AMEP QUARTERLY ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. October December

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1 AMEP QUARTERLY ASSESSMENT & MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION October December Issue #20

2 Dear Readers, Best wishes for 2014! This edition of the AMEP Quarterly will feature some of the achievements of UNEP CEP and AMEP related projects and activities for LBS Protocol The Dominican Republicis the most recent country to become a Contracting Party to the Protocol. The Dominican Republic ratified the LBS Protocol on September 6,2012. Antigua & Barbuda Bahamas Belize Dominican Republic France Grenada Guyana Panama Saint Lucia Trinidad and Tobago United States of America 3

3 AMEP Quarterly October to December 2013 GEF CReW Wastewater Media Workshop GEF Projects Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW Project) Journalists interacting during the facilitation session at the media workshop. The GEF CReW project organized two training workshops in 2013, a Regional Facilitator Training Workshop in May 2013 and a Wastewater Media Workshop in November 2013.The Project Coordinating Group (PCG) of the CReW Project also participated in a number of other workshops relating to Wastewater Management, including, the 22 nd Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Conference and Exhibition and 9 th High Level Session Ministerial Forum with the theme Water and Sanitation and the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Addressing Wastewater Policy and Financial Challenges in the Caribbean and the 7th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference, both held in Bridgetown, Barbados. More information can be found in the GEF CReW Newsletter. GEF CReW Regional Media Workshop on Wastewater Participants at the CReW Media workshop The GEF CReW Regional Media Workshop on Wastewaterin Georgetown, Guyana was a great success. Twenty-five (25) journalists and media professionals from Antigua &Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Guyana,Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago were in attendance. They received training in regional wastewater issues and management and its impacts on the health of humans and the environment. This capacity building workshop also included facilitation sessions and a site visit to two wastewater treatment plants. Outcomes of this media workshop included: a) The creation of a Wastewater media group ( list-serv) which will serve as a forum for communicating with regional journalists and; b) Recommendations to convene a media workshop for GEF CReW s Spanish speaking participating countries, which will be held in 2014, with the support of UNEP ROLAC. 4

4 22nd Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) Conference and Exhibition and 9th High Level Session Ministerial Forum The High Level Ministerial Session that took place during the CWWA Conference was very significant as it was the first time that the subject of wastewater was given such a high profile by forming the basis of both the technical discussions and ministerial forum. The work of the AMEP subprogramme and the GEF CReW project were promoted at this event. Mr. Christopher Corbin, Programme Officer for the sub-programme and his programme assistant Mrs. Sanya Wedemier-Graham, delivered technical presentations about the LBS Protocol. The GEF CReW Project mounted an exhibition with posters detailing wastewater challenges facing countries in the Wider Caribbean Region. The project s Communication Specialist, Mrs. Donna Sue Spencer made a presentation on the challenges of communicating about wastewater to different target groups. AMEP Quarterly October - December 2013 Donna Sue Spencer, GEF CReW s Communications Specialist during her presentation at the CWWA Conference 7 th International Waters Conference (IWC7) In October 2013, the Seventh GEF International Waters Conference was held in Barbados. The theme of this conference was Economic Valuation as a tool to bridge the Science-Policy Gap. Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares, Coordinator of UNEP CAR-RCU, AMEP Programme Officer, Mr. Christopher Corbin and the members of the GEF CReW Project Coordinating Group were in attendance. At this workshop, Mr. Christopher Corbin represented UNEP CAR-RCU as the executing agency for both the GEF IWCAM and CReW projects.in addition, Mr. Corbin chaired plenary sessions and promoted the work and projects of UNEP CAR-RCU by disseminating promotional material. Mr. Corbin also attended the pre- conference workshops on Economic Valuation as a tool to bridge the Science-Policy Gap where he was able to glean very useful best practices for future UNEP CAR- RCU related work especially that of the GEF CReW project. Participants at GEF IWC7 International Waters: Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IWLEARN) Currently a policy brief is being prepared from recommendations made at the 2 nd GEF IWLEARN workshop entitled Catalyzing Sustained Governance in June.Partner organizations,project managers and representatives from several GEFInternational Waters projects such as the Amazon River, Artibonite International Watershed Rehabilitation, Caribbean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (LME),Benguela Current Participants at the GEF IWLEARN workshop 5

5 AMEP Quarterly October - December 2013 IWEco fliers LME,CReW, and the soon to be launched Integrating Water, Land, Ecosystems, in Caribbean SIDS (IWEco) were in attendance. The next and final workshop under the current portfolio for the GEF IWLEARN Project will be held in April Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean SIDS (IWEco) The GEF IWEco Project, with a total budget of USD$138,454,706, was approved by the GEF Secretariat for the development as a full sized project to build on the successful experiences of the GEF IWCAM project. Its main objective is the implementation of an integrated approach to water, land and ecosystems services management, supported by policy,institutional and legislative reforms, and implementation of effective appropriate technologies to accelerate contribution to global targets on access to safe and reliable water supplies and improved sanitation, and contributing to improved ecosystem functioning in the Caribbean. This project is currently in a development phase. The full proposal document is expected to be submitted to the GEF Secretariat in February 2014 for possible approval. Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystems Project (CLME) UNEP CAR-RCU participated actively in the development of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP). Discussions are ongoing to develop a new proposal which will serve as phase 2 to the GEF CLME project. Mr. Christopher Corbin and SPAW Programme Officer, Mrs. Alessandra Vanzella Khouri will be attending the Planning Meeting for the PRODOC Core Development Team for CLME Phase Two in February Waste Management The AMEP sub-programme received funding from UNEP sgpa (Global Programme of Action)in 2013 to update the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter Management (RAPMaLi) in the Wider Caribbean Region. This activity is being done in collaboration with the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN). 6

6 There are many planned activities for the RAPMaLi which include: a) A review of existing institutional, legal and policy arrangements for the management of marine litter. AMEP Quarterly October - December 2013 b)a review of monitoring programmes for marine litter;identification of current gaps and needs for marine litter management; and recommendations for improvement. c) A marine litter game was also developed with the support from UNEP GPA. This game is now being edited andwill be released shortly. International Coastal Cleanup Day UNEP CAR-RCU staff participated in the Ocean Conservancy s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day activity on September 21, 2013 where they assisted the coordination of high school volunteers in Fort Rocky, Palisadoes, Jamaica. Fort Rocky, was designated as one of ninety cleanup sites in Jamaica. The Jamaica Environment Trust is the local coordinator for International Coastal Cleanup Day activities on the island. International Coastal Cleanup Day is the largest global volunteer effort to remove marine litter, solid waste, and garbage from coastal areas, waterways and the oceans. The Ocean Conservancy has been mobilizing these efforts for the past 25 years. To find out more visit Dean and Jojo Kids game International Coastal Cleanup Day 2013 Student rolling tyre found on the beach The International Coastal Cleanup 2013 Report, prepared by the Jamaica Environment Trust, showed that across the island several items were collected.please see the info-graphic below for more details. Human beings can make a difference in making the seas trash free! Read more from the Ocean Conservancy herehttp:// Students carrying a degraded refrigerator found on the beach 7 Garbage collected at the Fort Rocky site

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8 AMEP Quarterly October - December 2013 Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares (centre) participating in the GLOC-2 Conference Oil Spills Response Planning In 2013, the RAC-REMPEITC participated in the Senior Maritime Administrators Meeting and High Level Symposium in Jamaica and an Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) workgroup in Barbados. Also, in July the RAC-REMPEITC, in association with IMO, hosted a UNEP CAR-RCU funded workshop on MARPOL and Port Reception facilities. The objective of this workshop was to provide detailed information on the most recent amendments to the MARPOL Convention and to promote the responsibilities of Parties under the Convention which are intended to ensure the legal disposal of ship-generated waste In addition to this, between 2008 and 2013, the UNEP CAR-RCU in collaboration with REMPEITC-Caribe, the IMO and national governments have trained over 300 persons in oil spills prevention, preparedness and contingency planning from For further information, visit: National Programmes of Action (NPAs) Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Robert Pickersgill and Miss Elizabeth Mrema, Officer-in- Charge, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI) UNEP at the GLOC-2 Conference Projects supporting thedevelopment and implementation of NPAs in the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Saint Lucia have been completed and final reports will soon be available on the CEP website. The Second Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC- 2) was held in October in Jamaica. At this conference, many recommendations were made for the Manila Declaration for furthering the implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. Other discussions at the conference included the benefits, risk and rewards of wastewater reuse, the impacts of nutrient in agriculture and marine environments and the impacts of climate change. UNEP CAR-RCU was represented by Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares, Mr. Christopher Corbin and Miss Chrishane Williams, Team Assistant. Other persons who were in attendance included GEF CReW s Project Coordinator and Technical Specialist as well as scientists, experts, policy makers and NGOs from around the world. Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares making his opening remarks at the GPNM meeting in Trinidad and Tobago Launch of the Caribbean Platform on Nutrient Management In May 2013, Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares and Mr. Christopher Corbin attended the launch of the Caribbean Platform for Nutrient Managementwhich was held in Trinidad and Tobago.Experts from twenty two countries, five project partners and agencies were also in 9

9 attendance. This platform operates within the broader framework of the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management Platform (GPNM) for which UNEP GPA is the Secretariat. The Caribbean Platform for the GPNM is a forum developed to address the nutrient management problem in the Caribbean. This nutrient challenge is described as one which emerged out of society s need for food and the effects of these nutrients on the marine environment. For further information on the GPNM, visit here AMEP Quarterly October - December 2013 EU/GOJ/UNEP Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Project closing and awards ceremony Environmental Monitoring and Assessment The Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment that was established in accordance with Decision XI of the 14 th IGM continued to work in 2013 towards the development of a State of Convention Area Report (SOCAR). The SOCAR is a reporting requirement of the LBS Protocol of the Cartagena Convention. A Survey on Water Quality Monitoring and Data Sharing for the Wider Caribbean Region was developed by the Secretariat based on discussions of the Working Group and was distributed to LBS Focal Points in Currently the UNEP CAR-RCU is awaiting further responses from more focal points before analyzing the data. Mrs. Sanya Wedemier Graham, AMEP Programme Assistant, UNEP CEP (third right) at the head table with Mrs. Paola Amadei (Head of European Union delegation) and Hon. Robert Pickersgill (Minister of Water, Land Environment and Climate Change) with other persons from partner organizations and stakeholder groups Climate Change and Disaster Management The EU funded GOJ/UNEP Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project The Project held its closing and award ceremony on December 10, The EU funded project with on overall budget of 4.4 million euros was co-implemented by UNEP and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).The project had 3 components which focused on: 1) Rehabilitating watersheds through slope stabilization measures such as reforestation of hillsides, implemented by the Forestry Department; Ms Novelette Douglas, Director of Policy, Planning, Evaluation and Research at NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency)presents Mrs. Sanya Wedemier Graham, Programme Assistant,UNEP with a token on behalf of the EU Climate Change Project 10

10 2) Increasing resilience of selected coastal areas against potential climate change impacts; which was implemented by National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA); 3) Climate change capacity building and awareness raising, which was implemented by the Meteorological Services of Jamaica & the Environmental Management Division of the Ministry of Water Land Environment and Climate Change (MoWLECC). Some of the achievements of the GOJ/EU/UNEP Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project Watershed rehabilitation: Forestry Department has produced approximately 400,000 seedlings Planted over 400 hectares of forest. River protection structures have been established in vulnerable communities Coastal restoration: Planting of over 7 hectares of mangrove forests in PortlandCottage and Hellshire Hills Establishment of Coastal Plant Nursery Installed data loggers and buoys to monitor sea surface temperature Over 20 acres of sea grass beds have been planted Alternative Livelihood Programme An alternative livelihood programmeimplemented (by the Forestry Department and NEPA) 14 projects promoting alternative livelihoods like beekeeping, organic farming,heritage tourism, ecotourism and agroforestry benefitting over 700 stakeholders Capacity Building and Awareness Raising Draft Climate Change Policy and Cays Management Policy Educational materials were developed for schools Involvement of cultural icons like the artistes from PANOS Voices for Climate Change project were used to spread the message across the island 11

11 Looking Ahead (January March 2014) Date Event Location 27-31January GEF CReW Project Steering Committee Meeting January CAWASA CReW Annual General Meeting February Planning Meeting for PRODOC Core Development Team (CDT) for CLME Part 2 Jamaica St. Lucia Miami, Florida March CReW Regional Partnership Meeting on Wastewater Jamaica MARK YOUR CALENDARS! June- 2 nd LBS STAC (Scientific Technical and Advisory Committee Meeting) November- 2 nd LBS Conference of the Parties Meeting REMINDERS! (Dates to be confirmed) 2014 is the International Year of the SIDS Click here 2014 marks the 40 th Anniversary of the Regional Seas Programmes Click here CEP has an online calendar with a list of 2014 CEP and partner meetings. Calendar Like our Facebook page Follow us on Twitter 12

12 The AMEP sub-programme wishes to thank all focal points and partners for their support throughout this year. We look forward to further cooperation and continued success in 2014! 13