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Water and Climate Change
April 2003

By Wesley Gibbings, CERN correspondent

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There is water everywhere in the Caribbean, but does the region have enough to sustain itself? Opinions are divided on the issue, but there is a consensus that the region has to pay greater attention to the future of water resources, which are being impacted by climate change.

Robert Watson, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says climate is constantly changing and it will even change further in the future. Watson argues that nobody knows how much, how fast and where it will impact most.

What does all this mean for fresh water supplies in the Caribbean?

Caribbean Islands should address the issue of climate change seriously, says Watson. "It is an issue the region ignores at its own peril. Not too many of our countries have paid enough attention to the issue of climate change and the impact it can have on water resources availability."

Jan Vermeiren, head of the sustainable development unit at the Organisation of American States (OAS), says there are major issues that small island states have to address.

"Climate change, precipitation factors and sea level rise which is, of course, caused by climate change affects groundwater," says Vermeiren. "In small islands, these effects are amplified." According to him, there are several distinct phenomena being observed in the Caribbean and they have an impact on the region's water needs.

"Most of the islands in the Caribbean are among those with the lowest per capita reserves of water and demand is growing from the population growth as well as economic activities such as tourism and agriculture," notes Vermeiren. "That means any disruption in the supply would have very serious consequences."

While there appears to be consensus among international and regional institutions on what is to be done about the situation, the wider population of the region needs to become involved, says Vincent Sweeney, executive director of the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI).

"Each person must see himself or herself as a water manager and issues such as conservation, using water wisely and saving water resources must be highlighted if we are to really get a consensus among the wider population," says Sweeney.

Vermeiren agrees. He sees the challenge as embracing a wide range of issues, including recent concerns about global trade.

"What we have to do when we discuss trade is to look at the implications of engaging and promoting certain trade; the implications in terms of the demands on water and the fact that we are witnessing an increasing cost of water because of climate change, says Vermeiren. "It will have consequences for trade. That has to be looked at."

For these reasons, the CEHI approach has been to build partnerships. Sweeney believes the way out is a multi-faceted approach. He has been collaborating with his counterparts in the Pacific through the dialogue on climate and water.

"CEHI has a number of roles in water management which includes advocacy," says Sweeney. "We must raise awareness, we must get the message across to the right constituents."

The institute is also addressing policy formulation on issues like water sector policies and water resource management policies. Sweeney says once these policies are formulated, CEHI will support their implementation.

This article is based on a transcription of Island Beat Radio.

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