A programme for Promoting Rainwater Harvesting in the Caribbean

Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting Programmepersons interviewed stated that they would invest in RWH infrastructure if some level offinancial support was provided.The programme therefore calls for an incentives regime to be developed that is tied intopackages of concessions that may be available to investment in water conservation devicesand related products. The regime may have to be operationalized via sector-specific incentiveregimes that may exist in support of tourism, agriculture and manufacturing/processinginvestments. Popularly applied instruments in other development facets that may be utilizedinclude direct rebates, government subsidies, and corporate and personal tax exemptions.Research towards development of the most appropriate incentive package based on countrycircumstance will need to be undertaken.4.3.3.2. Key actions• Review existing legal and policy instruments to propose an effective legal(regulatory) and policy framework for promotion of RWH – A comprehensivereview of existing legislative and policy frameworks in the various countries will need tobe undertaken to determine the extent to which existing legal and regulatoryinstruments meet the requirements for promotion of RWH within a structuredprogramme in the context of IWRM. As is typically the case, many of the instrumentsexist; however, amendments will be required to ensure proper synergistic relationshipsare established to facilitate promotion of RWH. This must be framed against thebackdrop of significant national environmental and water sector policies andcommitments under international conventions, notably the UNFCCC in the context ofadaptation strategies in the water sector.• Design appropriate incentive regime to promote supply augmentation andwater conservation measures – Appropriate suites of incentive measures need tobe developed to encourage water conservation from the individual household level tothe large-scale commercial development level. While concessions may be available todevelopers (tourism, agriculture, manufacturing), these are generally not specificallytargeted in the context of water management and conservation. Should the incentiveregime invariably reside within separate economic sectors, the policy/regulatoryinstruments should be harmonized across sectors both in terms of administration andintended effect. In a harmonized incentive regime, investors should be able to obtainconcessions for supplies and materials that are used specifically to harvest and conservewater (guttering, tanks, pumps); however creative ways may need to be sought toinclude generic (general-purpose materials, e.g. cement, steel) material used in RWHsystem construction.Given the varying water resource availability and socio-economic settings withincountries across the region, a blanket regime may not be applicable to all countries.An approach to designing the incentive regimes may be to group countries accordingto similarities in terms of needs and modes of implementation. This activity will need tobe done in conjunction with ministries of finance which are the focal points for fiscalpolicy.28