Assessment & Management of Environmental Pollution Issue 6 Contact Information UNEP -CAR/RCU 14-20 Port Royal Street Kingston JAMAICA Tel # 876 922-9267 Fax # 876 922-9292 E mail: rcu@cep.unep.org Please view our updated Web Site! www.cep.unep.org ONE MORE SIGNATORY REQUIRED! Welcome Dear Readers, This sixth quarterly highlights results of the recently convened Fifth Meeting of the Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to the LBS Protocol and continues efforts by the AMEP Secretariat to provide updates on projects and activities in support of the following thematic areas: Programme Coordination GEF Projects Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Wastewater Management Waste Management National Programmes of Action Oil Spills Response Planning, and Climate Change and Disaster Management 5 th LBS ISTAC Meeting During 24-28 May 2010, 45 experts from 23 countries of the Wider Caribbean Region participated in the 5 th LBS ISTAC Meeting held in Panama City, Panama. This was held together with a workshop on the London Dumping and MARPOL Conventions, with support from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The 5 th LBS ISTAC meeting reviewed projects and activities implemented by the AMEP Sub-Programme during the 2008-2009 biennium and discussed the proposed work plan and budget for 2010-2011. National representatives and observers had in-depth discussions on the region s pollution-related priorities as the LBS Protocol nears entry into force. The meeting adopted several recommendations which are summarized below: Fifth Meeting of the Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to the LBS Protocol Increase national efforts to ratify the LBS Protocol as soon as possible Mobilize additional project funding including developing new multi-focal area projects for submission to the GEF Finalize the Update to Technical Report (TR) 33 on pollutant loadings Develop a regional network for water quality monitoring, including inventories of monitoring programmes, laboratory capacities, standardized guidelines for monitoring methodologies, and reporting formats Explore opportunities to integrate the results of recently completed AMEP projects such as TR33, Know-Why Network, GEF Contaminated Bays, and the Baseline Assessment of Wastewater Management as a part of the new GEF project on a Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) Continue capacity building efforts in the use of GIS, remote sensing and other decision-making tools Incorporate epidemiological studies into new projects to highlight human 1
health linkages Assist in wastewater management efforts through the provision of information about appropriate, economically-feasible treatment options and through partnerships with international development banks Deepen linkages between the work of the SPAW and AMEP Sub-Programmes so that a more comprehensive picture is available on the impacts of pollution on coastal and marine biodiversity Incorporate climate change issues in the design of new project activities, particularly those dealing with watershed management Identify sources of technical assistance and funding for capacity building in solid waste management Continue collaboration with IMO, to put in place compliance measures in accordance with the MARPOL Special Area requirements such as those pertaining to reception facilities at ports, and regularly reporting on dumpingat-sea activities conducted in accordance with the London Convention and Protocol With the recent accessions of Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana to the LBS Protocol, only 1 more signatory remains for the Protocol to enter into force! Programme Coordination The Governments of Antigua & Barbuda and Guyana have approved accession to the Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) Protocol and given instructions that their respective instruments of ratification be deposited with Colombia, the depository of the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols. Guyana s Cabinet of Minsters approved accession to the Cartagena Convention and all 3 of its Protocols, which will bring the total number of states having ratified or acceded to the Cartagena Convention to 24. Only 4 countries in the region have not yet acceded to the Convention: the Bahamas, Haiti, Honduras and Suriname. Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana will join Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, Belize, France, Saint Lucia, and the United States of America as countries to have ratified the LBS Protocol. Only one ratification/accession is required before the LBS Protocol enters into force. Progress is being made in the LBS ratification process in several countries including Barbados, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. At the recently convened 5 th LBS ISTAC Meeting, several countries provided updates to the AMEP Secretariat regarding their individual status and expressed their continued commitment to the ratification process. The only question now is which county will bring this historic agreement into force? Final comments have been submitted on the latest draft of the Reporting Template for the Cartagena Convention. These comments are being incorporated into a final draft to be presented for adoption at the upcoming 14 th Inter-Governmental Meeting (IGM) of the CEP. The 14 th IGM will take place from 6-8 October 2010 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Please see full announcement on page 8. The CEP has been strengthened by the return of Ms. Chrishane Williams, bilingual administrative assistant to the AMEP and CETA Sub-Programmes, and the arrival of Ms. Amanda Preston, intern for the AMEP Sub-Programme. The CEP website is currently being revamped. In addition to a newly designed home page, a large number of documents have been made available on pages dedicated to the 5 th LBS ISTAC Meeting and the upcoming 14 th IGM. A new social media page has also been created for kids and adults which shows recently produced public service announcements for TV and radio as well as 2
photo slide shows and animations: http://cep.coraltv.org/ In June, representatives of the Secretariat and GEF Project Coordinating Units attended the 5 th Biennial Caribbean Environment Forum and Exhibition (CEF 5) in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The conference s theme, Coping with Copenhagen: Water, Waste, Energy, Health," emphasized actions and strategies to address key Caribbean environmental issues against the backdrop of climate change. Attended by representatives from across the Caribbean, the conference brought together experts and international stakeholders in the public and private sectors, highlighting work being done in the region, new environmental technologies, and providing an arena for networking. CEP representatives contributed with oral and poster presentations, an exhibition booth with videos, promotional material, and posters of CEP s work. CEP also hosted a movie night showcasing recent documentaries and public service announcements produced by the CEP and UNEP (see photos left and on pg.4). Conference papers and presentations can be found at: www.cehi.org.lc/cef5 Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addresses honoured guests at the opening ceremony of CEF 5 GEF Projects Development of the GEF CReW Project is progressing, with a full project proposal jointly prepared by UNEP CAR/RCU, IDB, and contributions from a number of consultants. The proposal will be submitted to the GEF Secretariat for consideration by end of July 2010. The 5 th GEF IWCAM Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) Meeting was successfully convened from 28-29 June in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Attended by representatives of the Participating Countries, Implementing and Executing Agencies, the status of demonstration projects were reviewed; updates on ongoing project activities were presented; and the creation of an atlas displaying geo-spatial information and other technical outputs for the project discussed. The meeting was preceded by a workshop on lessons learned from the project as part of the 5 th Caribbean Environment Forum (see details above), where a number of country representatives presented and shared valuable experiences from their projects. GEF IWCAM Project Manager, Mr. Vincent Sweeney (above), passes on the torch to TMR President, Trevalyn Clovis (below), at the closing of the Saint Lucia Demo- Project In May, GEF IWCAM s Saint Lucia Demonstration Project was officially closed, coinciding with the launch of a new NGO - Trust for the Management of Rivers (TMR). TMR will carry on the responsibilities of the Fond D Or Watershed Management Committee, which was the primary participatory mechanism of the demonstration project, and has a mission to achieve recreational water standards through the promotion of improved land use practices in the watershed (see photo left). In April, the GEF IWCAM Project hosted a training workshop in Trinidad and Tobago on effective proposal writing. The training aimed to provide participants with the fundamental tools and information to research funding opportunities and prepare the various components of proposals. Attended by representatives of Caribbean governments and non-governmental organizations, the knowledge gained at the event will be of great significance for the sustainability of IWCAM activities following the project s completion. In February, a national symposium in Jamaica on Integrated Water Resource Management was jointly hosted by the GEF IWCAM Project, CEHI, and the Jamaican Ministry of Water and Housing. The symposium s main objectives were to review the current Water Sector Policy, produce a revised policy document using the revised Water Resource Master Plan as the platform, and create synergies with other water-related policies. 3
For more information on the recent activities of GEF IWCAM, please see the project s website and quarterly report available at www.iwcam.org In March, the GEF REPCar Project held its annual Coastal Monitoring meeting in Managua, Nicaragua where project partners shared experiences from monitoring programmes in their respective countries (Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua). Amongst the meeting s recommendations were a standardized method of technical reporting and a list of finalized activities for the upcoming year. Project partners also reviewed a new online multi-thematic support system, called ARGOS, for the storage, analysis and visualization of Coastal Monitoring data (see image below left). GEF REPCar Project Coordinator, Dr. Alex Cooman, visited Colombia in February to lead a number of meetings, bringing together representatives from various Colombian agro-chemical companies. The meetings facilitated interaction with these companies as stakeholders in the participating country and updated them on findings and progress made through the project. A lucky winner is presented with a GEF REPCar cap at the 5 th Caribbean Environment Forum Progress continues with GEF REPCar s Demonstration Projects in all 3 participating countries. The demonstration project sites have gradually exhibited reductions in the use of pesticides which would otherwise be transported via runoff to the coast of the Caribbean Sea and impact its marine environment. For more information on the recent activities of GEF REPCar, please see the project s website and bulletin available at http://cep.unep.org/repcar Environmental Monitoring & Assessment The multi-thematic ARGOS support system: an online interactive database for GEF REPCar s coastal monitoring programme The final report for the Sida-funded Know-Why Network project was completed but due to delays with the translations, the final draft report is not yet available. Following further technical reviews and recommendations, the report will be presented at the CEP s upcoming 14 th IGM, 6-8 October 2010 in Jamaica. Information sharing mechanisms are being explored to integrate the results of recently completed and ongoing AMEP projects involving monitoring data. This mechanism may build on the interactive web-based map being developed jointly between AMEP and the GEF REPCar Project and will be linked to other existing clearing houses with pollution data for the Wider Caribbean Region. Information to be compiled and disseminated would come from projects such as TR33, Know-Why Network, GEF Contaminated Bays, GEF REPCar, GEF IWCAM and the Baseline Assessment of Wastewater Management as a part of GEF CReW. Final revisions of the Update to TR33 are being done by RAC Cimab following recommendations by countries and the ad-hoc working group established at the recent 5 th LBS ISTAC Meeting. The revised draft will be presented at the upcoming 14 th IGM for review and possible adoption. The most recent version of the report is available online at: http://www.cep.unep.org/events-andmeetings/5th-lbs-istac/5th_lbs_istac_documents/update-tr-33-ingles-2thdraft.doc 4
Fact Sheets prepared during the last biennium are currently being updated with a view to having current information on the state of the marine environment of the Wider Caribbean Region available on the CEP website. The AMEP Atlas, completed by RAC Cimab in 2009 with support from Sida, has been disseminated to focal points and project partners throughout the region. The Atlas displays information pertaining to AMEP and data collected through its projects in a geo-spatial context (see image left). The final version is available at: http://cep.unep.org/cimab/atlas-amep-2007-2009-1/view Information on pollutant loads from TR33, as presented in the AMEP Atlas. Wastewater Management A pilot project for a Sewage Needs Assessment in Belize started in February but underwent a series of setbacks which delayed its progress. Expected to recommence in July, the project will investigate the wastewater management practices and ground water use in Caye Caulker while conducting a ground and coastal water quality assessment in support of the development of a Sewage Needs Management Plan. UNEP has recently published two major documents in support of improved wastewater management: Sick Water? The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development and Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions. Both publications are free and available online at: http://www.unep.org/pdf/sickwater_screen.pdf http://www.unep.org/pdf/clearing_the_waters.pdf Launched last November, the first phase of the Jamaican MOH Wastewater Treatment Plants Assessment Project was completed with funding support from PAHO and UNEP CAR/RCU. The project has been extended to a second phase which the MOH will continue independent of UNEP funding. The project aims to assess the effluent water quality, efficiency and constraints of 170 Sewage Treatment Plants and their environmental impacts on receiving environments, in support of the LBS Protocol s ratification by the Government of Jamaica (see photo on page 6). Recent UNEP publications in support of improved wastewater management (above and below) Waste Management Taking into account the strategic priorities of GEF s latest funding cycle, GEF V, the AMEP Secretariat continues to work in collaboration with UNEP DGEF to develop a new GEF Project Proposal entitled A Programmatic Approach for Implementation of POPs National Plans (NIPs) and Wider Integrated Chemicals Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States. Development of this proposal has involved UNU-INWEH which recently completed its Caribbean Coastal Pollution Project (CCPP). Development of AMEP s Marine Litter Programme continues as a consultant has been engaged for the development of educational material targeting four Caribbean countries (Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago) and the preparation of a proposal for an ensuing project. Discussions have occurred between the AMEP Secretariat and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) on a new project entitled, Reducing Marine Litter in the Wider Caribbean Region: Developing and Implementing Best Waste Management Practices. This project is being executed by GCFI with US funding support and includes the following participating countries: the Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. 5
The AMEP Secretariat is represented on the steering committee organizing the 5 th International Marine Debris Conference, scheduled to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA in 2011. AMEP Quarterly A Regional Ballast Water Management Strategy was reviewed at the First Regional GloBallast Task Force Meeting led by RAC REMPEITC with support from IMO and UNEP CAR/RCU. This draft strategy has been subsequently updated based on comments received and will be submitted to the 14 th IGM for possible adoption. The revised document is available online at: http://www.cep.unep.org/events-and-meetings/5th-lbsistac/5th_lbs_istac_documents/ref5_draft-bwm-strategic-action-plan.pdf Sampling done as a part of the Jamaican MOH Wastewater Treatment Plants Assessment Project National Programmes of Action An agreement between Suriname s Ministry of Labour, Technological Development and Environment and UNEP CEP has been signed for an NPA Pilot Project for Suriname. An agreement is currently being finalized with the National Women s Movement of Suriname to implement the project. The pilot project aims to mitigate pollution in the waterways of the Sipaliwini District through the introduction of eco-sanitation toilets. This project is also expected to help in Suriname s efforts to accede to the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols. A follow-up pilot project to Saint Lucia s NPA and LBS Protocol Implementation is currently underway. UNEP GPA has expressed its intention to support the overall project. Meanwhile, a component of the project being supported through GEF IWCAM s Hot Spot Diagnostic Assessments has initiated an assessment and characterization of water quality along the North West coast of the island. This includes the compilation of relevant data and literature as well as the design of a water quality sampling regime. Implementation of the UNEP GPA pilot project entitled, Ecosystem Management for the Integrated Land and Seascape of Northern Trinidad, continued through the first two quarters of 2010. The pilot project seeks to integrate the strategies identified in their NPA. Support from the LBS RAC, Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), has been made available by way of preliminary planning and facilitation of communication with community groups and supporting agencies. Last year s IMO/UNEP seminar has since resulted in bringing MARPOL Annex V into force as of May 11, 2011. (See details on next page) Oil Spills Response Planning RAC REMPEITC-Caribe held its 5 th Ordinary Steering Committee Meeting in Curacao in May. Several recommendations were made at the meeting including the need to ensure sustainability of the centre. These recommendations will be presented for adoption at the upcoming 14 th IGM in October in Jamaica. Following a joint IMO/UNEP CAR/RCU seminar on MARPOL Annexes I & V coordinated by RAC REMPEITC in 2009, information collected at the event on the status of ship reception facilities in particular countries was compiled and submitted to IMO for the Marine Environment Protection Committee s 60 th Session (MEPC 60) thereby requesting that the special areas designation of MARPOL Annex V be brought into force in the Wider Caribbean Region. Held in March 2010, MEPC 60 considered and accepted the proposal, establishing 1 May 2011 as the date on which the special areas designation will come into effect. MARPOL Annex V, Regulations for the prevention of pollution by 6
garbage from ships, prohibits the disposal of all garbage into the sea, including plastics. The establishment of this special areas designation marks a major success in the work of IMO, UNEP CAR/RCU and RAC REMPEITC. In April, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico, 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana, USA. The wellhead s blowout preventer failed to function properly, leading to a continuous oil spill into the Gulf waters. As of early June, US EPA had already estimated a total of 126 miles of coastline being impacted by the spill, including some 31 miles of heavily impacted marshland, while US NOAA had already closed roughly 26% of commercial and recreational fisheries in waters affected by the spill. On the part of CEP, RAC REMPEITC is providing technical assistance in the region in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This support has come in the form of assessing oil spill response capacities of the neighbouring countries to potential impacts from the spill. RAC REMPEITC also continues to facilitate overall information exchange in the region within the framework of the Oil Spills Protocol of the Cartagena Convention. Recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Did you know that that the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is comparable to the largest oil spills ever to occur in the world s oceans? Oil spill response efforts continue in the Gulf of Mexico (photo from Deepwater Horizon Response) Climate Change & Disaster Management The Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Methodology Development Project (RiVAMP) was recently completed by DEWA-GRID Europe and DEPI/PCDMB, in collaboration with UNEP CAR/RCU and ROLAC with a terminal workshop in March 2010 in Jamaica. While this project focused on Jamaica, discussions are underway for its replication in other countries in the region. The project s final report and related news articles are available online at: http://www.unep.org/conflictsanddisasters/policy/disasterriskreduction/riva mp/tabid/4825/language/en-us/default.aspx Approval has been received from the European Commission (EC) for a new project on Climate Change Adaption and Disaster Risk Reduction developed with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). A formal agreement between the EU and UNEP expected to be completed by August will establish the basis for project implementation to begin by September 2010. Looking Ahead July 23: Launch of revised CEP website August 24-26: SIDS IWRM Methodology Workshop Oct 4-8: CWWA Annual Conference & Exhibition Grenada Oct 6-8: 14 th CEP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) Montego Bay, Jamaica Nov: GEF IWCAM 5 th Project Steering Committee Meeting - TBD We hope that you have enjoyed this issue of the AMEP Quarterly and welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information please contact: Mr. Christopher Corbin, AMEP Programme Officer, 7
Fourteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Eleventh Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region 6-9 October 2010 Sixth Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region 5 October 2010 Montego Bay, Jamaica Announcement The Secretariat of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (UNEP-CAR/RCU) announces the above-mentioned meetings, being convened from 5 th to 9 th October 2010 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In recognition of the designation of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, special sessions will be devoted to the recognition of the global economic benefits of biodiversity, and participating countries will be invited to highlight their national initiatives for the conservation of the biodiversity of the Wider Caribbean. A. Introduction The Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) is the major forum of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP). The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) was adopted at the Second Intergovernmental Meeting, convened at Cartagena de Indias in 1983. The Cartagena Convention provides the framework for its current Protocols on Oil Spills, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife, and Land-Based Sources and Activities of Marine Pollution. The IGM convenes every two years and is held jointly with the meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention. At these meetings participating Governments determine the content of the Workplan and Budget of the CEP, review its progress and chart a course for the future. The Bureau of Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention and Monitoring Committee for the Action Plan of the Caribbean Environment Programme are elected each biennium from among the Contracting Parties to the Convention and CEP Member Governments attending the IGM, respectively. 8
B. Fourteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Eleventh Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region This meeting proposes to review the achievements of the Caribbean Environment Programme during the 2008-2009 biennium and to approve the Workplan of the CEP for the 2010-2011 biennium. The Secretariat, on behalf of the CEP Governments and Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention, has convened the meeting to: Evaluate the projects and activities implemented within the framework of the Caribbean Environment Programme during the period 2008-2009; Review the progress made in the implementation of the decisions of the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Tenth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, St John s, Antigua & Barbuda, 9-12 September 2008; Review and take action, as appropriate, on the Decisions of the Sixth Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region, 5 October 2010; Review the recommendations of and take action, as appropriate, on the Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities, Panama City, Panama, 24-28 May 2010; Review the recommendations of and take action, as appropriate, on the Report of the Fourth Meeting of the Steering Committee to the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region, Willemstad, Curacao, 11-12 May 2010; Review and adopt the Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules for the Caribbean Environment Programme; Review and adopt the Workplan and Budget for CEP for the 2010-2011 Biennium, including those of the Regional Activity Centres; and Decide on the composition of the Monitoring Committee and the Bureau of Contracting Parties for the 2010-2011 period. Key Sessions: Side Events to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity C. Sixth Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region In accordance with the SPAW Workplan and Budget for 2008-2009, approved by the Fifth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the SPAW Protocol, in St John s, Antigua & Barbuda, 8 September 2008, and by the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Meeting of the CEP, in St John s, Antigua & Barbuda, 9-12 September 2008, the proposed objectives of the Sixth SPAW COP Meeting are to: Review the current status and activities of the SPAW Workplan and the SPAW Protocol; Decide on the 2010-2011 Workplan and Budget of the SPAW Programme and the SPAW Protocol for subsequent approval by the Fourteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Eleventh Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region; Review and agree on further action on the Report of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the guidelines and criteria for the evaluation of protected areas to be listed under the SPAW Protocol; Review activities of the Regional Activity Centre (RAC) for SPAW, in Guadeloupe; and 9
Review the activities of the Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region. D. Participants National focal points or their designated representatives of all Parties to the Cartagena Convention and SPAW Protocol, as well as the States and Territories participating in the Caribbean Environment Programme and the Commission of the European Union are invited to attend the meetings. Other States that have demonstrated concern for the protection of the marine environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, UN and non-un regional and international organisations, NGOs, donors and private sector representatives participating or interested in the Caribbean Environment Programme are also invited to attend the meetings as observers. Regional and international experts may also be invited to make special presentations to the meetings. In the upcoming months, letters of invitation will be sent out requesting Governments and relevant organisations to nominate their representative(s) to the meetings, and the preliminary documents will be posted on our Website. In due course, and as they become available, the Working and Information Documents will be posted, and it will be indicated through this website once they can be downloaded. E. Venue The Meetings will be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Confirmation of exact venue and other logistical details will be made available as soon as possible on the UNEP-CAR/RCU website: www.cep.unep.org Contact: UNEP-CAR/RCU, Tel.: (876) 922-9267-9, Fax: (876) 922-9292 email: rcu@cep.unep.org 10