Road Map Toward Integrated Water Resources Management Planning for Grenada (2007)
Cognisant of the need to manage water resources in Grenada in a sustainable manner, the Ministry of Agriculture took the initiative to develop a “roadmap”, policy and plan for IWRM at the national level. Technical assistance for the road mapping process was provided by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (IWCAM) project through funding from the United Nations Collaborating Centre for Water and the Environment and support from the Global Water Partnership – Caribbean (GWP-C). The activities undertaken included stakeholder consultations and a situation analysis study which generate the requisite information to guide the “roadmap”.
A number of issues and challenges are associated with water resources management in Grenada including inter alia: environmental degradation affecting both surface and groundwater quality, quantity and availability; the need for comprehensive policy and integrated management; changing and inadequate land use planning and zoning; lack of coordination, cooperation and integration of stakeholders; lack of education in best management practices for land and water conservation. Additionally, it was found that Grenada is typified by a sectoral approach to water resources management with the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA), the main abstractor, given the responsibility for the management of the resource (NAWASA Act, 1990). Other Ministries, Agencies and Governmental Departments with responsibility for water resources management include: the Ministry of Agriculture in particular the Forestry Division and the Land Use Division; the Ministry of Health in particular the Environmental Affairs and Environmental Health Departments; the Ministry of Finance in particular the Physical Planning Unit. No formal arrangements for networking and collaboration among the agencies exist for the management of the resource.
Implementing IWRM in Grenada will involve a change in the way in which water resources are managed. The existing sectoral and piecemeal system needs to be replaced by a central coordinating agency which will be responsible for the management of water resources in a holistic manner. This will ensure that due consideration is given to the various conflicting uses and allocations of water resources. A central collaborating agency with responsibility for water resources management is necessary to execute and implement the principles of IWRM in Grenada. This will require four main elements which are: a holistic and comprehensive national policy and plan for the management of water resources; development of the legal and regulatory framework for the management of water resources; improving and, where necessary, developing the institutional and administrative framework for water resources management; enhancing capacity and capability for the management of water resources.
Area of interest: Grenada
Year: 2007
