IWRM in the Caribbean: Analyzing Barriers to Implementation

Abstract

Many Caribbean nations are especially susceptible to water scarcity, and the effects of climate change continue to exacerbate this scarcity of water resources, leading to an increased need for adaptation and resilience. Within the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and St. Kitts and Nevis are the most water scarce nations, closely followed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines (World Bank Data, 2020). Other Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, have more abundant water resources, such as Guyana and Suriname, giving the Caribbean region a very heterogeneous water landscape. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has a low implementation score throughout the Caribbean region, as ranked by a United Nations SDG indicator- the causes of which this paper seeks to address. Through literature reviews, interviews, and an analysis of the SDG 6.5.1 2023 IWRM survey data, this paper was able to identify four themes: Governance and Political Support, Financial Capacity, Stakeholder Participation and Collaboration, and Knowledge, Data, and Capacity Building. Contained within each of these themes are barriers that hinder the implementation of IWRM processes. The theme of Knowledge, Data, and Capacity Building was identified as a nexus barrier, which when addressed, can exact positive change on all other barriers examined in this paper. The identification of this nexus barrier provides a tangible starting point for which to continue IWRM implementation throughout the Caribbean nations.