The Importance Of Transboundary Water Management In The Bahamas

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Water, a natural resource deemed to be a right, is fast depleting. Our planet’s fresh water reserves present an unfavorable picture, with only 1% out of 3% accessible for direct human use. This scarcity, fueled by unequal distribution amongst countries caused by geographical and political obstacles, raises the potential of “water wars”. Such concerns are exacerbated by uncontrollable population growth, pollution due to industrialization and modernization, and climate change. A new approach to the sustainable distribution of water is necessary. International cooperation through multilateral treaties and conventions are essential to the just allocation of transboundary waters. The conveniences for cooperation in transboundary water management …show more content…
The Bahamas is a member of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, which focuses on leadership to provide for the sustainable use, conservation, and effective management of marine and coastal resources. The Bahamas proclaimed its maritime boundaries in 2008, using derivations from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It has worked in agreement with Cuba and currently it is working with the United States of America. The Bahamas is also taking steps to conserve and replenish its own water sources, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works, Philip Davis, said water security and the proper treatment of waste water were two key issues that will be addressed moving forward. “We don’t pay much attention to waste water, and what happens to waste water and the consequences of waste water just being flushed or thrown out,” he said. Also, Minister of the Environment and Housing, Kendred Dorsett stresses on the imminent threat posed by climate change, “The impact in the Bahamas and across the region, and in our principal tourism marketplace the eastern seaboard of the United States, is a stark reminder that we will continue to face the challenges that climate change will visit upon us. It is becoming increasingly more important for initiatives such as the Caribbean Challenge to be …show more content…
Minister of the Environment and Housing the Hon. Kendred Dorsett stressed “on the three pillars of our (Bahamas) development – the economy, the society and the environment…here in the Bahamas, there is a need for economic growth, which in our context means physical interaction with the environment.” Due to decreasing per capita income rates since 2007, he calls for, “a multi-faceted response that places consistent emphasis on the creation of sustainable jobs.” Dorsett also cites the Global Climate Fund, “There’s absolutely no doubt that the GCF will become a financial mechanism by which small island developing states, including The Bahamas, should be able to access funding, particularly as we look to transition the world into a low-emission, climate-resilient future and for our climate change mitigation efforts.” Emphasizing on the country’s vulnerability to climate change and its increasing poverty levels, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis called on the United Nations to enhance its support to The Bahamas. Davis says that the country’s per capita income, which makes it one of the richest in the Americas, does not accurately reflect the reality within the Bahamas. A World Bank report indicates that The Bahamas is one of the island states most vulnerable to sea level rise, as

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