Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works and Urban Development the Hon. Philip Davis speaks at the official opening of the 21st Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association Conference and Exhibition and the First Caribbean Water and Wastewater Congress, being held October 1-5 at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island. About 300 participants and exhibitors from about 30 countries are taking part in the event. (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)

NASSAU, The Bahamas –  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works and Urban Development the Hon. Philip Davis said, on Octo ber 1, 2012, that basic needs such as access to good quality water and, the collection, treatment and disposal of wastes is common to every nation, no matter its size.

“Those of us from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) know just how difficult this can be. And, the difficulty is made even worse when there are islands with little rainfall and no appreciable ground-water resources,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.  “Providing potable water to all our citizens has always been a major challenge in The Bahamas, and as our population centres grow, we have learned just how difficult it can be to manage our wastes properly.

“Services have to be provided for all and these have, essentially, to be duplicated on every inhabited island.”

Deputy Prime Minister Davis was speaking at the 21^st Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association Conference and Exhibition and the First Caribbean Water and Wastewater Congress, being held October 1-5 at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island.

About 300 participants and exhibitors from about 30 countries are taking part in the event.

Deputy Prime Minister Davis said he is sure that every other Caribbean nation represented at the event knows about and experiences such problems.

“They are common to us all, and this is why the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) is so important to us,” he said.

“Today, we have ‘new minds’, new technologies and new methods,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis added.  “The Conference provides the perfect opportunity to mix a ‘cocktail’  – literally and figuratively – of the new and old to provide a basis to develop sound strategies and solutions to the problems we share in water and waste management.  Hence, this year’s Conference theme:  Water and Waste Management in the Caribbean ... Real Strategies and Solutions”.

Deputy Prime Minister Davis said that the conference and it congress are forums where common problems and experiences can be shared and where professionals can help one another develop the expertise they will collectively need to handle the challenges of the future.  It is venues like these, he said, where the theme “Real Strategies and Solutions” is a result, not just a vision.

He added that the annual exhibition is a very important component of the conference.

“Those who represent technology, equipment or professional services that are essential in the water and waste industries have a perfect venue to meet, on a face-to-face basis with the very persons who utilise or need to know about these items, and to discuss their capabilities in detail,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.

“During this week, you can meet utility representatives, government officials, funding agencies — basically the full gamut of existing and potential clients in one venue.”

This holds true for engineers, technicians, operators and other utility representatives who also benefit from the “virtual mall” of sector-specific offerings, he said.

There is a new concern that will have major impacts on those living in the Caribbean, Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.  The CWWA will have to play a key role in addressing the potential threat of climate change .

“Climate Change is a threat to all SIDS and The Bahamas with rising sea levels; the threats posed by ever more severe weather conditions, especially storm surges; and, changing patterns of precipitation,” he said.

“Our region will be significantly impacted over the coming decades. In fact, it is predicted that the island with our best groundwater resources, Andros, will lose most of them by the end of the century, owing to sea level rise.”

Deputy Prime Minister Davis said relocating people where necessary and rebuilding infrastructure capable of meeting the needs of the future are daunting tasks.

“It is already difficult to find the physical and financial resources needed for the present, but what about the future?” he said.  “Caribbean nations will need to stand together to do what may be needed to protect their citizens and find ways to face up to the future."

“You can be sure the developed world will have its own set of problems and so we here should not be solely relying on outside help for this problem. I hope the conference will provide the Association with an opportunity to start thinking about this new threat to the region.”

“The world faces a water crisis. Of this, there is no doubt,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.  “We have not always treated our water resource with proper respect. We have polluted our water sources with waste. To be pithy, we have been short-sighted.”

Deputy Prime Minister Davis said he believes that all persons have recognised the errors of the past and know that we have to find solutions which work for our region and our people. Home grown solutions, he stated, generally work best as they represent “the best of ourselves and respond both to our needs and our strengths.”

“Efficient utilisation of resources; ensuring sustainable development; renewable energy; energy efficiency and its application to the sector; reducing carbon emissions in the sector -- these are just a few of the topics and issues that will be discussed and addressed this week during the Conference and also in the High level Sessions,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.  “I am especially looking forward to meeting my ministerial counterparts from throughout the Caribbean where we can, hopefully, form a consensus on policies that help guide, expand, and develop more efficient and effective service delivery.”

He added it is often said, “today’s solutions are tomorrow’s problems.”  Therefore, he told conference attendees that as they interact and share knowledge and experiences that week, they must be mindful, not only of the immediate needs and challenges, but the future impacts of the strategies we develop to solve them.

“Once again, welcome to our country of islands situated in the most beautiful part of the world-the Caribbean,” Deputy Prime Minister Davis said.  “We are happy that you are here and hope that you will return many more times.

“I extend my best wishes to all participants. I sincerely hope that the Conference is a resounding success.”