Water Policy

Physical scarcity of freshwater is often given as the reason for water shortages, but it is usually its management that can either create or resolve the problem. This will be illustrated by the case of Barbados. The water management issues are typical of many small island states, some of which are particularly vulnerable to water scarcity, especially in the context of climate change. Barbados experiences extended interruptions in the water supply, mainly in northern and eastern parishes. Supplies of freshwater are relatively sparse, but it will be argued that it is the policy regime that ensures that water is inefficiently supplied, allocated and used, and so is the primary cause of supply interruptions. The objectives of this paper are to establish a theoretical framework for sustainable water resource management and frame a strategy for Barbados which reconciles demand and supply of water while taking into account environmental, economic and social interests. The mixed methodology involved semistructured interviews of policy makers and practitioners from the water, tourism, agriculture and planning sectors, as well as a household survey.

Water management institutions and arrangements in many Caribbean states have not, until recently, altered substantially for some sixty years with the current arrangements reflecting the predominant governance paradigm of a transitional colonial era. This is most obvious in the continuance of a sectoral approach to what might be referred to as the business of government. This, however, is beginning to change such that the water sector in the Caribbean region exhibits varying stages of institutional re-ordering as it seeks to respond to challenges of increasing demand on and for water. This paper reviews the institutional status of water management and water policy developments in the Caribbean through examples from fifteen English-speaking Caribbean states. The trends and influences that are contributing to policy change and governance responses are examined and critiqued, in order to explore where and what potential tensions the re-ordering might give rise to.