Water Sector Resilience Nexus for Sustainability in Barbados (WSRN S-Barbados)

Barbados Projects

Country/Region Benefited: Barbados/Caribbean
Accredited Entity: the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
Duration: January 2019-March 2024
Funding amount approved by the GCF: US $27,600,000.00

Climate Change caused by temperature increase has many environmental challenges to the Earth. Unfortunately, in the Caribbean Region, Barbados is expose to natural issues such as intense tropical storms and hurricanes that negatively affects underground water sources. Hence, creating a sustainable and resilient water supply for Barbados is extremely necessary. The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, in collaboration with the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), is developing the project Water Sector Resilience Nexus for Sustainability in Barbados (WSRN S-Barbados). This initiative equips Barbados with alternative mechanisms to increase water capacity using renewable energy (by installing photovoltaic solar and natural gas power for the pumping stations), rainwater harvesting, water storage, supporting adaptation funding, and raising awareness about Climate Change and the water cycle. This project includes several aims related to develop resilience to severe weather impacts, reduce greenhouse gas emission, reduce consumption, and the promotion of diverse water sources and legislation.

The WSRM S-Barbados project includes four main outcomes:

  1. Increasing resilience to meteorological events, and reducing carbon footprint involving renewable energy into the water supply system (photovoltaic power and natural gas).
  2. Establishing an adaptation and mitigation fund from the energy saving of the Outcome
  3. Encompassing sustainable Water Loss Reduction (WLR), water storage, and rainwater harvesting initiatives.
  4. Comprising building capacity and raising public awareness.

The development of this project considers several economic, social, and environmental implications. Economically, this project would reduce energy costs to the BWA resulting in savings, less investment on leakages due to the replacement of 20km of mains. Socially, it would benefit raising awareness in the community on water conservation, developing pro-poor water affordability initiatives, creating employment and a gender driven development. Environmentally, this project seeks to improve resilience against Climate Change and extreme events and reducing carbon emissions using renewable sources.

This project will help Barbados, as a CARICOM country, to align with the sustainable goals that are crucial to the entire country. In sustainability terms, the project has an estimated lifespan of 30 years in which it will contribute to implement climate action, clean water sanitation, affordable clean energies, and work development to the national economy.