CARIB-HYCOS - WHYCOS

problems of waste disposal and water quality deterioration, including the discharge ofpollutants to the Caribbean Sea and the related ecological effects (corraloïd massifs).It is also expected that the water demand in the manufacturing sector will increase. Inagriculture the focus is on food security but also on production of export-crops. Demand forirrigation water will therefore increase to satisfy the needs of further expansion of plantations.This will require more efficient use of water through adequate management of watersheds andthe use of appropriate water supply technologies.Population increase could also have an impact on water demand but the annual growth rate inthe region is expected to remain below 1.4 per cent, and this is considered to be relativelymodest. However, increasing urbanization will also result in a higher water demand, andincreased urban waste could pose a threat to water quality unless adequate waste disposal andtreatment facilities are provided.2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES2.1. Development objectivesThe proposed Caribbean Island Component of CARIB/HYCOS (CIC–CARIB/HYCOS)would have the following development objectives:• Reduce the loss of human life and material damage caused by natural disasters,through the introduction of modern flood forecasting and warning systems, thusenhancing natural disaster mitigation capabilities;• Support sustainable development and integrated management of water, based onan improved knowledge base of water resources, both as regards quantity,quality and use, resulting in a strengthening of water management capabilities;• Create a knowledge base on outflow, in terms of quantity and quality, to theCaribbean Sea, which will allow a better understanding of the environment, and thepotential alterability of the coralloid massifs,• Increase the exchange of information and experience, particularly during naturaldisasters, by fostering regional co-operation in water resources concerns;• Develop technological capabilities (including training and technology transfer)appropriate to the circumstances and realities of each country, by promotinginstitutional capacity building.2.2. Immediate objectives• Assist, as required, the NMHSs of the participating countries in themodernization and strengthening of their activities related to water resources ,so as to provide them with more reliable systems and data for the issuance of moreaccurate short, medium and long-term forecasts and, in general, of all productsrequired to meet the needs and requirements of the public and the economic sectorsmost heavily dependent on water and the environment;• Promote co-operation among the participating countries and the rest of theCaribbean Basin countries, by means of:Project document – Caribbean Islands Component – CIC/Carib-HYCOS 5