sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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4. Freshwater resources, water management and sea level rise
Many Caribbean countries rely almost entirely on a single source of water supply, and available
freshwater in the Caribbean SIDS is considerably less compared to other oceanic islands (UNEP, <strong>20</strong>08).
Climate change is expected to cause severe water stress, especially for countries that are already
categorized as water scarce (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Kitts and Nevis) (UNEP, <strong>20</strong>08;
CEPF, <strong>20</strong>10; UNEP, <strong>20</strong>10). The situation is most urgent in the low-lying limestone islands, where the
seasonality of rainfall is particularly pronounced (Trotz, <strong>20</strong>08). In addition, rises in sea level result in
saline intrusion to underground aquifers or groundwater and threaten these already taxed water supplies
and have led some countries (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Barbados) to use desalinated water
(UNEP, 1999; UNEP, <strong>20</strong>10). Decreased river flows, as a result of climate change, are expected to also
negatively affect hydroelectric installations, such as those found in Dominica and Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines (Trotz, <strong>20</strong>08). The tourism industry’s large presence in the Caribbean SIDS has come at an
environmental price, as it creates an even greater burden on water consumption, reported in the
Dominican Republic as 4 times higher in the tourism industry than for residential uses
(PricewaterhouseCoopers, <strong>20</strong>07). Tourism, agricultural use, rising urban populations and excessive drawdown
are placing increased demands on these freshwater resources (UNEP, 1999).
Progress has been made in developing a legal, political and institutional framework for water
management where, for example Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and
Tobago, have national water policies and are seeking to streamline water laws and institutions (Chase,
<strong>20</strong>08; ICS/CEHI/OAS, <strong>20</strong>02). In addition, regional initiatives, such as the Caribbean Water and Waste
Water Association (CWWA), Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) and the Caribbean Basin
Water Management Programme (CBWMP), have been established over the last decades to help advance
water resource management (Chase, <strong>20</strong>08; ICS/CEHI/OAS, <strong>20</strong>02). However, additional progress towards
integrated water resource management within watersheds and with respect to groundwater supplies is
necessary in the region (ECLAC, <strong>20</strong>07; ICS/CEHI/OAS, <strong>20</strong>02). In order to protect freshwater resources,
it is crucial for the region to continue its work in integrating water resource management into policies and
programmes which address the drivers for scarcity (among them, rising populations, tourism, agriculture,
and excessive draw-down) and establish legal, policy and institutional frameworks for water resource
management.
In addition, efforts to mainstream gender considerations into water management are essential;
both men and women manage water resources, but the gender division of labour differentiates the way in
which men and women use water. Women and men carry different volumes of water daily. On average,
women carry 114 litres to 133 litres, primarily for households, while men carry 76 litres to 95 litres,
primarily for livestock, two to three times a day (UNDP, <strong>20</strong>09a). Water management strategies should
include a gender analysis of needs in a community to ensure that water services are provided in an
equitable manner that does not unfairly burden women.
5. Waste management and chemical substances
Reports highlight a shortage of investment in sewage and wastewater facilities in SIDS, as well as the
high incidence of eutrophication caused by the dumping of sewage into rivers and coastal waters, which is
caused by an estimated 80% to 90% of wastewater discharge being fed untreated into rivers and oceans in
the Caribbean SIDS (Binger, <strong>20</strong>11; UNEP, <strong>20</strong>10). Waste management is considered a major problem on
small islands, since the limitations on the space that can be allocated to landfills increase the risks of
contamination of ground, surface and ocean waters from sewage, industrial effluents and agriculture.