A REGIONAL Water Management Strategy is being crafted by ministers from around the Caribbean and is expected to be presented before the International Water Association in March 2018.

The ministers will meet at the 26th Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) conference in October at the Marriott Hotel to discuss the particulars of the strategy which is expected to be completed by year-end.

CWWA Executive Director, Patricia Aquing, said the agency is aware of the importance of water management in the Caribbean and are exploring methods to enhance the conservation, delivery and purification of the resource.

Contractors/suppliers and other stakeholders were briefed about the upcoming conference/exhibition at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Wednesday.

GWI is one of the 86 members of CWWA.

Over 400 participants are expected to take part at this year’s conference.

The input of exhibitors and other stakeholders will be considered for the strategy, said Aquing.

The CWWA, aside from developing the strategy will be giving members and stakeholders a chance to network and share ideas about how the industry can be further developed.

Guyana will have a chance to raise the profile of water, wastewater and waste management through interaction with participants from Denmark, Germany, Israel and other countries when the four-day conference starts on October 16.

GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles said the conference will be ideal for finding solutions to challenges which affect sustainable development.

“The conference will bring out knowledge and research which is critical to development… we have started a customer survey which will help to understand how we can service customers better despite being owned by the State,” Dr. Van West-Charles said.

GWI has been able to dig new wells, install new machinery and even employ new strategies, but Charles said more is yet to be done in terms of improving the delivery of water and stopping leakages.

The conference will be helpful in giving opportunities to suppliers and contractors of the company, as they will be able to market their products and find ways to develop a new product and even improve what they supply.

Dr. Van West-Charles’ sentiments were echoed by Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings, who told contractors to network with international stakeholders so that they can develop their individual products.

“Pull yourselves together… put yourselves in groups and teach each other how to do better… you must make sure you supply the right materials, no matter what the contract may be,” said the minister.

It was pointed out that inferior products have caused many mishaps and shortfalls, especially in the communities sector.

“We found out that a lot of water is being wasted… there are many leakages and we need to improve on that in order to save our most important resource,” she said.

Hydrologist and Secretary of the CWWA conference, Angela Franklin, said the conference will be key to addressing many problems, given that the association’s mission is to educate and train persons to manage water and improve the quality of water and its supply.