Caribbean Times 89th Issue - Friday 9th September 2016

Friday 9th September 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 7
All aboard for reducing flood
risks in Antigua and Barbuda
The issue of flooding has
been brought to the forefront
in Antigua and Barbuda as a
result of the recent passage of
a tropical wave on Monday
September 5 th , 2016.
But wait – weren’t we just
in a drought?
Antigua and Barbuda is
still experiencing a “meteorological
drought”, which
measures dryness compared
to normal rainfall levels. Climate
change impacts project
that the Eastern Caribbean
will have lower rainfall on average,
but also stronger downpours
– so our rainfall will
come at greater extremes. This
means we must manage our
water resources for drought
and our land for flooding.
Areas that are especially
vulnerable to flooding in Antigua
and Barbuda are low-lying
coastal areas with clay-like
soil and large drainage basins
called “watersheds”. Waterways
are naturally occurring
channels that help concentrate
water runoff. Ghauts or seasonal
waterways are the primary
features within our watersheds
that drain water from
upland zones into larger bodies
of water downstream, such
as a pond, swamp or the sea.
As an example, the passage
of the tropical wave on Monday,
and the large amounts of
rainfall received, has resulted
in the previously empty
Potworks Dam being filled
to roughly half of its capacity.
These waterways tell the
story of our interconnectivity
between upstream and downstream;
land and sea.
This interconnectivity
means that while we all benefit
from positive actions, we
all suffer from negative actions
as well. Many times we
think of our property as ‘our
piece of the rock’ to do with as
we please. However, changing
‘our piece of the rock’,
without careful consideration
of how this impacts land or
livelihoods downstream, can
lead to detrimental impacts.
For example, littering and pollution;
diverting natural watercourses;
backfilling ponds;
building too close to waterways;
and the introduction
of invasive plant species can
all contribute to downstream
flooding.
Sometimes innocent actions
can lead to impacts that
extend far beyond what one
can initially envisage. So,
how are we in Antigua and
Barbuda taking action to better
manage our lands and reduce
flooding risks?
The Department of Environment
is seeking to formalize
the protection of waterways
so that timely and
sustained management of
important waterways can begin;
thereby preventing future
flooding. Many persons, businesses
and even Government
entities filling in ponds, and
this can no longer continue.
Due to the current drought status,
many believe we do not
need the ponds anymore. The
Environment Management
and Protection Act (2015)
makes it illegal to fill in a
pond without the permission
of the Department. If you see
anyone doing this please contact
the Department of Environment
immediately. If you
do not, the next rain can cause
flooding on your property.
The recently enacted Environment
Protection and
Management Act (EPMA),
2015, protects and manages
waterways for flooding. The
EPMA 2015 may designate
certain watersheds as protected
in order to ensure that waterways
are managed to handle
extreme rainfall events,
particularly in light of climate
change. Therefore areas that
have historically experienced
flooding, such as at Creekside,
Pigotts/Fitches Creek, and
Woods waterway, may all be
designated under the Act for
special management via the
Department of Environment
with relevant agencies, businesses
and communities.
For the past few years the
Department of Environment
has engaged communities in
the development of projects
within Cashew Hill, and more
recently, the McKinnon’s
waterway (from Woods to
McKinnon’s Pond) that will
address flooding and other
issues. These projects will
be enacting the policies and
actions that will make real
change, and improve the lives
of the residents of Antigua
and Barbuda. As we wade
through the water ankle deep,
and push water out of our
homes, remember those upstream
and downstream, and
help to keep our waterways
free of debris so that together,
we will ride this climate wave.
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