Industry News - Caribbean states agree to address water security, climate change in region

Source : BBC Monitoring Americas
Date : 2012-10-12 

Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website

Nassau, Bahamas, 11 October: A commitment has been made for all efforts to be made in addressing water security and climate change in the region. This came from regional Government Ministers who are responsible for water resources management.

The Ministers made the commitment at the recently concluded 8th Annual High Level Session Ministerial forum in the Bahamas. Critical to the declaration signed by the Ministers at the Forum was their recognition that high level political leadership is key for meeting water security and climate change challenges faced by Caribbean countries. This along with other recommendations to recognise the importance of building a water secure Caribbean, were sanctioned by the Ministers from The Bahamas, Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts-Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Also deemed imperative by the Ministers was that Caribbean governments in collaboration with regional partners should conduct national assessments on the status of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) implementation in the Caribbean and keep the implementation of IWRM under continuous review. The officials gave their perspectives on national and regional priorities for water security in the Caribbean; they also discussed regional water resource coordination at the Ministerial level. Some of the main issues brought to the fore in their discussions were the need for greater focus on IWRM; disaster risk reduction; closer integration of the water sector with other sectors; access to water; water tariffs; the need for more water experts in the region; raising water conservation consciousness at the national and regional level;

The Ministers through their discussions agreed on seven critical concerns towards achieving national and regional water security. These areas include water as a national development issue; Integrated Water Resources Management ;climate change and water; wastewater; regional cooperation; capacity building; and public awareness. The recommendations coming out of the 8th HLS were signed on October 5th.The Forum is a joint initiative of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner, the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA).

Originally published by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website, Bridgetown, in English 0120 12 Oct 12.

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