often overlooked truth: communities are not empty vessels waiting to be filled—they are already rich. Too often, value is measured only in financial terms, leaving vast reserves of “dead capital,” as described by Hernando de Soto, unseen and underutilized. Yet within every place lies a living network of assets: culture, history, land, ecosystems, knowledge, relationships, creativity, and identity.

In Carriacou and Petite Martinique, this way of thinking reveals the real value of ecosystem goods and services—the reefs that sustain fishing, the dry forests that protect water, and the cultural landscapes that hold memory and identity. When these are understood as living systems with limits, communities can better steward their use, balancing livelihoods with the protection and regeneration of habitats. Geotourism and Education Travel then become practical tools—bringing visitors who come to learn, respect, and contribute—helping to sustain both the environment and the cultural life that defines the islands.