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Water Management Challenges in the Caribbean

Water resources management in the Caribbean faces a number of challenges; notably increased water demand resulting from rapid growth in urbanization and tourism, increased competition for land and water resources, increased climate variability, and reduced water quality due to pollution from industrial, agricultural and municipal wastes. The efficient and sustainable use of water is an urgent issue, and an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach is essential for sustainable water management. Highly interdisciplinary in nature, this approach requires water specialists and decision-makers to have the skill sets necessary for holistic short and long-term analysis and prediction of impacts of climate change. An integrated approach ensures that social, economic, environmental and technical dimensions are taken into account in the management and development of water resources.

Developing Water Professionals within the Wider Caribbean Basin

Building on the success of the CARIWIN project, the Brace Centre for Water Resources Management is offering a specialized training course in IWRM strategies, and irrigation and drainage practices, for water specialists and decision-makers in the Caribbean. This will contribute to the process of furthering a coordinated approach for the sustainable management of water, land, agro-ecological, and social resources in the Caribbean to meet the needs of stakeholders and vulnerable communities.

The course will be held in Trinidad and Tobago, in conjunction with the University of Trinidad and Tobago from November 18-22, 2013. During the course, participants will work together to identify advantages of the IWRM approach and to explore existing and emerging issues regarding water allocation and utilization, environmental sustainability and stakeholder participation.

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

• strengthen capacity in IWRM training and to increase the involvement of stakeholders in the evaluation of a ‘water vision’ for sustainable water management;
• improve water resources management through effective integrated management tools and techniques;
• strengthen the principles of planning, adaptive management and capacity building in local and regional water resources regimes;
• develop skills and knowledge required to manage urgent needs in the water resources sector.

Participant Selection

Water professionals, decision-makers from water-use sectors (e.g. agriculture, energy, tourism, industry, the environment, and government), and students from Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, St Vincent, Dominica and St Kitts will be nominated to participate in the course.

Contact

For more information, please contact Eduardo Ganem Cuenca by eduardo.ganemcuenca [at] mcgill.ca (email) or by telephone: 1 (514) 398-8779.

Acknowledgements

This course is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).