R i s k , t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d s e c u r i t y compounded by high levels of unaccounted-for water loss, which results in a loss of, for example, 67 per cent of water in Jamaica, 40 per cent in Trinidad and 50 per cent in Barbados. The paradox is that many of these countries have sufficient water resources to meet demand, but lack the infrastructure or institutional frameworks to close the supply–demand gap. The impact of climate change on infrastructure in the Caribbean can be considered to be twofold. Firstly, existing infrastructure may be ill-equipped to cope with changes in the hydrological regime and water quality. Secondly, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in category four and five hurricanes and, given that existing hurricane activity impacts water infrastructure through landslides and other damage, the increased activity is likely to have a more detrimental effect, see box: ‘Risk factors’. Countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Dominica use surface water for the majority of their freshwater supplies; whereas countries such as The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica rely heavily on groundwater. A major challenge facing water resource managers as well as service providers is the difficulty associated with being able to determine the safe yields of aquifers and to undertake regular assessments of the yield–demand balance. Often, the required hydrogeological data, the models and the skilled personnel to do this are all in short supply.4 Changing population dynamics and rising incomes have been identified as two of the underlying drivers of water demand (WWAP, 2009). In the Caribbean region the effects of population growth are less significant than the impact of rising standards of living, changes in the age distribution of populations and urbanisation. Levels of urbanisation are increasing; already 65 per cent of the population live in conurbations. A feature of most Caribbean countries, especially the islands of the Lesser Antilles, is that the majority of urbanisation has taken place around the coastal fringes, with up to 70 per cent of the population living in coastal areas, of which 40 per cent live within 2 km of the coast (Bueno et al., 2008; UNEP, 2008). Urbanised populations tend to consume more water per capita than rural populations. Tourism and tourist facilities are also large consumers of water, with visitors consuming up to three times as much as the local population on a per person basis (Charara et al., 2011). Governments across the region remain keen to encourage growth in tourist numbers and though in some instances hotels are responsible for their own supplies, many are supplied from municipal distribution systems and can account for between ten and 15 per cent of all water supplied. Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2014/15 120 Water distribution is a big energy cost. The region relies heavily on imported fossil fuels David Samuel / Shutterstock.com
CEP template 2012
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