A programme for Promoting Rainwater Harvesting in the Caribbean

Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting ProgrammeIt is envisaged that the programme will be implemented at two levels; (1) national actions willbe coordinated along the four main strategic elements and (2) regional actions that seek toharmonize approaches and gain synergies with partner agency initiatives along the lines oftechnical support and information exchange.The main agencies to be charged with the responsibility for execution of the national elementsshould be the ministries with responsibility for water, health and environment with closesupport collaboration from the water utilities. The range of applications for RWH ispotentially very broad and as such continued discussion with all stakeholders in the public andprivate sectors needs to be pursued.It is recommended that a Caribbean Rainwater Partnership be established as a mechanism toshare knowledge and experiences on the practice. This partnership may be promoted as anetwork of community groups and users that share common interests in water security,supported by key community development agencies, water utility companies, the privatesector (particularly those that are already engaged in the practice) and technical agencies inthe region. It is suggested that UNEP continue to remain engaged to continue to providenecessary technical support and support in raising funds for projects in the region. To facilitatethis process a regional coordination node for the programme needs to be agreed upon by thestakeholder agencies in the Caribbean region.Finally, RWH must be promoted with the understanding that it is a supply augmentationmeasure and that it is not intended to replace reliance on conventional potablesupplies. It is envisaged that by the end of the programme significant investments will bemade in RWH in new housing developments, commercial and public sector investments. Anevaluation of the programme during and after the programme must be undertaken againstsome of the proposed indicators.36