In supporting the revision of the Draft Policy and Roadmap, focus group meetings will be carried out on Wednesday, December 10th, 2014 in St. John’s Antigua and a National Consultation will be held on Friday, December 12th,, 2014 where the Honourable Robin Yearwood, Minister of Public Utilities, Transportation and Aviation of Antigua and Barbuda will give the feature address.
The Draft Policy and Roadmap was developed in 2011 under the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management Project (IWCAM) co-executed by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) and the Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-CAR/RCU). The draft documents have to be sent to the Cabinet of Government for approval, but in light of Antigua and Barbuda’s ratification of the Land Based Sources of Pollution (LBS) Protocol it was felt that the documents should be amended to reflect LBS issues. It was also felt that the Draft Policy and Roadmap should reflect climate resilience and draw on the recently completed Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Draft Model Water Policy.
GWP-C is supporting the amendment of the documents under its WACDEP given the Programme’s focus on supporting countries in the development of appropriate legal frameworks, policies, strategies, sectoral and development plans – integrating water security and climate resilience. The WACDEP is being carried out in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and aims to directly support the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) agenda on climate change by facilitating water related adaptation actions as defined in the Implementation Plan for the Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change.
According to Dr. Natalie Boodram, GWP-C WACDEP Manager “An Integrated Water Resource Management approach, including the development of relevant policies, frameworks and strategies, is essential to build climate resilience in the Caribbean water sector.” She further stated that GWP-C is pleased to be working together with the APUA to support this process.
The revision of the Draft Policy and Roadmap is scheduled to be completed in early 2015 and then submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.
The media is invited to the Official Opening Ceremony of the National Consultation at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 12th, 2014 at City View Hotel in St. John’s. For more information on the National Consultation please contact us at info@gwp-caribbean.org.