Building Partnerships: a strategy for bridging the water resources information and knowledge divide in the Caribbean

Abstract

Paper presented at the Sixth Water Information Summit: Breaking The Barriers; Let Water Information Flow! organized by Waterweb Consortium and IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, 9-12 September 2003, Delft, The Netherlands. The inadequacy of information and data on water resources and on water demand and supply is a clear indication of weaknesses in data gathering and information generation in the Caribbean. In many countries there is a lack of recognition of the value of in-depth, sustained information. The problem seems to be caused by the disparate agencies responsible for data collection and the fragmented approach to the management of the sector, inadequate human and institutional capacity, inadequate training, poor organization and inadequate financial resources. Presents a number of initiatives currently underway in the Caribbean with regards to partnership building in the water sector. These include the Sustainable Development Network in Jamaica, Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas Management in the Caribbean SIDS, Caribbean Dialogue on Water and Climate and Inter-American Water Resources Network.