CEP Programme Updates |
||
| CEP Homepage First Page this Edition |
||
AMEP Update |
|
|
Integrating Management of Watersheds and of Coastal Areas in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean is one of the highlights for the CEP Sub-programme on Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) this quarter. This is the second CEP activity to be developed with funds from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is being executed in partnership with the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI). This project is being implemented in all 13 SIDS of the Wider Caribbean. Letters of Agreement have been signed with the participating countries and they are currently moving ahead with the development of country reports that outline the status and needs of water resource management in each individual country, with particular attention to the freshwater/coastal area interface. National reports will provide input to a regional programme of action that will be submitted along with the national programme priorities to the GEF Secretariat for funding. Plans are currently underway to conduct the second of three regional workshops where the draft reports will be presented for discussion and comment. This project is expected to conclude in mid-2001. The national component of the GEF project on Reducing Pesticide Run-off to the Caribbean Sea is also in full swing. Each of the four participating countries (Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua) will hold national level workshops to review and comment on their national plans to improve pesticide management and thereby reduce run-off to the Caribbean. National workshops will include participants from many different sectors at the national level, including public, private and non-governmental organisations. The views and comments of this diverse audience should enhance the final project plans and ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in the process, thereby increasing its implementation and effectiveness. A sub-regional workshop will be held in January 2001 to complete the regional project document before submission to GEF. |
Plans are also now underway for
the First Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to support the
Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol).
Tentatively set for 19-23 February 2001 (venue to be determined), this meeting is part of
the CEP workplan approved by the Ninth Intergovernmental Meeting in February 2000. The
meeting will review current AMEP activities in support of the LBS Protocol as well as a
draft workplan and budget for 2002-2003 that will be presented later to the Tenth
Intergovernmental Meeting (dates to be determined) for approval. A provisional agenda is
being developed that will integrate this First LBS/ISTAC meeting with a regional meeting
on municipal wastewater to be facilitated by the UNEP Coordination Office on the Global
Programme of Action (GPA). The combined portion of the meeting will include not only the
AMEP/LBS focal points, but also municipal officials from the Wider Caribbean and
representatives from the Ministries of Finance. CEP and the GPA Coordination Office hope
that this more diverse audience and resulting recommendations, will assist both the GPA
and LBS Protocol to further advance national plans to protect the Wider Caribbean Region
from the negative impacts of sewage pollution. For more information, please contact: Timothy Kasten, Senior Programme Officer, UNEP-CAR/RCU, 14-20 Port Royal Street, Kingston, Jamaica; Tel: (876) 922-9267 Fax: (876) 922-9292 E-mail: tjk.uneprcuja@cwjamaica.com |
|
