In late 2022, the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in collaboration with the GEF CReW+ and UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) and Cartagena Convention Secretariat, re-opened a Call for Project Proposals on Integrated Water and Wastewater Management (IWWM) Capacity Building Projects in any of the GEF CReW+ Participating countries.
Since the Call, five (5) project proposals have been approved and these organisations will each be awarded funding of US$5,000 to execute a small-scale IWWM capacity building project by July 2023.
We are pleased to announce the successful grantees based in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Of the five (5) grant recipients, the following three (3) have been awarded funding through GWP-C’s collaboration with GEF CReW+ and the UNEP CEP and Cartagena Convention Secretariat:
Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago (ASTT) | Country: Trinidad and Tobago
The overall goal of this project is to engage farmers in-person with the following aims:
- To determine farmers' level of understanding and attitude towards wastewater reuse (WWRU) – A concise analysis of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) of farmers related to WWRU will be conducted and shared in a publication to provide insights for future capacity building initiatives.
- To provide information and answer questions that farmers may have about WWRU – Through capacity building trainings for farmers on WWRU and the technical requirements of the national WWRU standard.
- To determine the opportunities and challenges that wastewater operators and farmers may encounter when implementing WWRU and make recommendations. Learn more about the ASTT.
Women for Biodiversity | Country: Columbia
The overall aim of this project is to strengthen the capacities of the Ticuna indigenous community in integrated water management with an emphasis on the fight against pollution of water sources with residual mercury from illegal artisanal mining, along 3,600ha of the Colombian Amazon Basin. An estimated 200 Ticuna indigenous families (>3,000 indigenous people) will benefit through three (3) intended components of the project: Educational, Monitoring and Sustainability. Learn more about Women for Biodiversity.
Technological University of Panama (UTP) – Forest Hydrology and Urban Waters Research Group | Country: Panama
The project is expected to impact young university students' understanding of the importance of integrated water management in the watersheds they study by promoting tools to determine the key points to drive IWWM planning from the local to the national level. The key objectives of this project are:
- To create a group of 10 students of UTP trained on the importance of integrated water and wastewater management (IWWM) in the Curundu River sub-basin.
- To generate analytical capacity based on the understanding of the consequences of non-existent IWWM in the loss of biodiversity, landscape modification, economic and human losses in the impacted area.
- To promote the positive knowledge of good integrated management in the Curundu River sub-basin within the university campus of the UTP. Learn more about UTP.
It is important to point out that through GWP-C’s collaboration with the GEF CReW+ and the UNEP CEP and Cartagena Convention Secretariat, it will be the first time that GWP-C is able to support projects on the ground in South America (Columbia) and Central America (Panama) in IWWM.
The remaining two (2) grant recipients to implement a small-scale IWWM Capacity Building Project are being funded by GWP-C. They are:
IB Environmental | Country: Trinidad and Tobago
This project is titled “Water and Wastewater Pricing Sustainability in Trinidad and Tobago.” It aims to analyse the price of standard water services in Trinidad and Tobago and compare those prices with potential rates for reuse water. The core project objectives include:
- Doing a comparison of water and wastewater service prices in Trinidad and Tobago with similar countries. The comparison entities will include other Caribbean countries and countries/regions with similar topography and/or economic conditions.
- Providing recommendations on how the price for these services can be increased, while considering rate shock and low-income customers.
- Exploring potential programmes to assist low-income customers. If water and wastewater rates are increased, there will be some subset of the population that genuinely cannot afford the new tariffs. Therefore, part of this project will include a presentation of programmes that can be used to assist these customers. Learn more about IB Environmental.
Kinderuniversiteit Suriname (Children's University Suriname) | Country: Suriname
This project was recently completed and focused on delivering children’s courses in hydrogeology in Paramaribo and the district of Commewijne. The aim was to expose 100 students from Paramaribo and 50 students from Commewijne to the water-related courses.
The children's courses in the Commewijne district incorporated local challenges of residents in accessing healthy drinking water. While the children’s courses in Paramaribo, reflected the power and potential of pupils, to keep drinking water sources clean. The courses also focused on the importance of clean drinking water and make linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Learn more about the Children's University Suriname.