conference magazine - Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

Parallel Session 3 - Integrated Watershed
and Coastal Areas Management (Port An-
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tershed. The community of Au Leon, located within the Fond d’Or Nevis. The potable water extracted from this aquifer represents over
Watershed, is a dense residential area that sits on a hillside. Due 40% of the total water supply for St. Kitts. The area is subject to urban
to the topography, geology, and poor land and soil management
practices in the area, much of the surface consist of exposed bedrock.
encroachment, inappropriate land use and threats from pollution.
A project was devised and implemented using an integrated approach
As a consequence of this situation, few household septic to help government and communities take practical actions to protect
tank systems are associated with effective ‘soakaways’; a system
where wastewater filters through soil. Instead, most wastewater
this vulnerable aquifer by demonstrating proper management and
protection. The project is supported by the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) as part of the Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas
(black and grey) is discharged directly into waterways such as
gutters and gullies, and ultimately the river, impacting negatively
on water quality in the area.
Management (IWCAM) project for Caribbean Small Island States. The
two major outcomes of the project are a water resources management
plan and establishment of a National Park in the well-field area.
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To address this aspect of poor waste water management within the
community, a number of studies were undertaken including an
assessment of pollutants within the community, as well as a baseline
survey on sewage management in the community of Au Leon.
Four demonstration waste water treatment wetlands were constructed
to treat black water from septic tanks. Their design takes
into account the topography of the area, as well as the use of locally
available materials.
This paper discusses the activities undertaken as part of this pilot
project, including the major role of the community in the implementation
of the project, as well as the key lessons learnt.
Using GIS to monitor the potential impact of development on
water supply and coastal zone management in Barbados by
Alex Ifill
Between 1990 and 2009, forty one thousand building lots have
been submitted for development in Barbados. Given the “waterscare”
nature of the country, the already high population density
and potential impact on both fresh and marine water resources,
the environmental impact of such development must be closely
monitored.
Given the water scarce status of the country there could be significant
challenges in responding to drought as the island approaches
its limit of renewable water resources. Secondly, recent studies
have shown increasing nitrates in the groundwater. This trend
mirrors the increasing population density as one moves towards
the coast. This is of significant importance to the management of
the marine environment.
A comprehensive hydrogeologic evaluation of the aquifer was undertaken.
Traditional methods and novel techniques were utilized to better
understand and characterize the aquifer. The paper will highlight
the main findings of the study including hydrogeologic interpretations,
water quality analysis and modelling of contaminant transport and
pumping regimes under various scenarios. Multi-electrode electrical
resistivity (MER), a novel surface geophysical technique, was used to
delineate the thickness and distribution of sediments throughout the
aquifer, zones of increased porosity, zones of possible contamination
and the fresh/salt water interface.
At present, the majority of the Basseterre Valley watershed is vegetated
land with over 30% representing disused government-owned
sugar cane fields. As a result, there is a lot of pressure to develop
these lands. The transformation of the landscape has brought with it
associated pollution threats. In addition, a review of environmental
laws and policies revealed a fragmented approach to water issues
exacerbated by weak enforcement. An action plan with various time
horizons was devised to cope with these issues and will be discussed
in this paper.
The cornerstone of the project was the establishment of a National
Park around the sensitive well-field area. A park management plan
was also devised. This final component serves to unify the scientific
data uncovered as part of the water resources assessment, the legal
actions taken to update water legislation and to declare the protected
area and the involvement of key stakeholders, all of which are key
ingredients for success. This project is novel and multi-faceted in its
approach to protect a vulnerable coastal aquifer.
Capacity building with a new paradigm in environmental management:
the Integrated Watershed and Coastal Area Management in
Cienfuegos, Cuba by Ángel R. León Pérez, María E. Castellanos
González and Dra. Clara E. Miranda Vera
A GIS package based on ArcView 3.2 was developed to analyse
the potential impact of the development over the period 1990 to
2009 on the water supply and groundwater quality.
Combining sound science, legal action and stakeholder involvement
to protect a vulnerable coastal aquifer on the island
of St. Kitts by Halla Sahely, Sandy Nettles, Ravidya Burrowes
and Glenn Haas
The unconfined coastal aquifer underlying the Basseterre Valley is
a significant economic and social asset for the people of St. Kitts-
The application of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is
necessary for the sustainable development in Cuba. However, for
successful environmental management of these areas, it is necessary
to merge the conceptual frame of the ICZM with that of Integrated
Watershed and Coastal Area Management (IWCAM) in addition to
incorporating an environmental and social perspective.
This paradigm shift has been incorporated within the ICZM Capacity
Building Programme of Cienfuegos University, the Centre of Environment
Research of Cienfuegos (CEAC) and other universities since
2002. The initiative has been sponsored by University Partnerships in
Cooperation and Development and the Canadian International Development
Agency. The objectives of the present paper are: 1) to argue
FIFTH BIENNIAL CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM AND EXHIBITION