IAMovement, a non-profit organization founded in 2014, has been awarded for using vetiver grass as an eco-friendly solution. It was the only Caribbean country among the winners of the IDB Superheroes of Development contest.

The initiative uses a nature-based solution to protect communities in Trinidad and Tobago from mudslides, soil erosion and flooding.

“Every year, erosion, mudslides, and floods inflict considerable social, financial, and environmental damage on communities. In past decades, a nature-based solution was used to protect Trinidad and Tobago from these disasters: vetiver. This species of bunchgrass sends down roots as deep as three meters into the soil, preventing erosion, mudslides, and floods. The project rediscovered this effective method, enabling a new generation of resilience,” the IDB said about the project in announcing the winners on Thursday.

The Superheroes of Development contest, now in its fifth year, rewards creative and innovative solutions used in development projects financed by the IDB, IDB Invest, and IDB Lab (IDB Group) in Latin America and the Caribbean …