Lab work at CEHI
in terms of flooding and degradation of marine habitats of fish, crustaceans, corals and other coastal resources. Poor water quality in rivers and coastal waters also has negative consequences for tourism promotion. CEHI supports the efforts of its Member States, including St. Lucia, in adopting and applying various management strategies towards the reduction of pollution of the environment. One such framework that St. Lucia has recently signed on to is the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol (LBS Protocol) which is one of three protocols under the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) administered “Cartagena Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region”. This agreement supports the implementation of more stringent pollution prevention and controls at the national level. This includes implementing standards for wastewater discharges and industrial effluent, and through the promotion and use of best management practices and improved technologies, ultimately towards the protection of the shared resources of the Wider Caribbean Region. The Government of Saint Lucia, through the Sustainable Development and Environment Unit of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban Renewal, Local Government and the Environment and with funding from the European Union (EU) started the development of a Recreational Water Quality Standard for Saint Lucia. The guidelines developed by CEHI are to be used as the basis for developing the Standard. The primary references
for the development of the guidelines were the World Health Organization Guide for Recreational Waters, the LBS Protocol guideline for discharge limits, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian and Australian governments’ guidelines for recreational waters. In partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO), CEHI is facilitating the work of local stakeholders in the development of a pilot Water Safety Plan (WSP) for the water supply systems that service the Dennery and Mabouya Valleys. A WSP is a hazard risk reduction approach to conserve the quality of water all the way from the source (in the rivers) through the distribution systems and to the consumer, inclusive of household water safety practices. This pilot initiative aims to identify and make recommendations for actions that need to take place within the watersheds, the treatment plants and at the household level towards improved water quality which will result in a reduction in the potential for occurrence of water borne disease. Ultimately, CEHI exists to assist St. Lucia and
other Member States in ensuring that while important resources like water are made available for our current health, social and development needs, it will remain available in sufficient quantities and quality in the future, to guarantee the same for upcoming generations. BF Shermaine Clauzel Programme Officer Caribbean Environmental Health Institute - CEHI
Business Focus
September/October 2010
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