The Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) of the GEF–funded Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (IWCAM) Project, will meet for the first time on 4^th July 2007 at the Garraway Hotel in Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica.

The RTAG provides technical advice to the Project Steering Committee (PSC).  It consists of senior technical representatives from participating countries (each representing a sector related to that country’s demonstration project or areas of principal IWCAM concern).  National members should be nominated by the countries’ National Intersectoral Committees with the nomination endorsed by the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) and eventually the PSC in order to ensure an appropriate level of representation as well as a useful balance of expertise across the RTAG membership.  Other RTAG members include the Regional Project Coordinator (or his nominated representative), and a representative from each of the two Executing Agencies (EAs), CEHI and UNEP CAR/RCU. The RTAG may invite regional or international technical expertise as guests to a meeting where that expertise may prove to be valuable (and with the agreement of the Executing Agencies).

The primary focus of the first RTAG Meeting is to seek input into the Work Plan for 2008.  The meeting, in doing this, will also discuss:

• Development of National Plans for Integrated Water Resources Management
• Development of Indicators for IWCAM
• The review of legislation and policy frameworks related to IWCAM
• The conduct of Hotspot Diagnostic Assessments
• The utilization of GIS and information technology to support IWCAM

Please contact sgottlieb@cehi.org.lc for more information.

Reference documents for the meeting include:

• RTAG Meeting Provisional Agenda and RTAG Terms of Reference
• IWCAM Annual Plan of Operations 2007
• IWCAM Draft Annual Plan of Operations 2008

• GEF-IWCAM Full Project Brief
• Compulsory Annexes to the Project Brief
• Optional Annexes to the Project Brief
• Demonstration Project Documents
• Terms of Reference for the following ongoing activities: a GIS Capability Assessment; Review of Policy Legislation and Institutional Structures; an Indicators Mechanism Assessment; and a Review of Relevant IWCAM-related Projects.

• GEF-IWCAM Regional GIS Workshop reference documents 

• Indicators Mechanism Assessment reference documents