A $62,000 Alternate Water Harvesting and Storage Project in Bagatelle opened on Wednesday, providing about 400 residents of Bagatelle, Fond St. Jean and Fab with a new water supply.
The project consists of three 1000 gallon water tanks. It involved the rehabilitation and enhancement of an indigenous water source in order to provide water in times of crisis to more than 380 residents of Bagatelle, Point Carib, Fond St. Jean and Fabre villages.
This project commenced under the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and was later moved to Ministry of Environment and Climate Resilience after the cabinet was reshuffled.
It was funded by the Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCP) Project and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Department of Local Government and Community Development.
Head of Office for the UNDP Dominica Project Office, Ian King highlighted the UNDP’s partnership with the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica on several projects recalling that “within this J-CCCP project, I’ve now witnessed the handing over of a water truck in 2018, agriculture equipment last week and today, happily, the official opening of this important project.”
Parliamentary Representative for the Petite Savanne Constituency, Dr. Kenneth Darroux said potable water in a constituency is very important especially after being faced with natural disasters.
“I was elated when I saw among the list of pilots projects presented was this ‘Bagatelle Alternate Water Harvesting and Storage Project’,” he said
“We cannot over emphasise the importance of portable water and were all on the discomfort that residence all over face following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017. Therefore this project is considered very timely and important to the residence and I’ve always said that this grassroots project which makes a bigger difference in people lives,”
“I’m not going to throw water on all of the fancy hotels, bridges and roads yes we need all of this but sometimes this grassroots projects make a much more significant impact to the lives of the people.” he stated
Darroux said a Japanese funded drainage system project was also built in the village of bagatelle which saved residence after Tropical Storm Erika.
Meantime, on the same day, the first farmer field training exercise was also held in Morne Prosper, where another J-CCCP pilot project, titled “Improving Seasonality and Diversity of the Vegetable Production in Morne Prosper” is being implemented.
Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture provided some 40 farmers with hands-on training related to climate smart agriculture such as safe use of agrochemicals and soil sampling and analysis.
Toshihide Kanaya, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad noted that he was “pleased to see the agriculture sector in Dominica thriving again, having heard reports of the impact of Hurricane Maria one year ago.”
Other activities being undertaken within this project include the construction of shade houses with accompanying rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation systems, storm and counter drain construction and the establishment of live windbreaks and live grass barriers, with some equipment having already been handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture last week.
Over the course of the day, Kanaya and team also visited the Dominica Community High School where J-CCCP is supporting the school’s effort to become Dominica’s first green school through the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and renewable energy and energy efficient technology.
The J-CCCP is a regional initiative working in 8 Caribbean countries. The programme of work under the J-CCCP is in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme with funding from the Government of Japan.
Read the article…… u asking where them monies coming from… its the japaneese and bagatelke is one of the most vulnerable community… so whats wrong in giving us a project like this.
But where we getting all that money from nou? We not exporting bananas, Skerrit and his Bajan advisors moved Ross University to Barbados, we not manufacturing anything, we import more than we export, fewer persons are employed now than anytime since our independence which means, less tax coming in, tourism is not by any means booming, the coffee plant has been closed since before it was opened, everything before used to be financed by petro Caribe but that thing is dead now, we not a country that exporting drugs and involved in money laundering I hope, but some how Skerrit seems to have more moneythan they have in the US. Has any right thinking Dominican ever wondered where Skerrit getting all that money from? Do we have some money trees somewhere? I mean when you think of how much is spent to bring international artists, SC’s to try to jail Linton and Fontaine, yet one senior counsel from T&T said Da is a poor country and the amount paid to candidates to resign & new ones to run…
Glanvilla Portsmouth tank! When????
Dominicans hope all you have enough ears to hear plans before this election. The money tree on overtime this season. Dominicans wake up!!
Overcompensation is a sign of insecurity.