Regional Water and Sanitation Conference Hosted in Martinique
CARIBBEAN water and sanitation stakeholders gathered in Martinique earlier this week (June 13 and 14) for the CARIBSAN 2023 regional conference, hosted in the Palais des Congrès de Madiana in Fort-de-France.
This high-level international event brought together 15 countries from the region, as well as over 150 attendees and 20 dignitaries from these territories.
The purpose of the event was to develop regional sanitary cooperation in the Caribbean basin.
The conference, according to the CARIBSAN project office in Martinique, “showcases the results obtained” during the first phase of the CARIBSAN project, which intends “to develop wetland treatment technology to improve sanitation in the Caribbean, as well as present future prospects.”
CARIBSAN treats wastewater with a wetland treatment solution, which “has already proven its effectiveness in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and is currently being deployed in Cuba, Dominica, and Saint Lucia,” according to the organizers.
It also notes, “This solution is well-suited to the Caribbean situation because it is simpler, more resilient to natural hazards, and less expensive than other conventional purification systems.”
This technology can be configured in a variety of ways, and CARIBSAN says it “will assist partners in selecting the most appropriate option.”
The conference included “round-table discussions on the challenges of wastewater treatment in the Caribbean region and on regional cooperation as a tool for tackling climate change.”
It also featured “discussions and experience-sharing on the preliminary studies carried out by the Cuban, Dominican and Saint Lucian partners as part of the project.”
The Martinique conference fielded visits to the Maupéou treatment wetland plant in Rivière-Salée and Taupinière in Le Diamant.
A Caribbean cooperation project, CARIBSAN is deployed between the various institutions in charge of water and sanitation in the Caribbean: INRH in Cuba, DOWASCO in Dominica and WASCO in Saint Lucia.
Also involved is the Caribbean network of sanitation operators, the Saint-Lucia based Caribbean Water and Sewerage Association (CAWASA), whose Director, Ignatius Jean, is also attending the regional conference.
CARIBSAN is financed by the European Union (EU) through the INTERREG program, the Agence Française de Développement and the Guadeloupe and Martinique Water Offices.
