Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing, Settlements and Water Resource Management, Davis Letang, has cited the need for extra effort to be made in conserving Dominica’s water resources because of climate change.
He was speaking at the Eighth meeting of the Global Water Partnership Caribbean (GWP-C) which got underway in Dominica on Friday morning.
“Climate change has affected even the most remote corners of our planet. It means then that we in the Caribbean are not immune to the impact of the many challenges which threaten our water resources,” he stressed.
Letang pointed out that the demand and cost for supplying water is on a rapid increase noting that over $50-million has been invested in the water sector in Dominica over the past two years.
GWP-C Chairman , Trevor Thompson, also made a plea at Friday’s meeting to water consumers to make an effort to conserve water.
Thompson said that fresh water supplies are not unlimited and are becoming scarce.
“We have to continue to keep it in our minds that the Caribbean islands land space is limited and the ground water is not infinite. Droughts and floods are putting all kinds of pressure on the human systems within the Caribbean and this means extending clean water to the poorest people who still lack it, will become an even bigger challenge in the future,” he said.
He noted that water management involves a number of issues but this, he says, provides opportunity for co-operation. “I wish to sound a warning to our leaders, water professionals and the general public that our water is a shared resource and its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting issues but this provides opportunity for co-operation amongst all of us,” Thompson stated.
GWP-C is a network of partners all working toward a water secure world. It was formaly launched in Tobago in June 2004 and works to support Caribbean countries in the sustainable management of their water resources.
Dominica has been a member of the GWP-C since 2005.
What should also be address is the number of people who build properties close to rivers and believe it is their right to divert the flow of waters for their own use.
Government should pass a law forbidding this.
And how do you conserve water? I believe the focus should be on improving our forest reserves rather than consumption of water.
We will never miss d water till d well run dry…I am a million percent in conserving our natural waters.
no joke my people atop the waste of water.