Cawasa e source newsletter - 3rd Quarter 2014

July-December 2014Caribbean Water and Sewage Association Inc.
Eleven Ministers committed to better sell Water to their Cabinets
Bahamas hosted largest gathering ever of Caribbean Water Ministers!
The 10th Annual High Level Fo-
rum (HLF) hosted by the Caribbean
Water and Wastewater Association
(CWWA) and the Global Water Part-
nership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in col-
laboration with the Global Environ-
ment Facility's Caribbean Regional
Fund for Wastewater Management
(GEF-CReW) on October 9th and
10th, 2014 in The Bahamas, saw the
largest showing of Caribbean Water
Ministers in the Forum's history.
Eleven (11) Caribbean Ministers
with responsibility for water re-
sources management attended the
10th HLF. They included the host
Minister, The Honourable Philip E.
Brave Davis, Deputy Prime Minis-
ter and Minister of Works and Ur-
ban Development of The Bahamas;
The Honourable Evan Gumbs,
Caribbean Water Ministers are seen here at the 10th Annual High Level Forum (HLF) hosted by the CWWA and the
(GWP-C) in collaboration with the GEF-CReW on October 9th and 10th, 2014 in the Bahamas
The year 2014 closes with much
optimism for 2015 and beyond.
It’s been a year in which Water
has been discussed and analyzed
at the highest levels and regional
Water entities have gone out of
their way to put issues squarely
on the table, most professing to be
ready to take those steps today to
ensure a better future for Carib-
bean Water tomorrow.
One such regional entity living
up to its commitment to Water is
the Caribbean development bank
(CDB), which on November 27th
and 28th, hosted Chief Executive
Officers (CEOs) from 16 regional
public and private sector water
utility companies in Barbados for
a special Caribbean Water Utility
Reform Workshop.
The meeting -- hosted by the
CDB in collaboration with the
World Bank Group, the Carib-
bean Regional Fund for Waste-
water Management (CReW) and
the Caribbean Water and Sew-
erage Association (CAWASA)
– was also attended by CAWA-
SA’s new Executive Director Ig-
natius Jean.
CDB hosted Caribbean Water Leaders in Barbados
CAWASA Directors and fellow CEOs of Caribbean water utilities met, talked and decided on
several matters pertinent to the preservation and conservation of the region’s water resources.
CAWASA Executive Director Ignatius Jean (second from left) along with CAWASA Directors and fellow Caribbean water
CEOs gathered in Barbados at the end of November to discuss challenges and opportunities facing regional water agencies
and communities. CAWASA’s 2014 Annual General Meeting was also held at the same venue
The Barbados meeting examined a
2012 Caribbean Millennium Develop-
ment Goals (MDGs) Report, which
found that Caribbean countries had
made consistent progress in expand-
ing the coverage of drinking water
services. However, it was also found
that a high level of access to improved
water and sanitation services did not
mean consistently good or reliable
service, because the financing re-
quired was limited.
“The region has done well. How-
ever, we have some ground to cover
to increase and maintain access and
quality,” said Edward Green, Divi-
sion Chief at the CDB’s Technical Co-
operation Division.
The CDB itself has contributed sig-
nificantly over the year to Water De-
velopment across the region. Since
2005, it has funded the installation
and upgrade of more than 3,400 kilo-
metres of water lines, affording over
63,000 households (200,000 peo-
ple) in the region with access to a
clean water supply and improved
sanitation.
In 2013, the bank provided fund-
ing of US$3.2 million in funding
for water and sanitation projects,
while US$4.7 million in grants
through the Basic Needs Trust
Fund (BNTF) were directed to
providing water supply systems
for vulnerable groups.
Minister of Infrastructure, Communica-
tions, Utilities and Housing of Anguil-
la; The Honourable Sharon Ramclam,
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources
and Agriculture of Belize; The Hon-
ourable Reginald Austrie; Minister of
Lands, Housing, Settlements and
Water Resource Management of
Continued on page 10
In this Issue
Editorial and Secretariat News Page 2
Regional Rainwater Harvesting Forum Pages 3
Caribbean attends German Water-loss Forum Page
Meet the new CAWASA Executive Director Pages 6 and 7
Engaging the Media for Change Page8
Member Utility News - Page 9
EU Helping Water Company Page 10
World Water and Children Back Page

e-SourcePage 2 July-December 2014
CAWASA Secretariat News
The Secretariat participated in a num-
ber of activities involving strategic
partners in the region, including Carib-
DA, CDB, CWWA, CEHI/CARPHA,
GWP-C, GIZ and CARILEC. A sum-
mary of each follows:
CaribDA
CAWASA collaborated with the
CaribDA by facilitating a pre-confer-
ence Workshop on “Disinfection Solu-
tions” at the CaribDA 2014 Conference
which was held in St Thomas, June 23-
26, 2014. Invitations were sent out to
member utilities but only one was able
to attend.
The workshop was facilitated by Mr.
David Benny, consultant engineer and
Head of Research & Development at
WASA, Trinidad and the moderator
and co-chair was Mr William Anderson
of CaribDA.
CAWASA pursued several 2014 Strategic Partnerships
The Executive Director represented CA-
WASA at the pre-conference workshop
and CaribDA Conference. The network-
ing sessions allowed for the Executive Di-
rector to become acquainted with utility
leaders and suppliers.
Global Water Partnership-
Caribbean (GWP-C)
President Bernard Ettinoffe represented
CAWASA at the Annual General Meeting
of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean
Chapter held in Trinidad on June 29. The
President also attended the Integrated Ur-
ban Water Management Workshop and
GWP’s Consulting Partners meeting from
26-28 June 2014.
Caribbean Water & Wastewater
Association (CWWA)
The Executive Director represented
the CAWASA Secretariat at the Annual
Conference and Exhibition of the Carib-
bean Water and Wastewater Association
(CWWA) held in the Bahamas from Octo-
ber 6-11.
The Executive Director also attended the
Annual General Meeting of the CWWA
and the CAWASA Secretariat also had an
opportunity to promote the ABC Certifi-
cation Progammes to operators of The Ba-
hamas Water and Sewerage Corporation
(BWSC) and operators from the private
sector.
Global Water Operators
Partnership Alliance (GWOPA)
CAWASA collaborated with GWOPA to
facilitate a CariWOP workshop on Disas-
ter Management.
As the head of the Secretariat for Cari-
WOP, the Executive Director assisted in
arranging the workshop on Disaster Man-
agement and the 2nd CariWOP Steering
Committee Meeting which were held dur-
ing the CWWA 23rd Annual Confer-
ence held in the Bahamas on October
6-11.
German International
Development Agency (GIZ)
The Secretariat collaborated with the
GIZ in coordinating the participation
of operators in a Workshop on Water
Loss Reduction held in Germany Octo-
ber 13-16, 2014.
Seven operators from five member
utilities participated. They came from
Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St
Kitts and St Vincent & the Grenadines.
IMS Business Consultancy
The Secretariat collaborated with
the IMS Business Consultancy in or-
ganizing an Inventory Management
Workshop in St Lucia in October 2014.
Seventeen participants attended the
workshop.
During the 2014 Financial Year, the Secretariat conducted an Operators Certi-
fication Seminar for Hotel Operators and other companies with internal water
systems. The facilitators were Irwin Gill from Irwin Gill Training & Consultancy
of Trinidad & Tobago and Alphonsus Daniel from Daniel & Daniel Engineering
in Grenada.
Training for Hotel Water Operators
The new Executive Director Mr Ignatius Jean attended several conferences
since his appointment in July. They included the CARIBDA Conference in St
Thomas in June, followed by the Water Sector Review Validation Workshop in
July in Barbados.
He also attended The Water Expo in Miami in September, then the Caribbean
Water and Waste Water Association’s annual conference in The Bahamas and
the CARPHA/UNEP – CReW Rainwater Harvesting Workshop in Saint Lucia
in October.
Several Conferences Attended
Summary of Examinations Results – March 2014
Operator/Analyst Certification
Country No of Candidates
Barbados 1
Cayman Islands 6
Dominica 1
St Lucia 1
Trinidad & Tobago 8
Total 17
Summary of Examinations Results: June 2014
Country No of Candidates
Dominica 2
Grenada 15
St Lucia 15
St Vincent & the Grenadines 13
Trinidad & Tobago 8
Total 53
There was no examination this year for the Alternative Certification Pro-
gramme. However, Anguilla and Montserrat have shown interest and it is an-
ticipated that this activity will be undertaken during the last quarter of the next
financial year (2015).
Alternative Certification
Program Planning
Water is certainly going places these days.
There can be no doubt that the world’s
most precious and popular liquid is gain-
ing more attention now at higher and wider
Caribbean levels than ever before. Indeed,
water is flowing. People are talking about
it, communities are better understanding
why to save it, entire countries are waking
up to the need to protect and preserve its
sources. At national levels, new regulations
are being implemented and governments
are adopting more programs supporting
biodiversity and more protected areas are
being declared. And now, more Caribbean
Governments (than ever before) are saying
they will not only join the water conversa-
tion, but will also give it a higher place on
their national and regional Cabinet and
CARICOM agendas.
The High Level Forum (HLF) of Carib-
bean Ministers of Water in the Bahamas in
October saw ministers and Caribbean water
stakeholders sit and find common ground
to jointly push the region’s water cause, also
calling on CARICOM to place water higher
on the regional governmental agenda. The
recent World Water Expo in Miami also of-
fered a wider platform for interaction be-
tween Caribbean and Latin American water
stakeholders to discuss current and future
prospects for this vital resource and allowed
them to exchange, share experiences and coop-
erate towards achievement of mutual goals.
The Global Water Partnership–Caribbean
(GWP-C) has played a significant role working
alongside other regional water partners to en-
sure the water conversation continues to flow
and that agreements are implemented and rec-
ommendations pursued beyond the conference
rooms.
In the midst of it all, CAWASA has in the pe-
riod since July 2014 continued to engage mem-
ber utilities and related water companies in im-
plementation of adopted decisions. CAWASA
continues to collaborate with other regional
and international stakeholders, while provid-
ing training opportunities for water operators
and supervisors across the region to ensure bet-
ter delivery of water at national levels and in
accordance with agreed regional approaches.
At the end of November, CAWASA collabo-
rated with the Caribbean Development bank
(CDB) to host a workshop on Reforms for CEOs
of Water Utilities and a Water Leaders Summit
in Barbados. CAWASA’s 2014 Annual general
Meeting was also held at the same time.
CAWASA will continue to work in 2015 to en-
gage the Caribbean public in the ongoing water
conversation through conferences and public
outreach programs. However, Caribbean peo-
ple and governments need to move faster to
better address the challenges of making the re-
gion ‘drought free’. The region needs to adapt
to Climate Change more quickly. Storage and
conservation, finding alternative sources, bet-
ter and safer handling of waste water – all will
have to continue to be priority agenda items
next year and beyond.
Water-scarce regions around the world are
forced to adapt to new realities as Climate
Change and human interventions combine to
put them through great new challenges. The
Caribbean therefore has no choice but to adapt
to the new realities and adopt the necessary
changes.
CAWASA and the other regional stakehold-
ers are not yet where they’d like to see the re-
gion be at this time, but all do honestly pledge
to continue to work towards achieving that lev-
el of readiness and accomplishment required to
ensure that Caribbean people better and more
fully understand and value the simple but true
saying that ‘Water if Life!’
In this the final issue for the year, e-Source of-
fers another 12 pages of coverage of water news
and issues from around the region -- and once
again invites all CAWASA affiliates to continue
to update the Secretariat on actions on issues in
2015 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Happy Holidays – and do feel
free to follow our Cayman affiliates’ example
and Give a Gift of Water for Christmas and the
New Year!
Let the Caribbean water conversation flow!
Editorial
e-Source is produced by the
Caribbean Water and Sewerage
Association (CWASA). All mail
and inquiries should be sent to:
Mrs Suzanne Joseph
Programme Officer
Caribbean Water and Sewerage
Association Inc (CAWASA)
Unit No. 15, Orange Park
Commercial Centre
Bois d'Orange, (P O Box
RB2293, Rodney Bay)
Gros Islet, SAINT LUCIA
Tel: 758 458 0601
Fax: 758 458 0191
E-mail: sjoseph@cawasa.org;
cawasa@candw.lc
Website: www.cawasa.org
Seventy (70) operators sat the Certification Examinations
in Water and Wastewater in March and June, respectively.
Particular congratulations go to Jefferson Durand of Domi-
nica’s DOWASCO, who did it again -- this time obtaining
Level IV certification in Water Treatment. A summary of the
results of the examinations are shown in Tables below:
Jefferson Durand

e-Source Page 3July-December 2014
The season of giving is almost
here. It is a time to be thankful
and a time to help those in need.
Did you know that gift certifi-
cates can be purchased from the
Water Authority this holiday
season? Gift certificates are a
thoughtful and practical way to
make a donation to your favou-
rite charity, to give to a neighbour
or just to say thank you.
With the cost of living constant-
ly on the rise, a gift that can ease
someone’s financial burden is
often avery welcomed gift. Wa-
ter Authority gift certificates are
available in denominations of $10,
$25 and $50 and can be redeemed
toward the payment of Water Au-
thority water and sewerage bills.
Gift certificates are valid for one
year from the date of purchase
and are avaiable from the Water
Authority offices.
Give the Gift of
Water this Holiday
World Toilet Day has been marked by international and civil society or-
ganizations all over the world for many years. In 2013 the United Nations
General Assembly formally recognized it as an official UN day and request-
ed UN-Water, in consultation with relevant entities of the United Nations
system and in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakehold-
ers, to facilitate the implementation of World Toilet Day in the context of
Sanitation for All.
The objective of this initiative is to make sanitation for all a global devel-
opment priority and urge changes in both behaviour and policy on issues
ranging from improving water management to ending open defecation.
Today, 2.5 of the world’s seven billion people, mostly in rural areas, do not
have proper sanitation and 1.1 billion people still defecate in the open. This
has significant impacts on human health, dignity and security, the environ-
ment, and social and eco-nomic development.
World Toilet Day in-tends to raise awareness of sani-tation issues – in-
cluding hygiene promotion, the provision of basic sanitation services, and
sewer-age and wastewater treatment and reuse in the context of inte-grated
water management – and make a case for sanitation for all.
It intends to encourage UN Member States and relevant stakeholders,
including civil society and non-governmental organi-zations, to promote
behavioural change and the implementation of policies in order to increase
access to sanitation among the poor and end the practice of open defeca-
tion. From UN Water’s World Toilet Day site: http://www.unwater.org/
worldtoiletday
CReW’s Lines
Newsletter of the Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater
Management
Vol. 3, Issue 3 September 2014
In this issue:
 Stakeholders Weigh-in on
Wastewater Management in
Guyana (Pgs. 1,2,7)
 Engaging the Media for
Change! (Pgs. 1,2,3,7)
 World Toilet Day (Pgs. 1,8)
 Jamaica’s new environmental
regulations spur training for
water and wastewater opera-
tors (Pgs. 3, 6)
 How Can we Transform Envi-
ronmental Science, Manage-
ment and Activism into Com-
pelling and Useful Journal-
ism? (Pgs. 4,5)
 Sanitation for All—the Drive
to 2015 (Pg. 6)
 The UN-Water Decade Pro-
gramme on Advocacy and
Communication (UNW-DRC
Resources (Pg. 8).
www.gefcrew.org
Stakeholders Weigh-in
on Wastewater
Management in Guyana
On July 17th
, Guyana’s Ministry of Housing
and Water (MHW), hosted and chaired a Stakehold-
er’s Workshop on Wastewater Management in
Guyana. MHW has oversight over Guyana Water
Incorporated (GWI) which is directly responsible for
the provision of water and safety of sewerage sys-
tems for improved health and sustainable develop-
(Continued on page 2)
Engaging the Media for
Change!
Lessons from GEF CReW’s Media KAPS
Journalism can have a significant influence
on the public’s environmental literacy. According to
the Project for Improved Environmental Coverage
(PIEC) which conducted a study in the United States
of America in 2013, several studies have shown that
the public wants better and more environmental
news.
The PIEC looked at the environmental cov-
erage in the mainstream media in the USA in 2013
and found that entertainment and crime garnered 20
and 60 times more coverage respectively than the
environment. This was despite the fact that there
are now more resources available on environmental
topics from more diverse sources, such as academ-
ic institutions, science-based research organiza-
tions, environmental news services and projects,
than ever before.
Several KAPS regarding the environment
have been conducted in the Caribbean in the past
Continued on page 2)
19 November is World Toilet Day!
World Toilet Day has been marked by international and civil society organizations all over
the world for many years. In 2013 the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized it as
an official UN day and requested UN-Water, in consultation with relevant entities of the United
Nations system and in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders, to facilitate the
implementation of World Toilet Day in the context of Sanitation for All.
The objective of this initiative is to make sanitation for all a global development priority
(Continued on page 8)
Emil McGarrell, PS, Ministry of Housing and
Water addresses participants at Opening
19 November was World Toilet Day!
8
and urge changes in both behaviour and
from improving water management to e
Today, 2.5 of the world's seven
rural areas, do not have proper sanitatio
defec
signifi
health
enviro
nomic
tends
tation
prom
sanita
age a
and re
grated water management – and make a
(Continued from page 1)
A Rainwater Harvesting (RWH)
Knowledge Exchange Forum which
took place on October 21st -23rd , 2014
in St. Lucia was hosted by the GWP-C
under its Water, Climate and Devel-
opment Programme (WACDEP) in
collaboration with the Environmental
Health and Sustainable Development
Department of the Caribbean Pub-
lic Health Agency (CARPHA), the
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Amazon Project, the GEF Interna-
tional Waters Learning Exchange and
Resource Network (IW: LEARN) and
the Deutsche Gesellschaft fUr Interna-
tionale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)
through the Caribbean Aqua-Terres-
trial Solutions Programme (CATS).
The main objectives of this unique
Knowledge Exchange Forum were to:
• Present practical experience and best
appropriate technology in RWH to
decision-makers from public and pri-
vate sector.
• Support targeted learning through
structured discussions at expert lev-
el and discuss the requirements for
a wide up-scaling improvement of
RWH technologies in the Caribbean
and Amazon region.
• Exchange technical, scientific and so-
cioeconomic experience between the
Amazonian and Caribbean partners.
• Create interaction mechanisms that
allow the expansion of knowledge
concerning techniques and research
on RWH systems in partner coun-
tries, in order to provide decision-
makers with adequate practices and
models of RWH systems that pro-
mote access to safe water supply in
Amazonian and Caribbean rural ar-
eas.
The three-day event kicked-off with
a short opening ceremony which in-
cluded remarks by representatives of
the collaborating agencies hosting the
event and a feature address by Mr.
Sylvester Clauzel, Permanent Sec-
retary in the Ministry of Sustainable
Development, Energy, Science and
Technology of St. Lucia.
Mr. Clauzel commended the or-
gansing agencies for their initiative
in putting on the unique event and
congratulated them on being suc-
cessful in bringing together so many
GWP-C and Partners Host Regional Rainwater
Harvesting Knowledge Exchange Forum
Participants at the Regional Rainwater Harvesting Knowledge Exchange Forum held in St. Lucia
on October 21st-23rd, 2014.
stakeholders from various countries
to discuss Rainwater Harvesting. Mr.
Clauzel indicated that RWH was an
issue that the Government of St. Lu-
cia took very seriously and saw the
benefits of safe RWH especially in the
case of natural disasters. He added
that St. Lucia has made great strides
in incorporating provisions for RWH
in its National Water Policy.
Critical to the workshop was the
sharing of knowledge and experienc-
es on RWH from the more than fifty
(50) participants from the Caribbean
region, Central America, the Amazon
basin and as far as the Mediterranean.
The participation of a wide-cross sec-
tion of countries brought a meaning-
ful balance and pool of knowledge
to the activity. The Forum also pro-
vided a platform for cross-regional
sharing within the GWP Network as
representatives from GWP-Central
America and GWP-Mediterranean
attended and delivered presenta-
tions. Participants ranged from rep-
resentatives from water utilities,
non¬governmental organisations,
academia (universities), the public
health sector, the agriculture sector,
private organisations (hotels, engi-
neering firms), government minis-
tries, among others.
The first two (2) days of the Forum
comprised of key presentations to
set the context of the workshop fol-
lowed by question and answer ses-
sions which enabled participants at
all times to share their thoughts and
opinions. Some of the main presenta-
tions focused on:
• An overview of regional Rainwa-
ter Harvesting (RWH) efforts in the
Caribbean both past and current
initiatives.
• The climate outlook for the Carib-
bean and strategic directions for
enhancing water security and how
RWH may contribute to policy and
fiscal challenges.
• The GWP-C Water, Climate and De-
velopment Programme (WACDEP).
• Commercial-scale RWH applica-
tions (current practices and success
stories).
• RWH applications in agriculture
(Overview of support initiatives
and success stories).
• RWH experiences from the private
sector.
• Water safety and RWH.
• A Caribbean Regional RWH Pro-
gramme -An Action Plan for a wide
up-scaling implementation of RWH
systems
Presentations spurred a lot of discus-
sions amongst participants who raised
several issues such as:
• How do you regulate individual
use of RWH?
• The need for greater political will in
support of RWH.
• The need for widespread public ed-
ucation and sensitisation on RWH.
• Should the water utilities subsidise
the cost of RWH?
• The need for a policy framework on
RWH in terms of regulation, stor-
age, treatment.
• RWH should be a tool in Integrat-
ed Water Resources Management
(IWRM).
• Should RWH be centralised?
• Innovative RWH systems which
take into account health concerns
with RWH.
Continued on Page 9

Saint Lucia’s Minister for Sustain-
able Development, Energy, Science
and Technology, Senator Dr. James
Fletcher, has cautioned that there are
dire consequences should the island’s
water supply reach critical mass. He
has therefore advised that citizens of
Saint Lucia and other OECS island
states should cooperate to prepare for
the present and future repercussions
of Climate Change.
“This is going to be our reality from
now on,” he said. “This is something
we have to live with due to Climate
Change: reduced water availability,
more intense droughts, and more fre-
quent and severe weather events. So
we have to prepare. This is all the
more reason for us to protect the qual-
ity and integrity of our water sources.”
The gravity of Saint Lucia’s reduced
water availability was made promi-
nent five years ago in a 2009 Paper on
Climate Change and the Water Sector.
The paper discussed the availability
of general as well as potable water
sources and the causes of Saint Lu-
cia’s dwindling supply.
The “present water demand is ex-
ceeding the available supply. An
increase in future demand can only
serve to exacerbate this deficit,” the
report stated.
The island’s current water supply
stems from surface sources in rivers,
wetlands, streams and springs, and
few groundwater sources.
There are 37 main sources of surface
run-off, but these surface water catch-
ments, the report stated, are relatively
small, with steep slopes on which
run-off occurs fairly rapidly.
In addition, surface water yields for
potable purposes are inconsistent,
due to increased abstraction, and soil
and chemical contamination.
The four major potable water sup-
ply systems are located at the Roseau
Dam and Hill 20 in the north, and
Grace and Beausejour in the south.
“The potable water supply has been
severely affected by pressures of in-
creased demand, the destruction of
upper watersheds, and the increas-
ing exploitation of Saint Lucia’s rivers
and wetlands,” the report stated.
Following a visit to the John Comp-
ton Dam earlier this year, Dr. Fletcher
remarked briefly on the financial con-
sequences of a water related emergen-
cy. Importing water, he said, would
be a worst case scenario.
“Saint Lucia’s water cost is $12.21 per
gallon. Dominica’s is $15 before it is ex-
ported,” he said. “Dominica will charge
us $15 before it gets on the barge. The
cost of that water even before it gets on
a barge is already prohibitive.”
Saint Lucia declared a water-related
emergency in March of this year due
to drought conditions. Those condi-
tions intensified and experts predict
that the island could continue in
drought conditions until August.
Reduced OECS water supply due
to Pollution and Climate Change
Region urged to cooperate to address impacts
of Climate Change on water resources
A Water loss Reduction Train
took place in Hamburg, Germany
from October 13th to October 16th,
2014 -- and was well represented
by the Caribbean.
The training took place in the
frame of the strategic alliance be-
tween the German International
Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft
fur International Zusammenarbeit
GmbH (GIZ), the companies VA-
GArmaturen, Sewerin and Ham-
burg Wasser, with the support of
University of Applied Sciences and
Arts Northwestern Switzerland
(FHNW) and the Karlsruhe Insti-
tute of Technology (KIT).
There were 25 registered partici-
pants from St. Lucia, Dominica, St.
Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and
The main subjects discussed at the
training were: Introduction to water-
loss reduction and key influencing
factors, calculating a water balance,
integrated perspective to water utili-
ties, District-metered areas, Intro-
duction to methods and instruments
for water loss reduction, Leakage de-
tection, Organization and documen-
tation in leakage repair, Information
systems for water-loss management
and Pressure management.
The subjects were covered over
four days by presentations from
trainers and group exercises which
allowed participants to share ideas
and to grasp the training concepts.
Each group was allowed to pres-
ent to the general group, to receive
feedback and suggestions.
the Grenadines, Grenada, Jamaica,
Guyana, Kosovo, Germany, Palestine,
France and Uganda.
The Facilitators/Trainers were: Mr.
Emmanuel Oertle (FHNW), Mr. An-
dreas Kamphues (CAH), Mr. Micheal
Kersting, Lucatina Ercolano and Ms
Deepa Vethaviyasar.
The training group in Germany
Caribbean was well-represented at German Water-loss Reduction Workshop
In an effort to effectively manage
the effects of extreme weather and
natural disasters, the Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
along with USAID, provided climate-
related training to water sector per-
sonnel in the member-states of the
island grouping.
The training – held in Saint Lucia
-- will strengthen national capacity to
hanmdle water problems.
In Saint Lucia’s case, the island’s
water company WASCO will ben-
efit from improved resource capacity
and the training will also improve the
company’s network management and
service delivery.
For almost two years, the OECS Sec-
retariat has been assisting WASCO in
improving its efficiency via comput-
er-based mapping technology and
personnel training.
David Popo, from the OECS Com-
mission’s Social Sustainable Devel-
opment Division, said the workshop
was integral because of Saint Lucia’s
dependence on fresh water sources.
“The RRACC project (Reducing Risk
to Human and Natural Assets Result-
ing from Climate Change) carries out
climate change adaptation actions,
especially within productive sectors
like tourism and agriculture with a
focus on fresh water and coastal re-
sources,” Mr. Popo said.
He added, “In this regard, the proj-
ect builds an enabling environment in
support of policies and legislation to
reduce vulnerability.”
The Strategic Planning Information
Officer for WASCO, Nikolai Hya-
cinth, said the workshop was essen-
tial to properly manage the island’s
water systems.
“I do hope that the workshop’s results
will make the water sector in Saint Lu-
cia a more cohesive unit, thereby mak-
ing us more resilient to disasters in
their extremes of drought or flood.”
The workshop on Hydro-Climatic
Disasters in Integrated Water Re-
sources Management ran from July
8-10 in Castries and since then partici-
pants have been applying their relat-
ed skills according to the new infor-
mation and methodologies that came
out of the training.
In addition to water personnel, vari-
ous government agencies working in
water resources management were
also beneficiaries of the workshop.
OECS Water sector personnel receive training in Climate Change adaptation
Participants in the OECS raining exercise have been applying the newly-acquired information to their daily
tasks related to Climate Change adaptation since the three-day workshop in Castries.

Spotlighting the “gathering and
intensifying threat of global cli-
mate change” leaders from Ca-
ribbean Islands warned the 2014
United Nations General Assembly
that indifference, narrow interests
and electoral cowardice threaten
to squander “our only real chance
to save the planet.”
Addressing the Assembly, min-
ister for foreign affairs for Gre-
nada, Nickolas Steele, said climate
shocks are amongst the “most ter-
rifying” for his country and other
small islands around the world
and given such risks, island states
need concessionary financing.
The indebtedness of small is-
lands developing states (SIDS)
must be regarded among the
many challenges of our time, he
said, adding that the “annual cry”
of small islands to make conces-
sionary funding available should
serve as an early warning system
for the international community.
“Let us settle the LDC [least devel-
oped country] graduation issue in
favour of SIDS rather than use it as
a parallel climate-negotiating tool
against SIDS,” Steele said.
Due to high import costs of fossil
fuels, electricity in Grenada costs
four to five times higher than in
developed countries. He said Gre-
nada cannot educate its people, if
its school children have no access
to electricity. Islands like Grenada
come to the climate table, “not
like hapless victims with cap-in-
hand”.Renewables must be imple-
mented in the Islands with zero
subsidies.
Minister of foreign affairs of St
Vincent and the Grenadines, Ca-
millo Gonsalves, said that, despite
a tiny carbon footprint and minis-
cule emissions, his island has been
victimised by weather anomalies
partially caused by the “environ-
mental abuse” of major emitters.
“The prospects of genuine prog-
ress against climate change be-
come increasingly remote with
each passing day of diplomatic
dithering, buck-passing and fin-
ger-pointing,” said Gonsalves.
Yet, despite the gathering and in-
tensifying global threat of climate
change, with its real and ruinous
present-day impacts, historical
and major emitters continue to act
as the planet has time on its side,
he continued, adding that “if nar-
row interests and local electoral
cowardice force us to retreat be-
hind our national borders and
bury our heads in the sands, we
may squander a decade of effort,
and our only real chance to save
the planet upon which we live.
The stakes are that high. We can-
not afford to fail.”
The UN’s 2014 Climate Sum-
mit, held at UN Headquarters,
was an “admirable attempt” but
the tangible results were less than
encouraging. “The numbers just
don’t add up” to anything close
to what is required to cap global
warming at 1.5 degrees above pre-
industrial levels.
“Further, the new resources
raised and pledged for the fi-
nancing of adaptation to climate
changes effects were a drop in the
bucket – “akin to having a bake
sale to settle national debt.”
Post-2015 goals and indicators
must focus equally on targets
within developing countries. A
major shortcoming of the MDGs
was the “nebulous nature” of the
so-called Global Partnership for
Development. New goals must be
concrete and measurable.
The minister of foreign affairs
of St Kitts and Nevis, Patrice Nis-
bett, said SIDS were susceptible
to economic and environmental
shocks, which resulted in high
indebtedness.
While St Kitts and Nevis has suc-
cessfully reduced its debt to GDP
[gross domestic product] ratio by
50 percentage points, it remains
mindful that severe climate events
can erase gains achieved. He
called on the international com-
munity, including international
financial institutions to broaden
the scope of assessment of SIDS,
in order to avoid the creation of
measures that undermine national
governments.
He reiterated his call for a strong
global response to combating the
high rate of non-communicable
diseases in developing countries
in particular saying that “a na-
tion’s wealth lies in the health of
its people.”
Climate change remains more
than an environmental concern
for SIDS, it is regarded as a “threat
to our existence,” he said. The in-
ternational community must take
creative initiative such as debt
swap for climate adaptation and
mitigation. Climate change financ-
ing and technology transfer will
be pivotal to that end.
The minister of foreign affairs of
Belize, Wilfred Elrington, also said
small countries like his own are
disadvantaged by the lack of re-
sources and human, financial and
technological capacities, which are
only compounded by the increas-
ing effects of climate change.
Belize welcomes the UN mul-
tilateral legal framework of debt
restructuring and hopes it will
lead to a robust treaty that will in-
crease the efficiency, stability and
predictability of the international
financial system. Following the
2008 financial meltdown, there
have been “unmistakable and
troubling indicia of donor fatigue
and a tendency towards isolation-
ism,” he said.
Climate change is the biggest
threat to the Central American
nation. “Horrendous” devasta-
tion is already occurring around
the world caused by extreme
droughts, intense rainfalls, floods,
and hurricanes. Belize is now wit-
nessing its share of climate change
effects including coral bleaching,
coastal erosion and flooding, and
it is forecasted that next year the
entire country will be visited by
severe drought.
Nicaraguan Foreign Minister
Samuel Santos López stressed
the need to draw up a Post-2015
Agenda for Sustainable Develop-
ment that embodies a just world
order for inclusive growth that
also takes measures to counter the
threats of climate change.
“We find ourselves in a world
fraught with many interrelated
crises where unjust and unequal
development between nations
and peoples takes first place. The
current unjust economic order, the
product of imperialism and the
present model of capitalism, has
been unable to address these cri-
ses that are growing ever more fre-
quent and serious,” he declared.
“Every day the number of poor
people in the world grows greater,
both in the south and in the north,
in flagrant violation of their most
elemental human rights. We must
work in unity to overcome these
crises and in the shortest time pos-
sible eliminate poverty, hunger,
malnutrition, diseases, wars and
conflicts, and the policies of re-
gime change and coups d’état.”
These efforts must also eradi-
cated violence against women
and children, the negative impact
of climate change, and such so-
cial scourges as slavery and drug
and human trafficking, but “the
eradication of poverty remains
the greatest challenge facing the
world,” Santos added.
Foreign Minister
Samuel Santos López
of Nicaragua
Foreign Minister
Wilfred Elrington of Belize
Foreign Minister of St Kitts
and Nevis, Patrice Nisbett
Foreign Minister
Camillo Gonsalves of St
Vincent and the Grenadines
Foreign Minister
Nickolas Steele of Grenada
Caribbean diplomats warn of real and ruinous
impacts of Climate Change
The region’s ambassador told the United Nations that indifference,
narrow interests and electoral cowardice threaten to squander
“our only real chance to save the planet”.

Q: You’ve been the new Executive Direc-
tor of CAWASA for a few months now.
How has the settling-in period been?
A: During the transitioning period,
we’ve been looking at the various water
challenges facing our Caribbean region,
from the standpoint of both the histori-
cal and actual challenges. I’ve met with
our (CAWASA) Directors, as well as with
several of our regional and national af-
filiates. We’ve been looking at issues like
Climate Change and Desalination and
we’ve had some very interesting rev-
elations from a recent CDB Validation
Workshop that will be shared with our
stakeholders across the region.
Q: How do you see the Caribbean’s wa-
ter situation? Are governments and peo-
ple waking-up to the reality that if we
don’t save and conserve, we can eventu-
ally lose the resource?
A: There is some growing awareness.
Climate Change is getting blamed for a
lot that we do, but we’re starting to better
understand. The 2010 Caribbean Drought
affected us all across the region, one
way or another. The Christmas Eve 2013
Trough also affected Dominica, Saint Lu-
cia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Saint Lucia’s water-related emergency
(implemented several months ago) has
resulted in a greater level of awareness
-- and the same can be said elsewhere.
But unfortunately, so far we’ve mainly
been giving knee-jerk responses. When
there’s a drought, we cry for water; when
it’s rainy, we beg for sunshine. But we
need to be conscious all the time and not
only at times. So, governments are start-
ing to move to do what they have to: re-
placing old infrastructure with new, etc.
The water sector spends over 40% of its
revenues on energy. With such high costs
of energy, the sector is looking to become
more energy-efficient through options
such as energy conservation and renew-
able energy. CARICOM States have a
strategic relationship with Germany’s In-
ternational Development Agency (GIZ)
to help better respond to environmental
challenges, including Water and Climate
Change. The main concern in Saint Lucia,
for example, is to get the national water
company (WASCO) to reduce its level
of non-revenue water, which is costing
so very much through things like leaks,
broken pipes and illegal connections.
The GIZ has started a pilot programme
to assist WASCO reduce its non-revenue
water. We are collaborating with the GIZ
in extending this pilot program to other
countries in the Region. As part of the
‘Climate Change is get-
ting blamed for a lot that
we do, but we’re starting
to better understand…’
program, we have mobilized person-
nel from eight countries to participate in
training in non-revenue water in Ham-
burg. We’re also looking at collaborating
with the OECS Commission to promote
the harmonization the OECS Water Sec-
tor Policy and draft legislation. For ex-
ample, Saint Lucia already has a Water
Resource Management Agency (WRMA)
and a National Water and Sewerage
Commission (NWSC), but several other
countries don’t have similar entities. We
at CAWASA will be seeking to promote
the level of harmonization needed to
better coordinate more effectively. We
also looked at those matters at the Carib-
bean Water and Wastewater Association
(CWWA) Annual General meeting in the
Bahamas in October.
‘I want to see
Caribbean
people better
understand the
value of water!’
Exclusive interview with Mr. Ignatius
Jean, Executive Director of the
Caribbean Water and Sewage
Association (CAWASA)
The new Executive
Director, Mr Ignatius
Jean, is a Saint Lucian-
born Caribbean man
who brings to the posi-
tion a wealth of experi-
ence in administrative
and technical fields
and as a policy maker.
He joined the Carib-
bean Water and Sew-
erage Association Inc.
(CAWASA) in May
2014 with a long a rich
history of public ser-
vice national and re-
gional levels and has
served in several Ca-
ribbean capitals in dif-
ferent positions, with
much exposure to the
international commu-
nity.
Mr Jean’s education-
al background saw
him complete his sec-
ondary education at
St. Mary’s College in
Saint Lucia, following
which he commenced
agricultural training
at the Morne Technical
College (Union School
of Agriculture) and
completed a Diploma
in Agriculture from
the Guyana School of
Agriculture. He also
holds a Post Graduate
Diploma in Agricul-
tural Economics and
Master’s Degree in Ag-
ricultural Management
from the University of
Reading, England.
The new CAWASA
ED also pursued sever-
al other courses includ-
ing: Certificate in Busi-
ness Administration
(UWI School of Con-
tinuing Studies), Cer-
tificate in Risk Man-
agement (Insurance
Institute of America),
Certificate in Develop-
ment Diplomacy (Dip-
lo Foundation, Malta),
Certificate in Applied
Project Management
(Project Management
Global Institute/Bos-
ton University Corpo-
rate Education Centre)
Executive Manage-
ment and Leadership
(Central American
Business School – IN-
CAE).
Mr Jean also has
broad experience in
technical cooperation
projects, agricultural
extension and agricul-
tural risk and insur-
ance, teamwork and
group dynamics.
His policy back-
ground includes being
an elected Member of
Parliament (MP), Min-
ister of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries
and also Minister of
Physical Planning, En-
vironment and Hous-
ing in Saint Lucia.
During his tenure as
Minister for Agricul-
ture, he was Chairman
of the CARDI Board of
Governors.
Mr Jean was em-
ployed by the Inter-
American Institute for
Cooperation on Agri-
culture (IICA) in June
2007 and served as the
IICA Representative
in Guyana (June 2007
– January 2012) and Ja-
maica (February 2012 –
December 2013).
He was appointed the
Government of Saint
Lucia’s director on the
Board of the Eastern
Caribbean Telecom-
munications Author-
ity (ECTEL) in January
2014 and is the current
Chairman of the Board.
In July 2014, Mr Jean
was also appointed the
Chairman of the Devel-
opment Control Au-
thority (DCA) in Saint
Lucia. He is married to
Dr Jeanice Stanley.
Who’s the new CAWASA
Executive Director?
Ignatius Jean:
A man of regional
public service
Continued on Page 7

1
Continued from Page 6
Q: CAWASA’s membership is far and wide. To what extent is there the
level of coordination that’s needed to ensure active cooperation across
the skies and waters?
A: Our mandate as a secretariat is to coordinate cooperation among
our members towards a path of sustainable growth and development.
A core function is to administer a programme involving classification
of water utilities and training and certification of water operators and
allied personnel. We are the authorized providers of the Association of
Boards of Certification (ABC) accreditation in the Caribbean. We also
facilitate cooperation among our membership within the region and
globally through our association with partners, such as the CWWA,
the Caribbean Water Operators’ Partnerships (Cari-WOP), the Water
Operators’ Partnerships of Latin America and the Caribbean (WOP-
LAC), under the umbrella of the UN Habitat’s Global Water Operators’
Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), United Nations Environmental Pro-
gramme (UNEP), and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
Q: What’s your view on Privatization of Water?
A: There’s room for it. Water is a right, but it’s not free – except when
in a river. We prefer to pay more for bottled water than the regular rates
for our local water because we don’t even check what it costs to deliver
drinking water to our homes. There’s room for privatization, but there’s
also much room too for the State and the Private Sector to engage in
joint public and private partnerships.
Q: Bottled water versus Tap Water… Do they threaten or complement
each other?
A: There’s no threat. Bottled water depends on marketing, so the bev-
erage companies have exploited and opportunity to make use of its
commercial possibilities. We’ve bought into the idea that bottled water
is safer than tap water. What we don’t realize is that the big bottled
water companies buy water from the same local company as us. They
have adorned the tap water in creative packaging, in some cases, as
pristine spring water and sold at an exorbitant price. It’s a combination
of convenience and competitive marketing. Bottled water companies
will never take the place of water utilities in providing water at afford-
able rates for household, commercial and industrial needs.
Q: To what extent is Desalination a viable Caribbean alternative?
A: The main observation regarding Desalination is related to energy
cost. Some can pay and others simply can’t afford. Of course, there are
other considerations such as impact on the environment and the man-
agement of brine from processing sea water. Another observation is that
‘I want to see Caribbean people better
understand the value of water!’
the “water scarce” countries -- particularly in the northern Caribbean
-- appear to be more “drought proof” because of desalination systems.
Desalination is an option, but not a panacea. The ‘water abundant’ ter-
ritories should also consider water conservation and increased storage.
Q: What were the main issues coming out of the recent Caribbean Wa-
ter and Wastewater Association AGM in the Bahamas?
A: He hopes that an MOU could be signed between the Caribbean
and the Pacific during the World Water Forum in South Korea in April,
2015. Through the Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance (GWO-
PA) at the World Water Forum in South Korea in 2015, we hope to sign
a cooperation agreement between CWWA/CAWASA and the Pacific
Water and Waste Association (PWWA). The Germans and the Ameri-
can Water Works Association (AWWA) pushed for us to make a pre-
sentation at meetings ahead of that meeting next year. The annual meet-
ing of the CWWA, which was held in the Bahamas this year, brings top
water operators together, as well as a High Level Forum of Ministers
responsible for water. This year there were 12 Ministers from CARI-
COM countries -- and it was the first time there were so many. At that
Bahamas meeting, resolutions were passed and sent to the CARICOM
Secretariat calling on the region’s governments to give water a greater
level of attention, given Climate Change and the need for greater levels
of importance to address water issues directly today. The meeting also
adopted what’s called ‘The SAMOA Pathway’ referring SIDS’ (Small
Island Developing States) Accelerated Modalities of Action (Post 2015
Development Agenda). This was considered the most key outcome of
the whole conference.
Q: World Water Day is celebrated annually by the UN, but it’s up to
member-states and water utilities to decide how. Does CAWASA have
a role in regional coordination?
A: Each utility and each country normally gets involved in World Wa-
ter Day observances in one way or another. CAWASA does not take the
leading role, but coming in March each year allows us to be able to use
it to push harder to promote how we can do better to appreciate water
generally throughout the year. We really need to increase our conver-
sations on water and CAWASA is willing to help members coordinate
World Water Day if asked. But the best coordination would be to do it
regionally.
Q: Where would you like to take CAWASA? What’s your vision and
what legacy do you want to leave?
A: I want to ensure we better communicate the value of water to our
citizens across the region, so they can better understand and value wa-
ter than they do now.
The new CAWASA Executive Director, Ignatius Jean (at right) hit the road running after his appointment in July. He attended and represented
CAWASA and its member-utilities at several high level meetings of Caribbean and global water associates, in the region and beyond. Here he’s
seen with two of the many other top water representatives from around the world who attended the recent 2014 World Water Expo in Miami,
where he also spoke on behalf of Caribbean Water.

Journalism can have a significant in-
fluence on the public’s environmental
literacy. According to the Project for
Improved Environmental Coverage
(PIEC) which conducted a study in
the United States of America in 2013,
several studies have shown that the
public wants better and more envi-
ronmental news.
The PIEC looked at the environmen-
tal cov-erage in the mainstream me-
dia in the USA in 2013 and found that
entertainment and crime garnered 20
and 60 times more coverage respec-
tively than the environment. This was
despite the fact that there are now
more resources available on envi-
ronmental topics from more diverse
sources, such as academ-ic institu-
tions, science-based research organi-
za-tions, environmental news servic-
es and projects, than ever before.
Several KAPS regarding the environ-
ment have been conducted in the Ca-
ribbean in the past decade by various
environmental projects. They have
found that radio and television, in
particular, are the main sources from
which the public obtain information
about the environment or environ-
mental issues. Newspapers are also
significant sources but remain less im-
portant than radio and television.
The media is sometimes accused of
being inaccurate, sen-sationalist, not
correcting mistakes, having a short
attention-span and not covering all
important issues. Yet journalists face
many chal-lenges in covering envi-
ronmental issues. The purpose of a
KAPS of the media conducted by the
GEF CReW Project in 2013 was to ex-
plore the knowledge, attitudes and
practices of the media in the re-gion to
wastewater management, and to bet-
ter understand how the media in the
region values, perceives, and behaves
in relation to wastewater and the en-
vironment in general.
Approach and Methodology
The GEF CReW Project hosted two
regional media sensiti-zation work-
shops on wastewater for journalists
between November 2013 and July
2014. The first was for journalists from
its English-speaking countries and
Suriname (referred to as the Carib-
bean jour-nalists) that took place in
Georgetown, Guyana in November
2013. The second was for journalists
from its Spanish-speaking countries
(referred to as the Central American
journalists) that took place in Ciudad
del Saber, Panama in July 2014. A total
Journalists complete KAPS, Caribbean Workshop, November 2014
of 42 journalists and media personnel
participated in these workshops which
aimed pri-marily to deepen the knowl-
edge and expertise of environmental
jour-nalists on wastewater issues and
management in the Wider Caribbe-an
Region. This is part of the Project’s ef-
fort to increase media cov-erage about
wastewater and related issues.
At both work-shops a KAPS ques-
tion-naire was distributed and com-
pleted by partic-ipants before presen-
ta-tions and discussions began. This
was meant to ensure that knowledge
and attitudes were not influenced by
the new knowledge that they were
about to be exposed to. The survey
used both a quantitative and quali-
tative approach. The questionnaire
contained both closed-ended and
open-ended questions. It included
questions that were designed to cap-
ture information on the respondents’
knowledge, attitudes and prac-tices
with respect to wastewater and envi-
ronmental issues in gen-eral.
In addition to completing the ques-
tionnaire, both workshops included
facilitated sessions designed to obtain
additional feedback from the partici-
pants with the aim of improving the
project’s effective-ness in providing
them with useful resources and as-
sistance. Some of the questions posed
to the participants in these sessions
were useful in corroborating some of
the information reported in the KAPS.
Key Findings of the Media KAPS:
• Of those surveyed, more of the
Central American journalists had
focused on environmental cover-
age previously than was the case
among their Caribbean counter-
parts who were more often gener-
alists with some experience in en-
vironmental coverage.
• A relatively low percentage of re-
spondents (36% and 30%) rec-og-
nized that untreated wastewater is
a threat to every sector named. This
is indicative of poor awareness of
linkages and of how pervasive the
negative effects of poor wastewater
manage-ment are.
• In both groups, perceptions of levels
of wastewater treatment existing in
their countries were close to reality
(that is: between 5% and 30%)
• Significantly, very few respondents
thought that the media is regular-
ly a source of information about
wastewater issues.
• Both Caribbean and Central Ameri-
can journalists expressed pos-itive
attitudes towards wanting to learn
more and understand environmen-
tal and wastewater issues better.
• The vast majority of the Caribbean
journalists (93%) and all of the Cen-
tral American journalists felt that
they had a role in shap-ing and/
or changing people’s perception of
wastewater.
• The majority (57%) of journalists in
both groups reported that they oc-
casionally write about environmen-
tal and wastewater management
issues. More of the Central Ameri-
can journalists (36% vs. 28.5%) re-
ported that they write about these
issues fre-quently.
• In looking for stories they consider
human interest, public good and
educational value ahead of revela-
tion and sensationalism.
• Interviews are the preferred sources
of information and the inter-net,
institutional and project reports as
well as scientific reports were also
most desirable.
• There was general agreement on the
greatest barriers to effec-tive media
coverage: Lack of information that
is easily under-stood by the public;
a general lack of information; lack
of interest and support by media
houses and editors, and; lack of
clear messages.
Knowledge gained from the survey
will help the GEF CReW Project to
develop better resources and mes-
sages for regional media as well as
inform the development of the GEF
CReW replication strat-egy and fu-
ture wastewater projects.
Perhaps the findings of the KAPS
which have the greatest implications
for our approach to the media are:
• Members of the regional media of-
ten have poor awareness of link-
ages and of the pervasiveness of
negative effects of poor wastewater
management even though they are
generally aware that the majority of
wastewater receives no treatment
at all. They also recognize that the
media is not a regular source of
information about these issues but
believe they have an im-portant
role to play in shaping or changing
the way people per-ceive wastewa-
ter. This willingness is a good start
in our interac-tion with them but
we need to be prepared to support
them and to ourselves follow-up in
order to assure better coverage.
• Environmental news is not a priority
for media outlets, as confirmed by
the experiences of these journalists.
This means that if environmental
projects and programmes want to
reach their audiences, more creative
and collaborative approaches are
needed, particularly in approach-
ing editors and decision makers in
the media. Relying on the automat-
ic dissemination of media releases
by media houses “for the public
good” is inadequate if we want our
messages to go further.
• Journalists are most interested in
stories which are of hu-man inter-
est, focus on public good and are
of educational value. Environmen-
tal and wastewater issues, which
affect every-one, have all of these
qualities. We need to begin fram-
ing our issues from the perspec-
tives of ordinary people in order
to help journalists identify story
angles that will get their audiences’
at-tention.
Engaging the Media
for Change!
Lessons from GEF CReW’s Media KAPS
Interviews are preferred
sources of information for
journalists.

In today’s economic climate many
companies are having to cut back on
spending, and the Water Author-
ity is no ex-ception. However, one
area where the Authority believes it
must continue to invest in is the de-
velopment of Cayman’s youth. The
Water Authority is proud to once
again grant a scholarship to a young
Cay-manian, Chynna Retumban.
Chynna graduated from St. Ig-
natius Catholic School in 2012
with four GCSE, five IGCSE and
returned there to complete Sixth
Form. Chynna was accepted at sev-
eral uni-versities in the UK, and has
chosen the University of Brad-ford
where she will major in Chemistry
with a minor in Drug Discovery.
Chynna states that she has always
been curious about how things work
and has de-veloped her analytic skills
over the years at school.She looks for-
ward to returning home after com-
pleting her degree to work in the
Author-itywhereshecouldimproveon
existing systems of scien-tific opera-
tions.She envisions research to be a
key compo-nent of her role.
She is also keen to give back to the
community, whether it is by work-
ing with children to develop in the
sciences or by research and develop-
ment hopefully re-sulting in innova-
tion and im-provements in the local
and regional environment.
From left: Retumban, Dr. Frederick-van Genderen (WAC),
Chynna Retumban, Mrs. Retumban, Pat Bell (WAC)
Scholarship Recipient to Pursue Chemistry in UK
The Water Authority con-tinues to
fulfil its mandate to ensure that all
residents have access to adequate
supplies of clean, potable water. In
the current eco-nomic climate where
the Cayman Islands Government is
tightening its belt, Water Authority
is doing more with fewer resources
without compromising on its obliga-
tion to produce affordable, high qual-
ity drinking water for all.
In September, Water Au-thority
crews completed the pipeline upgrade
along South Sound Road replacing an
aging 6-inch pipeline in-stalled in the
late 1980’s that had become insuffi-
cient to deliver water efficiently and
reliably to the increasing number of
large develop-ments in the area.
Similarly, on Cayman Brac, Water
Authority teams are expanding the
limited pipe-line network there.
By late August 2014 the Author-
ity had completed the installation of
pipelines along Gerrard Smith Ave,
includ-ing its side roads, and had
complet-ed the upgrade of the exist-
ing pipe-line along the south coast.
This project, which was started in
November 2013, is part of the Wa-
ter Authority’s ten-year capital plan
to ex-pand its water infrastructure
on Cayman Brac. Over the next few
years the Water Authority will invest
heavily in Cayman Brac in order to
ensure continued reliable water ser-
vice to its custom-ers. In November
2014, works will commence work
on the pipeline extension along the
North Coast.
In the aftermath of Hurri-cane Pal-
oma in late 2008 it became evident
that im-proved emergency power
generation is critical to con-tinuity
of the Authority’s Cayman Brac op-
erations. The Water Authority will
soon commission an emergency
stand-by generator that will ensure
that both water pro-duction and dis-
tri-bution can contin-ue at the West
End Water Works in the aftermath
of a hurricane.
Later this year a 60,000 US gallons
per day container-ised RO plant will
be com-missioned to ensure that ad-
equate water production capacity
will be available to meet growing
demand.
Fulfilling a Mandate to Supply all
Residents with Piped Water
Montserrat Utilities Limited has a
new boss. The company announced
the appointment of Mr. David Thom-
son to the position of Managing Di-
rector of Montserrat Utilities Limited
(MUL) since 1st September 2014.
Mr. Thomson’s appointment is for
a period of two years and the com-
pany looks forward to his contribu-
tion to the development of Mont-
serrat Utilities Limited, working
together with the Government for
the people of Montserrat.
Mr. Thomson brings a wealth of
experience as a civil engineer, hav-
ing worked in a number of local
government authorities in the Unit-
ed Kingdom before spending two
years on Saint Helena, a remote vol-
canic island in the South Atlantic,
with a population of about 4,000.
He managed the water and elec-
tricity authorities as well as the in-
frastructure of roads and buildings
for the government of St. Helena
and one of his jobs there was to
divest the utilities away from gov-
ernment and set up a private sector
company to provide these services.
He is joined on Montserrat by his
partner Jane. They left behind their
families in the UK and are both
looking forward to setting up home
on Montserrat.
Asked why he choose Mont-
serrat and Montserrat Utilities,
Mr Thomson replied, “I came
here in July for a short visit
and immediately felt relaxed
with the people and enchant-
ed by the beauty of the island.
“I’m looking forward to work-
ing with the Board of Directors
and staff at Montserrat Utilities
Limited.
“I appreciate there is a job to do in
terms of generating and distribut-
ing electricity efficiently and safely,
and in terms of delivering clean and
safe water, and I’m looking forward
to getting started.”
Mr David Thomson is the new
Managing Director of Montserrat
Utilities Limited (MUL)
Montserrat Utilities has a new Managing Director
Continued from Page 3
Representatives from Grenada,
the United States Virgin Islands,
the Amazon Basin, Central Amer-
ica and the Mediterranean were
able to deliver presentations giving
regional experiences on RWH look-
ing specifically at driving issues
for investments, achievements and
challenges. Another very important
aspect of the Forum was capturing
participants’ ideas and discussions
on actions to make the existing Ca-
ribbean Regional Rainwater Har-
vesting (RWH) Programme more
effective in the areas of:
1. Awareness Raising
2. Capacity Building
3. Legislative and Policy Formulation
4. Infrastructural Development
A wealth of information was re-
ceived from participants which has
been collated by the GWP-C and will
be used to contribute to the strength-
ening of the existing RWH Pro-
gramme for the Caribbean.
Knowledge sharing was the driv-
ing force of the Forum which also
explored the possible formulation of
a RWH Partnership or Network or a
Community of Practice. Stakeholders
at the Forum agreed that it would be
ideal for one organisation to take the
lead on this and share information
with other organisations.
Dr. Natalie Boodram, Programme
Manager of the GWP-C Water, Cli-
mate and Development Programme
(WACDEP) shared with participants
that GWP-C under its WACDEP has
developed a Caribbean Water and
Climate Knowledge Platform which
would be a good tool/resource to
share knowledge and continue the
dialogue on Rainwater Harvesting
and related topics. She explained to
participants that a “Rainwater Har-
vesting” page had been created espe-
cially for the Forum as a space for
discussions to continue.
On the third and final day of
the workshop, participants were
taken on a guided field trip where
they were able to see real-life ex-
amples of small-scale and com-
mercial-scale RWH installations
in households, a school, a health
centre and a hotel. It was a fruitful
experience for the diverse group
who were able to share differenc-
es and similarities in the systems
when compared to installations
in their respective countries and
how the systems are used.
GWP-C and Partners Host Regional Rainwater Harvesting Knowledge Exchange Forum
Member Utilities News

Saint Lucia’s Water and Sewage
Company (WASCO) has embarked
on a Southern Water Redevelop-
ment Project aimed at improving
the service provided to residents
worst affected during the passage
of Hurricane Tomas in October
2010.
WASCO’s Utility Services Plan-
ning and Design Manager Ally An-
thony said it follows a consultancy
on improving water delivery for
the South of the island.
“This is spearheaded by the
Water Sector Reform Unit from
the Ministry of Economic Affairs
and what it entails is how best to
redevelop the entire water sys-
tem for the south, which includes
Dennery, Vieux-Fort and envi-
rons,” Anthony said.
The consultancy received grant
funding from Mexico for the
Dennery region, following recom-
mendations.
Meanwhile, some water contami-
nation in Desruisseaux occurred in
September.
According to Anthony, “We had
to shut down and disinfect our en-
tire system – flush, disinfect and
flush, until we got quality we could
have been distributed to customers.
“This cost the company a lot in
terms of not being able to provide
the quality of service that we would
have wanted to; and in terms of the
trucking that we had to do in order
to provide the community with
water.”
He also re-emphasized WASCO’s
thrust to improve water quality,
particularly rural systems worst
affected by Tomas, the effect of
which continue to be felt in some
areas three years later.
Mexico supports Southern
Water Redevelopment Project
in Saint Lucia
The Water and Sewage Company
(WASCO) is now one step closer to the
start in its plan to de-silt and rehabili-
tate the John Compton Dam.
Aly Anthony, Senior Manager of
Utilities Services, Planning and Design
at WASCO, said proposals to address
siltation at the John Compton Dam
have been submitted to the Caribbean
Development Bank for review and ap-
proval.
Following approval, a survey and
analysis that will dictate the progres-
sion of the de-silting process will begin.
“The study will look at the problem
we are experiencing at the dam at a ho-
listic level,” Anthony said.
He added, “This includes the catch-
ment, the dam structure, the problem
with de-silting, and even the socio-
economic impact of the project on the
Millet and Vannard communities.
“In essence, the study will inform the
next stage of operations.”
The study will also determine the
depth, and analyze the chemical com-
position of the silt for disposal pur-
poses.
The silt may contain heavy metal con-
taminants or hydrocarbons from road
runoff, Anthony explained, which are
hazardous and therefore cannot be
spread to land without remedy.
De-silting of the dam is slated to be-
gin next year.
Meanwhile, WASCO has already en-
gaged key stakeholders in a consulta-
tion on the de-silting and Rehabilita-
tion study, which allowed stakeholders
to provide input into the preparation
of the de-silting project.
Chairman of WASCO, Egbert Louis,
said the study takes into account sev-
eral variables.
He also said Phase One involves the
preparation of a de-silting project.
The first phase also assesses the im-
pacts of the proposed solutions on the
environment and surrounding com-
munities, while the road network and
the dam structure will be comprehen-
sively analyzed during this study.
One of the main outputs of Phase
One will be a document which will
prescribe a plan for addressing the de-
silting of the dam.”
The study will be undertaken by the
Canadian firm Golder Associates in co-
operation with local firms.
Golder Associates representative, Dr.
Michael Bender, highlighted the objec-
tive of the study, saying: “We intend to
work closely with WASCO to develop
a comprehensive plan.”
He also said “The plan will achieve
three things. It aims to restore the reli-
ability of the water supply; to do that
in an economically viable way; and to
do it in an environmental and sociable
way.”
The first phase of the project com-
menced at the end of September.
De-silting of Sir John Compton
Roseau Dam to start in 2015
Accumulated debris and lack of adequate maintenance over several
years resulted in serious siltation of the Roseau Dam, the island’s
largest, forcing the government to embark on emergency measures to
secure the island’s water supply.
Continued from page 1
the Commonwealth of Dominica;
Senator The Honourable Simon Stiell,
Minister of Agriculture of Grenada;
The Honourable Robert Pickersgill,
Minister of Water, Land, Environ-
ment and Climate Change of Jamaica;
The Honourable Paul Lewis, Minis-
ter of Communications, Works, En-
ergy and Labour of Montserrat; The
Honourable Troy Liburd; Minister of
Works and Communications of Nevis;
Senator The Honourable Dr. James L.
Fletcher, Minister of Public Service, In-
formation, Broadcasting, Sustainable
Development, Energy, Science and
Technology of St. Lucia; Senator the
Honourable Ganga Singh, Minister of
Environment and Water Resources of
Trinidad and Tobago; and The Hon-
ourable George Lightbourne, Minister
of Government Support Services of
the Turks and Caicos Islands. Senior
government officials were also pres-
ent representing the Cayman Islands,
St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and
Tobago.
In looking back at the past High Lev-
el Forums, the CWWA and the GWP-
C were keen on improving the format
of the 10th Forum to ensure greater
engagement of Ministers in discus-
sions and more importantly, critically
exploring a practical mechanism for
follow-up after the Forum.
The theme of the 10th HLF was “Ca-
ribbean Water Security -Risks and Op-
portunities.” Some of the main topics
and discussion sessions at the Meeting
were:
• Opportunities and Risks in Secur-
ing Water Security in the Caribbean
• Feedback on the Third International
Conference on Small Island Devel-
oping States held in Samoa (The
Way Forward for SIDS in terms of
water management)
• Financing Challenges in the Water
Sector
• Regional Initiatives on Water,
Wastewater and Climate Change
Following a brief opening ceremony,
discussions at the Forum began with
a feature presentation on “Leadership
for Water Security” by Mr. Wouter T.
Lincklaen Arriens, a Technical Com-
mittee Member of the Global Water
Partnership (GWP). His presentation
looked at methodologies for assess-
ing water security and strategies to
increase water security drawing on
his work with the Asian Development
Bank, as well as, his participation in
the Global Technical Committee of the
GWP. His presentation sparked a lot
of dialogue amongst the Ministers as
it encouraged them to think about the
role leadership plays in driving and
supporting change.
Critical to the Forum was a fruitful
round-table discussion led by the Ca-
ribbean Water Ministers on “Policy
Challenges” focusing specifically on
innovative solutions and the policy
environment needed to support in-
novation in the water sector. The ses-
sion allowed for Ministers to actively
engage with each other and learn from
each other as they were able to share
their experiences in their respective
countries. The session was very ben-
eficial as it gave both the CWWA and
the GWP-C a better understanding of
some the policy challenges being faced
in the region so that both organisa-
tions and its strategic partners could
better respond to these regional needs.
Also key to the 10th HLF was a ses-
sion looking back at the ten (10) years
of the Forum. This session provided
an opportunity to reflect and critically
analyse the goals and objectives of the
HLF; look at its main achievements
and outcomes and more importantly
chart a way forward. Professor Jacob
Opadeyi, a Former Chair of the GWP
and Dr. Hugh Sealy, a Past President
of the CWWA each provided inputs on
the history of the HLF and the ratio-
nale behind the Forum’s establishment
to lead the discussions. According to
some of the Ministers present, the ses-
sion was extremely helpful to them be-
cause they had a clearer picture of the
genesis of the Forum.
The 10th High Level Forum was
deemed a success and was made pos-
sible through financial contributions
by the CWWA, GEF-CReW and the
GWP-C which was shared between its
core funds and funds under its Water,
Climate and Development Programme
(WACDEP).
Immediate Outcome:
After their discussions and delibera-
tions, the Caribbean Ministers present
at the 10th HLF signed a declaration
agreeing to:
1 Commit themselves to make all
the necessary efforts to convey to
their Cabinets the recommenda-
tions made at the High Level Forum
(HLF).
2 The GWP-C, CWWA and the Carib-
bean Regional Coordinating Unit
of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP-RCU) conven-
ing a Closed Ministerial Session
within the HLF for Caribbean Water
Ministers for the purpose of collabo-
ration on matters related to water.
3 The GWP-C, CWWA and UNEP-
RCU preparing an Information Note
including but not limited to joint in-
vestment, research and development
and procurement for the guidance of
Ministers making presentations to
their Cabinet.
RCU providing human resources
to support the Caribbean Commu-
nity (CARICOM) Secretariat in the
implementation of decisions of the
10th HLF as appropriate.
5 The GWP-C, CWWA and UNEP-RCU
conveying the recommendations of
the 10th HLF to CARICOM for the
purpose of presenting them to the
Council for Trade and Economic De-
velopment (COTED) and ensuring
that water is represented as a critical
portfolio.
RCU initiating a process to establish
a CARICOM Ministers of Water with
the COTED with the necessary link-
ages to the Council for Human and
Social Development (COHSOD) that
will provide political leadership,
policy direction and advocacy in the
provision, use and management of
water resources for sustainable social
and economic development of CARI-
COM member states.
Follow-up Actions:
The GWP-C is committed to working
with the CWWA and the UNEP-RCU
to ensure that these recommendations
are followed-up on. (Global Water
Partnership - Caribbean).
Eleven Ministers commit to better sell Water
to their Cabinets...
Bahamas hosts largest gathering
ever of Caribbean Water Ministers!

e-Source Page 11July-December 2014 e-Source Page 11July-December 2014
Member Utilities News
THE NEW BARBADOS WATER Author-
ity (BWA) Headquarters complex, when
complete next year, will allow staff oper-
ating under one roof to deliver services to
the Barbadian public and engage them in a
more effective and efficient manner.
The island’s Minister of Agriculture,
Food, Fisheries and Water Resource
Management, Dr. David Estwick, made
the declaration as he spoke with mem-
bers of the press following a tour of the
complex, which is now 50% complete.
Projections are that BWA management
and staff will be able to move into the
modern facility by April 2015.
Stressing that such a project was first
conceptualized in 1985, the Minister
with responsibility for Water Resource
Management noted that Cabinet took
a decision in June 2011 to reengage the
concept of a modern facility for the BWA
to house its numerous departments. As
such, the Minister expressed his delight
with the progress being made on the fa-
cility to date.
Minister Estwick noted that great focus
is not only being placed on the construc-
tion of the state-of-the-art facility, but a
great deal of internal work is also being
done to ensure that the public can be bet-
“We are at a point that I have been look-
ing forward to for a very long time!”
Those were the words of NAWASA’s
General Manager Mr. Christopher Hus-
bands, as he addressed persons at the Sod
Turning Ceremony for the Chemin Valley
Water System on October 21st, 2014.
For over 40 years, the Chemin Valley
residents and its surrounding environs
have had to deal with no water supply
on occasions during power outage and
also system maintenance. The Borehole
was constructed in 1965 and is the only
practical source of potable water for
the communities of Confer, Marian and
Close Rock, Egmont and Golden Heights,
which are residential developments.
This Chemin Valley Water System Proj-
ect involves procurement of tank, pumps
and telemetric switching devices, rein-
forced concrete tank base and also the
installation of approximately 2 km of
200mm ductile iron pipeline, glass fused
tank, borehole pumps, fencing to site and
test and commission system.
According to Mr. Husbands, “This proj-
ect provides NAWASA with the ability to
improve its energy efficiency, as Chemin
Valley is the only system that NAWASA
pumps directly into customers’ pipelines.
This has been inefficient and very expen-
sive, considering the cost of electricity.
“This project was one of priority for
NAWASA because it allows us the abil-
ity of scheduled pumping from one point
to another, significantly reducing pump-
ing costs, as persons will now receive this
As a corporate business organization,
The National Water and Sewerage Au-
thority (NAWASA) continued for the
10th year to award employees’ children
for their achievement in the Caribbean
Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) Ex-
amination.To date, 70 students have
benefitted from this initiative, which, in
many ways, has enhanced their educa-
tional experience e in school and com-
plemented their learning at home.
This year, driven by its responsibility
and commitment to ensuring that there
is a balanced pool of qualified human
resources who would contribute to na-
tion building, the Authority awarded
ten more students with vouchers in the
worth of $300 each, plus other school
ter served and production levels can rise,
when BWA employees enter the com-
plex.
“There’s a lot of internal work being
done at the Barbados Water Authority
and a lot of that internal work is related
to internal restructuring and that is be-
ing done heavily through a lot of IDB
(Inter-American Development Bank)
programmes.
“IDB programmes that look at upgrad-
ing the ICT platform in particular, put-
ting in Management Information Sys-
tems, Financial Information Systems and
other types of systems under the Water
and Sanitation Upgrade Programmes,”
Dr. Estwick revealed.
“Those types of systems allow the Barba-
dos Water Authority to be more efficient.
For example, in the technical area, intro-
ducing new SCADA (Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition) systems within the
IDB framework,” Estwick explained.
“The SCADA system will be a central-
ized monitoring ICT interface, which will
allow the Water Authority to be much
more efficient and to manage its processes
in terms of what you need to delivering
new connections and also to deal with
burst mains etc. in a more effective and ef-
ficient manner and in a more timely man-
ner,” the minister added.
“I think what this new dynamic will do,
is create the infrastructure that allows not
only the customer service element to work
more efficiently with your procurement
services, (but) also your distribution ser-
vices, as that has always been an area of
concern for the Barbados Water Authority.
“That’s because you may make an ap-
plication for a service, but sometimes you
have to wait several months -- or even a
year -- to get that service. With the modern
platform, the BWA will be introducing, I
believe those things will be of the past,”
Minister Estwick stressed. (GIS Barbados)
supply by gravity.”
“This project also provides the benefit
for NAWASA in that persons served by
borehole have a preference for surface
water, which up until now NAWASA
has not been able to influence via treat-
ment. This new reservoir allows NAWA-
SA to invest in other treatment additives
that can address the taste concerns.” the
GM further added.
Parliamentary Representative for St.
David Hon. Oliver Joseph said this proj-
ect is all part of Government’s Five Year
Development Plan for the parish’s infra-
structure. Minister Joseph and Minister
of Public Utilities Hon. Gregory Bowen
turned the sod.
Minister Bowen said “We are very hap-
py that significant complaints of water
shortages will be addressed by this proj-
ect. The Disaster Vulnerability Reduction
Project is of significant importance as it
helps with disaster vulnerability while
bringing improved water supply to vari-
ous communities.”
Following the Sod Turning at Chemin
Valley, teams journeyed to Observatory
to the site where a four hundred thou-
sand gallons (400,000) glass fused steel
bolted tank will be constructed as part
of the Observatory Reservoir Installation
Project. The project aims to ensure that
the town of St. George will not continue
to experience a depleted water supply
during working hours.
Parliamentary Representative for the
Town of St. George Hon. Nicholas Steele
and Minister of Public Utilities Hon.
Gregory Bowen, turned the sod for this
project.
Farmex has been awarded the $5.4 mil-
lion project to construct Chemin Valley
at $3.8M and the Observatory Tank Res-
ervoir at $1.6 million. Both projects are
funded by the Government of Grenada
and the World Bank as part of its Disas-
ter Vulnerability Reduction Programme.
Meanwhile, September 25 marked an-
other major step-up for the authority’s
operations in the parish of St. Patrick
with the Official Commissioning of its
Mt. Reuil Water Treatment Plant.
In January 2014, the Authority started the
Mt. Reuil Water Treatment Project, which
will see the parish of St. Patrick being
served by two systems. The construction
of this 250,000-gallons-per-day treatment
plant would address the unreliable water
supply in the parish and therefore provide
an environment conducive for investment,
particularly in the Tourism industry.
The completion of this Project also
greatly contributes in ensuring Climate
Change resilience to the water supply in
the Parish.
This Commissioning ceremony was
also attended by the Minister of Public
Utilities Gregory Bowen, who officially
cut the ribbon to open the facility.The
ceremony was held on the grounds Glen-
leg Natural Spring Production Office.
Superior service and greater efficiency promised with new Barbados Water Authority headquarters
SOD TURNED FOR TWO NEW WATER PROJECTS IN GRENADA
The new Barbados Water Authority (BWA) headquarters is taking shape to
open its doors next year.
Minister of Public Utilities and responsibility for Water Hon. Gregory Bowen
(centre) officiated at the ceremonies.
items, which will help to defray some of
their educational expenses and encour-
age them to continue to perform well in
their studies.
Speaking to the awardees, Chairman
of NAWASA’s Board of Directors Mr.
Terrance Forrester said, “Your achieve-
ment proves that given the right op-
portunities, you can thrive and do well
in your education. Undoubtedly the
support provided by NAWASA to its
employees and their children will be
able to realize potential and attain their
goals.”
The Authority values the efforts of
staff in providing the award to these
children, allowing them to develop into
competent individuals who are able
to overcome challenges in today’s ever
changing and competitive environment.
The Award Ceremony was held at
the Main Office on the Carenage, in the
presence of parents, well-wishers and
employees.
NAWASA rewards CPEA achievers
CPEA awardees with NAWASA Chairman Terrence Forrester (right) and HR
Manager Pansy Ventour (left) at the special award ceremony.

Surveys from 45 developing coun-
tries show that women and children
bear the primary responsibility for
water collection in the majority of
households. This is time not spent
working at an income-generating
job, caring for family members, or
attending school. In addition, con-
sider the following:
• 443 million school days are lost
each year due to water-related ill-
ness.
• Diarrhea is the second leading
cause of death among children
under five in the world.
• Around 1.5 million deaths each
year - nearly one in five – are
caused by diarrhea. It kills more
children than malaria, AIDS and
measles combined.
• Every minute at least one child
dies from diarrhea.
• An estimated 4,100 children un-
der the age of five die each day
from diarrhea globally.
• Malnutrition, due to dirty water,
inadequate sanitation, and hy-
giene, is estimated to lead to death
in an additional 2,350 children un-
der the age of five each day.
• Nearly 1.5 million children under
the age of five die every year from
diarrhea globally.
• It is estimated that in the 1980s, a
child died approximately every
six seconds from diarrhea
• 90% of the deaths due to diar-
rheal diseases are children under
5 years old, mostly in developing
countries. (Source: UN Water)
In more and more places water is being brought to communities that never had it so clean – or never had it at all – much
to the happiness of all. But in many places too, children continue to die just because of lack of their community’s access
to water. The Caribbean is more furtunate than many other parts of the world, but in many parts there’s still much to
be done to harness the proper distribution and supply to communities near and far. CAWASA seeks to make a change in
and for the Caribbean.
These statistics speak volumes
about the nature of tasks facing
water agencies worldwide and
CAWASA is committed to play-
ing its part to ensure the Carib-
bean addresses related issues
earlier than later, with full coop-
eration of all members and fellow
stakeholders.
World Water and Children
The horrors of thirst and water-borne diseases continue to
affect children worldwide daily!
The way in which we handle
waste has implications for our
health. If you had any doubt, just
CONSIDER the following:
• Diarrhea is more prevalent
throughout the developing
world largely due to the lower
levels of access to safe drinking
water and sanitation, along with
poorer overall health, hygiene,
and nutritional status.
• It is estimated that in the 1980s a
child died approximately every
six seconds from diarrhea
• Half of the hospital beds in the
world are occupied by patients
suffering from diseases associ-
ated with lack of access to safe
drinking water, inadequate san-
itation and poor hygiene.
• It is estimated that nearly 10% of
the global disease burden could
be reduced through improved
water supply, sanitation, hygiene,
and water resource management.
• 88% of global cases of diarrhea
is estimated to be attributable
to unsafe drinking water, inad-
equate sanitation, and poor hy-
giene.
• 90% of the deaths due to diarrhe-
al diseases are children under 5
years old, mostly in developing
countries. (Source UN Water)
Proper treatment of waste and
waste water is essential to the
development of clean and safe
water resources everywhere.
Water and Waste Water associa-
tions and agencies across the
Caribbean are doing their best to
address the related issues and to
encourage appropriate actions
at national levels.
With the health of the region’s
water consumers in mind, CA-
WASA is committed to enhanc-
ing of a regional approach to the
proper handling and treatment
of waste.
The link between Water and
Waste can be
Deadly!

Cawasa e source newsletter - 3rd Quarter 2014

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Cawasa e source newsletter - 3rd Quarter 2014