cl Caribbean WaterWays

SGEF Newsletter of the GEF IWCAM Project
GEF

EH Volume 2, Issue 3 September 2008
c'"S ___ t _U1 A*--i mn________________2___

In this issue:

* Feature: Antigua
& Barbuda Demon-
stration Project:
Mitigation of
Groundwater and
Coastal Impacts
from Sewage Dis-
charges from St.
John's (pgs. 1,2,3)

* GIS Training Work-
shop (pgs.1, 8)

* St. Lucia IWRM
Inception Work-
shop (pg.2-3)

* Antigua & Barbuda
benefits from tech-
nical cooperation
with Cuba (pg. 3)

* Demonstration
Project High-
lights-Farmer's
Training Day, Ja-
maica; Rainwater
Harvesting Sub-
Project, St. Lucia;
Community Refor-
estation Effort,
Trinidad & To-
bago; Gardette
Community Chil-
dren's Summer
Workshop, St,.
Lucia (pgs. 4-5)

* IWCAM Indica-
tors-an update
(pg. 6)

* GEF-IWCAM at
CEF-4 (pg. 7)

* Staffing Updates
(pg. 7)

GIS Training Workshop for
GEF-IWCAM Countries

The GEF-IWCAM Project held a Geographic
Information Systems Training Workshop for
Participating Countries from 9 12 July 2008,

GSsie n aii

qj
1213 u

l\ -.. i. 1 land managementplanning;
Dominica Land Capability Assessment map

in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

This was the first GIS 'hands-on' training of-
fered under the GEF-IWCAM Project and fol-
lowed the Capacity Assessment of GIS Capa-
bilities in Participating Countries and resulting
Road Map completed in 2007. All 13 countries
participated. Participants all had some back-
ground in GIS and were afterward expected to
apply this training to IWCAM at either the
Demonstration Project or at the national level.

The objectives of the Training Workshop were:
To introduce GIS concepts relevant to water-
shed and coastal areas management; to pro-
vide training in Pollutant and Erosion Modeling,
and; to further strengthen the regional network
of GIS practitioners (through an Informal GIS
Working Group).

Dr. Christopher Cox, Ag. Programme Director,
CEHI, stressed the importance of participants
considering their roles in the creative applica-
tion of GIS to IWCAM. In terms of support for
decisions of a technical nature, Demonstration
Projects could possibly assemble archives of
data specific to their respective watersheds

Feature Article:
Antigua & Barbuda Demonstration Project:
Mitigation of Groundwater and Coastal Im-
pacts from Sewage Discharges from St.
John's
McKinnon's Pond, north of the capital St. John's and in
the same parish, is site of the GEF-IWCAM Antigua and Barbuda
Demonstration Project.

St. John's has an urban population of 45,000, sixty per-
cent of the country's total population. There are inadequate sew-
age handling and treatment systems in place. While the majority
of households use septic tanks, these are not pumped regularly.
This often results in septic failure and overflow, causing untreated
effluent to go directly into drains. Most of this effluent eventually
drains into the St. John's Harbour
and impacts on nearby McKinnons '.,
Pond causing high levels of marine
pollution.

This coastal wetland, used to
be an important site for migrating birds,
resident birds and waterfowls and an
important spawning habitat and nurs-
S,,, 1,, i. . "i ery area for juvenile fish and shellfish.
In 1968 a road was constructed to link
hotels and entertainment facilities at the northern and southern
ends of the Pond. This resulted in an embankment that eliminated
the natural link and connection of the Pond with the sea, impacting
the wetland significantly. There was a loss of flora including man-
groves and decreased populations and diversity of bird species.

Currently, McKinnon's Pond is an open area of stagnated
water lined by sparse live and dead mangrove trees. The Pond
itself is devoid of vegetation and in some areas has been physi-
cally altered and enhanced to provide roosting sites for birds and
bank stabilization/fortification to address flooding. It is polluted by
an influx of wastewater discharges and sediment loads from point
and non-point sources, posing a threat not only to surrounding
communities but also to the water table and ground water quality.
In addition, the Pond has become infested with mosquitoes and is
a health threat to adjacent communities.

(Continued on page 8) (Contued onage 2)
(Continued on page 2)

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

St. Lucia Integrated Water Resources Man-
agement (IWRM) Inception Workshop

As part of the GEF-IWCAM Regional Activities, the
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute and the GEF-IWCAM
PCU are working together to hold Integrated Water Resource
Management Planning Workshops in the 13 Participating Coun-
tries. To date, IWRM Workshops or related activities have taken
place in:
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Dominica
Grenada
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines (Union Island)

(Continuedfrom page 1)
The Demonstration Project aims to address the
issue of coastal pollution caused by sewage and wastewa-
ter discharge from the parish of St. John's. It precedes an
overall plan to identify a cost effective solution to this prob-
lem for the St. John's watershed, and eventually the entire
country, through the design and development of street-

Participation was excellent;
discussions were lively

The most
recent
workshop,
which took
place on
12 August
2008 in
Castries,
St. Lucia,
was very
well at-

(Continued on page 3)

BACKGROUND ON THE GEF-IWCAM
PROJECT:

The Global Environment Facility-funded Integrating Watershed
and CoastalAreas Management in Caribbean Small Island De-
velopment States (GEF-IWCAM) Project was approvedby the
Global Environment Facility (GEF) in May2004. Implementing
agencies are the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP). Executing agencies are the Secretariat ofthe
Cartagena Convention (UNEP-CAR/RCU) and the Caribbean
Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) and the UN Office of Pro-
ject Services (UNOPS). The thirteen participating SIDS are:
Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Grenada,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trini-
dad and Tobago. The length of the Project is Syears and com-
menced in the second quarter of 2005. The Project Coordinating
Unit is located at the CEHI, as agreed by the Implementing and
Executing Agencies and the participating countries.

Lower income, unregulated housing located along the
edge ofMcKinnon's Pond
level or other appropriate systems to handle primarily do-
mestic wastes.

The main barriers to better control and manage-
ment of sewage handling, treatment and discharges are:

* Lack of adequate domestic handling and holding facili-
ties within the parish of St. John's
* Lack of treatment facilities prior to discharge
* Inappropriate waste disposal mechanisms for septic
tank sludge
* Inadequate legislative control and lack of capacity for
enforcement
* Poor incentives/disincentives for appropriate construc-
tion and use of effective septic tanks
* Inadequate monitoring of water quality to guide policy-
makers and legislators.

The main anticipated outcome of the Demonstra-
tion Project is the general improvement in quality of the
land and marine environment which represents a renew-
able natural resource and is critical in maintaining ecosys-
tem functions.

The Project Management Unit is located at the
Environment Division of the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Avia-
tion, Culture and the Environment. Local partners/
stakeholders include the Antigua Public Utilities Authority
(APUA), the Central Board of Health (CBH), the Public
Works Department (PWD) and the St. John's Development
Co-operation.

(Contmnued on page 3)

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

(Continuedfrom page 2)

Project activities thus far have included:

* Providing information regarding the project to the commu-
nity

* A range of public awareness activities, including the crea-
tion and airing on local radio stations of an IWCAM jingle and
production of a brochure and flyers
* Regular meetings of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
* Commissioning of data collection exercises and a legisla-
tive review
* Technical cooperation with the Government Laboratory to
enable the analysis of samples
* Lobbying relevant government agencies to establish policy
and legislative documents on sewage management for Antigua
and Barbuda.

In a related initiative, CEHI and a team from Cuba, at
the request of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, recently
completed an Environmental Scoping Exercise on McKinnon's
Pond (see article, pg. 3). Four possible courses of action were
identified: marina development with supporting amenities; reha-
bilitation; land filling and reclamation, and; no-action. Whichever
course of action is eventually taken, the issue of pollution of the
Pond and nearby coastal area as a result of sewage and waste-
water discharge is a fundamental problem which must be dealt
with first.

The support of the local community is key to the suc-
cess of the GEF-IWCAM Demonstration Project. A public con-

\ P.int ..; 1 r s unres>
sultation was held on 17 June 2008, to coincide with activities
marking World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, at
the Wesleyan Junior School. About 40 people representing
villagers, the hotel sector, a local NGO the Environment
Awareness Group, the Ministry of Public Works, the Environ-
ment Division, and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority at-
tended. Also on hand to answer questions were the Health
Minister, John Maginley, Environment Minister Harold Lovell,
Former Chief Town and Country Planner Charlesworth Davis
and GEF-IWCAM Project Coordinator, Melesha Banhan.

Antigua & Barbuda benefits from
technical cooperation with Cuba

The GEF-IWCAM Project arranged for the Government
of Cuba's Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos
(CEAC) to provide technical assistance to the Government of
Antigua and Barbuda for environ-
mental modeling of the north-west
coast of Antigua. The Government
of Antigua and Barbuda is seeking to .
develop a comprehensive, holistic,
and multisectoral management plan
for the North-West Coast of Antigua.

Three Cuban experts Cuban ', ,,, i~~ \i ..*.*.... i,.i'
from CEAC, along with
the GEF-IWCAM RPC and representatives of CEHI, visited Anti-
gua during the week of July 28th to collect data on the North-
West coast of Antigua. The Cuban team is working directly with
the Environment Division of the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Avia-
tion, Culture and The Environment. The integrated approach
being taken also relies on inputs from the APUA and the Minis-
try of Health, given the importance of the area to the major eco-
nomic sector, tourism, as well as the health of the population.

This work will focus on environmental characterization
of coastal zones, examination of
sedimentation processes and mathe-
matical modeling of marine currents
and accidents (such as oil spills) in
coastal zones. The studies are be-
ing conducted specifically to recom-
mend solutions to the pollution prob-
lems affecting McKinnons Pond and
also solutions to the beach erosion
and periodic flooding experienced in BuccaneerCove
the area.

CEAC will prepare models based on data and informa-
tion gathered during this visit, returning to Antigua later this year
to share their findings and provide training in analysis.

Complementing this is a scoping exercise conducted
by CEHI in order to identify further work needed towards devel-
opment of the management plan.

(Continuedfrom page 2)
tended, with stakeholders from government, the private sector, and
community groups. Participants discussed the IWRM approach and
what needs to be done in order to adopt it as a standard management
practice in Saint Lucia. Of particular interest and relevance, and vigor-
ously discussed, were the potential privatization of the water utility
(WASCO) and the establishment of the Water Resources Manage-
ment Agency within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry.

CEHI, under the auspices of the GEF-IWCAM Project, will continue to
work with St. Lucia to help with the development of a "roadmap" for
IWRM Planning, an approach similar to that which has been taken in
other countries, and also on the implementation of IWRM activities.

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

Demonstration Project Highlights

Jamaica:
Farmers Training Day at Horses Savannah,
Drivers River Watershed

One of the major challenges faced by the Drivers
River Watershed is that the area is steep and soils are easily
eroded. To combat this, the GEF-IWCAM Demonstration Pro-
ject, through its Livelihood and Sanitation Committee, en-
gaged the Hectors River Jamaica Agriculture Society Farm-
ers Group on August 13, 2008 to provide training to farmers
in the Drivers River area.

A total of twenty male and female farmers partici-
pated. The training was focused on the stabilization of soils
using pineapple and vetiver barriers. Using an integrated
approach, a number of the Demonstration Project's partner
agencies were also pre-
sent to impart their ex-
perience and expertise.

The demonstra-
tion took place on ap-
proximately quarter of an
acre of land, on one of
the farmer's holdings.
S' ,,,,, Using sticks found on the
property, an "A-frame"
was made. In addition three pieces of sticks of equal length
(2 feet) were used to make a triangle; illustrating to those
present the use of indigenous material. The "A-frame" was
then used to delineate the con-
tour which was pegged and
lined.

To ensure that pineap-
pie sets were placed 2 feet apart
the triangle was then used. This
was followed by the cleaning
and planting of two hundred and
fifty pineapple sets and approxi-
mately 2 lengths of vetiver
grass. To ensure maximum un-
derstanding each farmer was
then given the chance to repeat .4
the process, corrected and com- .ri ,,, h t.. /i ,
mended by other participants as
the training continued.

St. Lucia:
Rainwater Harvesting Sub-Project
launched in Dennery

In order to dem-
onstrate rainwater
harvesting (RHW) as
a simple and low-cost
water supply technol-
ogy which can provide
water at an accept-
able quality standard,
the St. Lucia Demo t ,, Lisas,, an d ii. L
Project launched a .'"'.'"r, ...- li i,
Rainwater Harvesting RCUand CEHI, andotherpartners
(RWH) sub-project in
May 2008 which is funded by the GEF-IWCAM Project and
the EU. It aims to complement the current water scheme and
enhance reliability of water supply within the Fond D'or water-
shed, particularly during the dry season and periods of in-
duced and natural drought.

Before the advent of a centralized water delivery service,
these communities relied solely on the harvesting of rain wa-
ter therefore, although its use has declined over time and is
practically non-existent today, it is not entirely new.

With the application of best practices, most water quality
standards can be met. It has the additional advantage of
being a relatively simple and low-cost water supply technol-
ogy which is generally easy to install and maintain.

Sub-project activities include:
Adopting an appropriate design,
Training potential contractors in
construction of the system,
Constructing 20 systems in visi-
ble locations within each of the
settlements,
Constructing complete RWH
units at 10 public institutions; (6 -
schools, 2 Health Centres, 1
Police station, and the Dennery
hospital (3000 gallons each),
Estimating water supply impacts -
(quantity, quality, preferences) and economic bene-
fits, and
Conduct-
ing com- GEF
munity .
awareness
program in
support of Youhavejustenteredthe
RWH. Fond D'Or Watershed ,

This is a
RaLnwater Harvestng Demonstrnlon Are&

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

Demonstration Project Highlights

Trinidad & Tobago:
Community group becomes involved in
watershed reforestation effort

The Courland watershed, site
Tobago Demonstration
Project is ravaged by
bush fires annually. A
local community group,
the Anse Formager Eco-
logical Environmental
Protection Organisation
(AFEEPO), was formed
in 2006 by Lyndon Glas-
gow and Anthony Cord-
ner. Their original con-
cern was the rapid dete-
rioration of the Anse Formager Beach.

of the Trinidad and

APtEEO President,
Lyndon Glasgow,
shows areafor refor-

Lyndon and Anthony em- station in watershed
barked on a project to restore the
beach to its former glory by ridding it of piles of garbage that
had accumulated at the mouth of the river and to restore the
bare, rain battered, hillsides which fringed the beach. A call
for other members of the community to assist in the refores-
tation effort received an overwhelming response, motivating
the two men to consolidate interested participants into pur-
suing a bigger vision. As a result, a core group of 18 dedi-
cated members is now functioning with an expanded mis-
sion: that of bringing a halt to the degradation of the Cour-
land watershed and empowering the community towards
more sustainable ways of living by rehabilitating the forest
and restoring
more traditional
agricultural prac-
tices.

With the
support of the
GEF-IWCAM
Trinidad and To-
bago Demonstra-
tion Project, a
visit by AFEEPO
/, ,,/ ...r / / r . .../, to the Fondes
Amandes with Akilah Jaramogi Amandes Commu-
nity Re-Forestation
Project (FACRP) in the northern range of Trinidad was or-
ganized in May 2008. The visions and missions of these
two community groups are very similar. Visiting members of
the AFEEPO were inspired as they saw the success of the
FACRP which faces challenges many times larger than
theirs.
Future AFEEPO /IWCAM plans include training in
fire prevention and detection, and disaster management in
the forest. It is envisioned that AFEEPO will eventually func-
tion as a core fire fighting and conservation unit within the
Courland watershed.

St. Lucia:
Gardette Community Children's Summer
Workshop

Students from the community of Gardette were
treated to a fun-packed and educational summer workshop
organised by the Gardette Development Committee in col-
laboration with the GEF-IWCAM St. Lucia Demonstration
Project.

The Workshop aimed, among other things, to help
the children understand the concept of a watershed, water
quality, how water quality is measured, and why it is impor-
tant to maintain good water quality. They were shown that
certain domestic and farming practices can impact negatively
upon water quality and were encouraged to think about how
they dispose of garbage.

The workshop
., s conducted mainly by
three committee members,
%...ith Input from the Demon-
stration Project's Liaison
SC'fficer, Cecil Henry as well
as the Forestry Officer
responsible for water-
srieds, Alfred Prospere.

Over a two-week
period from 28th July 8th August 2008, thirty children be-
tween eight and ten years old participated in a number of
presentations and fieldtrips including:

A water quality testing exercise at the CARDI bridge
at La Resource, Dennery;
A visit to the Latille Falls in Micoud where they were
treated to a demonstration on the generation of hy-
dro-electricity with the use of a hydro-ram device
which was installed in the waterfall.

The keen interest shown and eager participation of
the children in both indoor and outdoor activities clearly dem-
onstrated the value of the Workshop. Response to quizzes
and evaluation exercises was excellent a clear indication
that they had learned about the Project, the Fond D'Or water-
shed and many issues related to water.
Listening to lecture on
On the last day "Life in theRiver"
brochures and posters ,'.
produced by the Project
were distributed to stu-
dents and facilitators. They ,
all pledged to use the
messages and lessons
learned over the two week
period for the benefit of
their peers and community
as a whole.

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

IWCAM Indicators an update
This article summarizes Project work to date in the area of IWCAM indi-
cators:

Indicators Assessment
In 2007 the GEF-IWCAM Project conducted an indicators
assessment as part of a larger assignment on IWCAM indicators
mechanisms. The objective of this study was to assess indicators
mechanisms and capacity in the countries to utilize and monitor indi-
cators for the IWCAM approach, and to develop an indicators tem-
plate based on GEF International Waters indicators (Process, Stress
Reduction, and Environmental Status Indicators). Data and informa-
tion sources included published and unpublished documents and
reports, internet searches, and a questionnaire distributed among the
countries. In order to validate the findings of the desk study, ground-
truthing was conducted in Barbados, Dominican Republic, and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines. This report has been reviewed and
finalized and now is located on the GEF-IWCAM web-site at htt://
www.iwcam.orq/information/qef-iwcam-and-iabin-indicators-mechanism-
workshop/qef-iwcam-indicators-assessment-report-final-ma-2008/view

Template
The indicators template constituted the second component
of the indicators work. The major objective of this component was to
develop an indicators template to monitor changes in the state of the
watershed and coastal environments, monitor the trends in socioeco-
nomic pressures and conditions in watershed communities and
coastal towns, and to assess the efficacy of IWCAM in addressing
these issues and mitigating harmful impacts, both during the project
and in the post-project period. In the longer term, the selected indica-
tors would be adopted and tracked by the participating countries,
according to their particular circumstances or needs. Each country
would need to determine the baselines and benchmarks for each
indicator, since these would vary among countries and issues.

A template was developed, based on the three types of
indicators recommended by GEF for use in its International Waters
Projects: Environmental Status/Water Resources Indicators, Stress
Reduction Indicators, and Process Indicators. The template was thor-
oughly reviewed by GEF-IWCAM participating countries and partners
and a final version can be found at http://www.iwcam.orq/information/qef-
iwcam-and-iabin-indicators-mechanism-workshop/qef-iwcam-indicators-
lempl3ael.iinal.nma, .21 ll/vi&ev '

Workshop .
e In 1i larch 21001, a GF-IW1CAI 1 In.ical.:.rs W :r sh,:,p a
held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica t;: F' pres the revise, assessment report
and inical.:.rs lempilale i: re .resenlahives :f : Ihe 1:; parnici:ating
ouinlres The W,:rt sh,:. was held. in -:lla,:,ralhi:n Wilh Ihe ,GEF;
*iune, Inler*-American EBi,:diversirv Inf,:,rm hali.:n li.lw:rt (IAEI1) with
joinl and parallel sessions, The major ,:bjleclives ,: GEF.Il CAI, 1 for.
the workshop were 1I:) present the findings ,:f Ihe 1AliWCAl 1 indicial.:rs
illechaninisI an, d CapFailv assessmii nl in Ihe Farnicii aling L :'iinlries
[:r ,iiiisi:,nr iInuli and f eedi.ac i' r.l parli cipanis present ahe.
dral indl-alrs ellmplale;for diILIssioIn and ot.Iaininlg .:nsensus and,

diiLcus the way forward for imple.meiinlali,:n O:f the indical:,rs lem.
pl ... .. aie

The consensus of this w.:.r shp':. was.that'the following next
hle .s sh:iiuld be Ila n 1: further uiiid. on the indical:rs activities al-'
"e a d v ln d uiL I l e d *,
* Pilot iesling of a suite.of indicators in :ine of the parlicipaling
counntries';
(* More f:'cisied training for the PCs on indical:ai rs (Wilh IABIN
Sisiiing e ISiing dala andl case sluidies .
:* Eslatlishmenil of an IWCAM:tndicators AI,:Nrt ng Group; ..
* QEF-I CAA[ 1 l.o c:nducl lab:r:al:,ry assess ni 1i luppo: r moni-
lo:ring effrs "
Disseiinaiii n ':.i Iesiisn learned anjd besi practices .:. inaIge-
meni eIIeiciveness iiIle-t-iun performance indical.:.rs andi
nilerglie bet enl Ihe IAEIllI and G IEF.-I CAI [ 1 projects Wilh a
view l:waards a II:.ll:w wi aior sh,:, iii early 2010.

A wa:'rl sho: r.ep~:r 1 I:caled al hiIrp llNw v iiiism .:rin,, :rmnai3i iln/qe-
iv:anim*anjdi3bin-indi:|:al:rs.-nic:han ;niim jrI shp:/qi indiiii:I rs echanIni m i r i n Ii h:i .rdin 3 .rep :r.i 3rilP.II. /vi iin

Application,
Based ,:n Ihe aforementioned rec:immien.al:ln to pilottest
a iile of indical:rs in a Participating C,.:.nlry Ihe GEF-lWCAM Pro-
jeci Coordinatiog Unitdevelpedl. crileria iiued to determine the ap.
proprbate country in which -.:. unlderlale Ihis' ork. Cririeri included
government c.:miiiiii eni i to: ceniralhing envirn:imenial indi-cal.:rs.
:ng ing i:nit.:.rilng c.f walersheds and c:asial areas and suilcieni
humanI aind lechnial capacilv I:', SiUIlan lhe w:rt aIler Ihe iilerven-
1 n .:. Ihe pr.:.je I ased n Ihis crileria and in cniulali:n Wilh
potential partners, it vWas deleirmined ihal EBartad:s W:uild be ap ap-
propriate country to pil,'l le Ihe iidical,:,rs lemplale The GEF-
IWCAM Project, t,:gelher Wilh CEHI Ihen held a :.ne.-day C.n1l&uli,:,n
in Barlba.,:o in Juli 21:100: to discuss IWRM ai:,r,:,aches and the pilot
testing. F.:llIwing Ihis meeting, the PCU is w.:.r ing iilh lev si e
holders in Barbad,;o,:s 1 implement this approach -

SThe pilot project is in its earliest phases at this point, bul
some potential acivilies couiiiinclude: ,.
Design of a .aiata. Iha.l cild be used ciiiab,:,raliveIv by a
Siniumeii r of gc,.verniiiiie i agencies to store key iiilicalcrs .-
*Creation of specialized queries and reports (decision support
system)
Training for government officials in the use of the database
Public awareness campaign to sensitize public servants as to
the use and value of the database

The results of this pilot activity will be shared with the other
GEF-IWCAM participating countries to assist them with their future
utilization of IWCAM indicators. In addition to this work, the PCU is
working with the nine demonstration projects to help them identify
indicators, establish baselines, and conduct regular monitoring.

For more information contact: sgottlieb@cehi.org.lc

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IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

GEF- IWCAM at the Caribbean Environmental

Forum and Exhibition (CEF- 4)
Parallel Session:

The GEF-IWCAM Project sponsored Parallel Session 4 of the Caribbean
Environmental Forum and Exhibition which took place at St. George's University in
Grenada, June 23rd 27th

It was titled: "Integrated Water Resources Management Concepts and Prac-
tices: Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management SIDS" It consisted of
the following presentations, each followed by discussion.

*Water Policy Development in the Caribbean and the Impacts of Climate Change
Dr. Adrian Cashman, CERMES, UWI, Cave Hill, Barbados

*Drought and Precipitation monitoring for enhanced Integrated Water Resources
Management in the Caribbean -Adrian Trotman, Caribbean Institute for Meteor-
ology and Hydrology, Barbados

*Design of a Storm water system to support aquifer recharge: The Vaucluse
Waste Management Centre, Barbados Dwight Smikle, J. Burnside Interna-
tional, Canada

*A Review of Water Information Systems in the English-Speaking Carbbean:
Challenges and Lessons Learnt- Lystra M. Fletcher-Paul, Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, Bridgetown, Barbados

*Geographic Information System for Integrating risk by Inter-Relating Scores (GI)
SIRIS Alex S. Ifill, Barbados Water Authority

Presentations were well received. The review of Water Information Sys-
tems, presented by Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, in part, is serving as a catalyst for ongo-
ing work in indicators in IWCAM in Barbados, one of the Project's Participating Coun-
tries.

Exhibition:
The GEF-IWCAM Project was one of fourteen exhibitors. The exhibit fo-
cused upon partnerships and progress in four of its Demonstration Projects: Cuba,
Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago and was manned by representatives of 1 &
those countries and the PCU. It was set-up in conjunction with UNEP's Caribbean
Environment Programme.

Plenary:
The GEF-IWCAM Regional Project Coordinator also chaired the Plenary
Technical Session at the CEF-4, which included panelists from the WSSCC, USEPA
and the Austrian government.

Presentations made at CEF-4 can be found at: http://www.cehi.org.lclWebsitel
pres.htm

STAFFING UPDATES
Dominican Republic: Ms. Mercedes Socorro Pantaleon has been appointed the Demonstration Project Manager for the Dominican
Republic's Demo, effective June 2008.
St. Kitts and Nevis: Mr. lan Liburd has been appointed the Demonstration Project Manager for the St. Kitts and Nevis Demo, effective
August 2008.
The Bahamas: Mr. Sherlin Brown has been appointed the Demonstration Project Manager for the Bahamas Demos, effective Septem-
ber2008.

www.iwcam.org

IWCAM Caribbean WaterWays Newsletter

(Contmuedfrom page 1)

and use this for basic analysis. Countries without demonstration
projects could consider replicating analysis for 'hot-spot' water-
sheds. In terms of support for decision making of a political na-
ture, GIS could be used to demonstrate relationships / cause and
effect to National Intersectoral Committees, senior administration
personnel and ministers.

Jean-Nicolas Poussart, Junior Programme Officer,
UNEP, focused on the use of GIS as a tool to promote the imple-
mentation of the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based
Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol) which was adopted in 1999
but which had, to date, been ratified by only 5 countries. The
estimation or characterization of both point and non-point sources
of pollution is key to this Protocol. Annex 4 deals with the single
largest non-point source of pollution, agricultural runoff.

Vijay Datadin, GIS Officer, Buccoo Reef Trust and Trini-
dad and Tobago's Demonstration Project, who had taken part in
N-SPECT training at CATHALAC in February 2008, in a series of
hands-on training sessions introduced participants to the following
free and open source types of GIS software:

Quantum GIS Vers. 0.10
Integrated Land and Water Information System IL-
WIS 3.4 Open, developed by the International Institute
for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), En-
schede, the Netherlands.
RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil loss Equation)

Data from the Trinidad & Tobago Demonstration Project
was used for most of the exercises.

Several important points were raised during discus-
sions. These included:
Although GIS is currently used directly by only one
GEF-IWCAM Demonstration Project (Trinidad & To-
bago), several of the Projects have access to the ser-
vices of a GIS department (e.g. Jamaica and NEPA) or
specialist.

In the context of watershed and coastal areas manage-
ment, the GIS technician/specialist ideally works as part
of a team which includes specialists, e.g. soil scientists,
who are able to provide guidance as well as needed
inputs.

While any number of applications may be possible, the
major criteria for deciding which one to use should be
the urgency of the management issue to be addressed
by decision-makers.

The importance of ground truthing should not be under-
estimated and needs to be planned and budgeted for.

Some countries, such as Cuba and Haiti, are develop-
ing national GIS databases.

GIS is part of an information gathering, management
and dissemination system as such, serious thought
should be given to the inputs (including types of data)
needed when designing a project as well as to what will
be done with the outputs/results.

There is a need for standardization of data and data
integration issues, given the different reference grids
used. The relationship between indicators and GIS is
also a priority issue to be addressed. In building data-
bases attention should be given to supporting the re-
quirements of the LBS Protocol as well as IWCAM and
IWRM.

A strategy is needed for getting the results of analysis
using GIS out, particularly to decision makers.

The Final Workshop Report is available at:
http //www iwcam org/information/gef-iwcam-geographic-information-systems-
training-workshop-9-12-july-2008-cienfuegos-cuba/final-report-gef-iwcam-gis-
training-workshop-9-12-]uly-2008-cuba/view

~1
n GEF
4,E

Participating Country Focal Points, Demonstration Projects and others are invited to submit articles. Please contact
Donna Spencer at dspencer@cehi.org.lc

Contact Information:
IWCAM Project Coordination Unit
P.O. Box 1111, The Morne, Castries, Saint Lucia
Tel: (758)-452-2501/1412; Fax: (758)-453-2721
E-mail: dspencer@cehi.org.lc

www.iwcam.org

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