The Water Services Department is hosting a week of activities to celebrate World Water Day, which is held annually on March 22nd as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The staff of the department will be engaging the community by visiting schools, both primary and secondary, and holding community “meet and greet” events to engage all in a discussion about our rights and responsibilities as it relates to water.

The theme adopted this year is “Water for Islands – Turning Challenges into Opportunities”. Water connects us all. There is no doubt that water is a necessary ingredient for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. Although we are surrounded by water, small island developing states like ours face severe constraints in both the quantity and quality of freshwater because of our small size and in particular because of our unique geology, topography and climate.

As we seek to promote economic growth, we will face an increasing demand in freshwater. The agricultural, tourism and domestic sectors will demand more and better quality water as we move forward as a nation. This is where our main challenge lies. Together, we must work through this challenge and create opportunities for change and for the betterment of our people while preserving and protecting a vital resource for all.

The week of activities is supported and funded by the Government of St. Kitts-Nevis and the Global Environment Facility – Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (GEF-IWCAM) Demonstration Project in St. Kitts-Nevis. The GEF-IWCAM Project is co-implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is co-executed by the UNEP Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU) and the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI).

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