Regional Policy Briefing no.7 Water Resources Management in the Caribbean Protecting fresh and coastal waters and building climate resilience Christopher Cox PhD Programme Director Caribbean Environmental Health Institute 23 rd April 2012 Pointe aux Piments, Mauritius

Presentation outline  Background  Climate change and water resources challenges  Response toward building resilience The IWRM approach Initiatives Lessons learnt Partnerships

About CEHI  CEHI was established by the Governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 1989 to respond to the Environmental Health and Management concerns of its Member States.  Through CARICOM Protocols it is an Institution of the Community  Has 16 Member States  Located in St. Lucia

Status of freshwater resources  Water supply Surface (rivers, springs, ponds) – dominant overall Groundwater – drier islands/karstic environments Desalination - drier, more populous islands Rainwater harvesting – micro-islands; isolated communities  Internal Renewable Water Resources (IRWR) (source: FAO) Antigua & Barbuda – 800 m 3 /capita/yr Bahamas - 66 m 3 /capita/yr Barbados – 301 m 3 /capita/yr Jamaica – 3,651 m 3 /capita/yr  Main demand sectors: Tourism Agriculture Industry Residential Hydroelectricity Jamaica Bahamas Antigua & Barbuda Barbados

Status of freshwater resources  Uneven rainfall distribution, periodic drought conditions;  Infrastructure – high vulnerability to hurricane / flood damage  Poor and aging water distribution and sanitary system networks  Land-based pollution - poor solid and liquid waste management & unsustainable land management  Force to look at alternatives – desalination; rainwater; recycling

Fresh and coastal waters degradation  Pollution - greatest threat to natural environment; impacts long-term socio-economic development  Fresh and coastal waters – receiving environments for pollution.  Primary pollution sources Point sources (industries, sewage treatment plants, marine vessels); Urban non-point runoff (stormwater runoff and combined overflow discharges); Non-urban non-point runoff (farms, livestock pastures); Irrigation return flows (irrigation water return to a lake, stream or canal)

Climate Change and water  CC will force additional stresses  Caribbean climate modeling predictions: changes in patterns of rainfall accumulation and distribution overall trend to less annual rainfall – 25 to 30% reduction more extreme events  Serious implications for water security reduced aquifer recharge rates sea-level rise; saline intrusion storm damage to infrastructure and contamination: landslides, floods  Health impacts Vector proliferation

Water governance issues  Institutional and regulatory frameworks not ideal no unified WRM policy absence of national “apex” bodies Inadequate national water laws Multiple agencies - fragmentation Inadequate data  WR management - typically within realm of water utility operations by statutory authority - dual, conflictive roles  Water not valued as an economic good Low level of priority; Cost recovery challenges

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach  Process of sustainable development, allocation and monitoring of water resource use in the context of social, economic and environmental objectives  IWRM in SIDS must consider both domains of freshwater and coastal waters Other ways of saying; in context of the spatial dimension: Ridge to Reef (R2R) Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas management (IWCAM) White water to Blue Water (WR2BR)  IWRM provides unified management for water services provision and waste water management Waste waters are typically discharge to sea with coastal resource user conflicts  Work supported under GEF-IWCAM Project

Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) Protocol  Cartagena Convention (1986) – protection of Caribbean Sea  LBS Protocol - General Obligations National Planning e.g. EIAs Integrated Coastal Zone & Watershed Management Environmental Monitoring & Assessment  Specific Obligations for Major Pollutants Effluent & Emissions limitations, Time Tables for implementation, & Classification of Recreational Waters Best Management Practices Most Appropriate Technologies  Embodied within the National Plan of Action (NPA)

Progress - National actions  National water policies, strategies developed – highlight climate change as a key driver Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia have policy statements Jamaica advanced toward development of IWRM Plan Trinidad & Tobago WR master planning process underway  Community mobilization in WRM Water conservation  Application of new technologies; water augmentation Ground water exploration in Tobago, St. Lucia Rainwater harvesting – many countries  Land zoning for water supply protection Barbados – 5 zones based on sensitivity; longstanding policy  Water supply and sanitation Rural infrastructure expansion – all countries; variable progress  SUPPORTED BY VARIOUS REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES – PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES

Challenges…lessons being learned  Selling IWRM; concept is vague to most - Climate change provides a good entry point Perceived to be rather academic; tangibles not readily apparent IWRM remains in realm of water and natural resource professionals  One size does not fit all Varying circumstances between countries Geography (water regime), demographics, biodiversity  How does it fit in day-to-day? How does it affect a business bottom-line, what does it matter to communities?  What are the costs to implement? Current national circumstances; can we afford dedicated resources? Resource constraints – limits implementation  Water-land management Land management and administration creates dysfunction re: resource supply side  MOVING FORWARD… Development of national IWRM Plans

Partners in water

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