Regional water officials meeting in St. Vincent

Environment Minister Douglas Slater Monday urged an integrated approach to water management in the Caribbean as regional stakeholders gathered for the annual general meeting of the Caribbean Basin Water Management Programme, according to a report on www.cananews.net.



Slater said that the meeting was taking place at a time when environmentalists and other stakeholders were gathering in Copenhagen to deal with the impact of climate change on the world.



He spoke of the challenges facing governments of the region in relation to water management and noted that an integrated approach is necessary to ensure that water is distributed on a sustainable manner.



Slater told delegates attending the meeting, which is being held under the theme “Exploring Opportunities for Reforming the Water Sector in the Caribbean”, that there were many competing interests with regards to the distribution of water and these had to be balanced to ensure equity.



A highlight of the meeting will be the various presentations by regional and international participants, including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the American Water.