UNITED


NATIONS


Second Meeting of the Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities in the Wider Caribbean (LBS)

12-16 May 2003, Managua, Nicaragua

DRAFT WORKPLAN AND BUDGET FOR THE REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTRES CONCERNING POLLUTION FROM LAND-BASED SOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

1

JOINT WORK PROGRAMME

OF THE REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTRES

FOR THE PROTOCOL CONCERNING POLLUTION

FROM LAND-BASED SOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

IN THE WIDER CARIBBEAN REGION

2003-2005

Prepared by

Centro de Ingenieria y Manejo Ambiental de Bahias y Costas (Cimab), Cuba and
Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Trinidad and Tobago


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Work Programme Schedulei

Proposal 1:Project to Update the 1994 UNEP Study1

Proposal 2:Joint Regional Project to Promote Ratification/Accession to3

the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources

and Activities by the Countries of the Wider Caribbean Region

Proposal 3:Joint Regional Project to Assist Governments of the Wider 6

Caribbean Region in Classifying their Waters so as to Facilitate the

Implementation of the LBS Protocol

Proposal 4:Joint Regional Project for the Development of Safe10

Recreational-water Environments in the Wider Caribbean Region

Proposal 5:Development of a National Programme of Action for Trinidad and 14

Tobago

1

WORK PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Projects / Interim Work Programme / Work Programme
2003 / 2004 / 2005
1. Project to Update the 1994 UNEP Study /
2. Joint Regional Project to Promote Ratification/Accession to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources
and Activities by the Countries of the Wider Caribbean Region /
3. Joint Regional Project to Assist Governments of the Wider Caribbean Region in Classifying their Waters so as to Facilitate the Implementation of the LBS Protocol /
4. Joint Regional Project for the Development of Safe Recreational-water Environments in the Wider Caribbean Region /
5. Development of a National Programme of Action for Trinidad and Tobago /

1

1


PROPOSAL 1

PROJECT TO UPDATE THE 1994 UNEP STUDY

Prepared by

Centro de Ingenieria y Manejo Ambiental de Bahias y Costas (Cimab), Cuba

Project Sub-Title

A component of the Global Environmental Facility Project: Planning and Management of Heavily Contaminated Bays and Coastal Areas in the Wider Caribbean.

Country and/or geographical area

Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Trinidad &Tobago and Venezuela.

Background

In 1994, the regional project titled Planning and Management of Heavily Contaminated Bays and Coastal Areas in the Wider Caribbean ended. It was coordinated by the Regional Coordination Unit of the United Nations Environmental Program, located in Kingston Jamaica, with the assistance of the Centre of Engineering and Environmental Management of Bays and Coasts of Cuba (CIMAB) and in which environmental authorities, research institutions and universities of participating countries were actively involved.

During the successful development of the project, it was possible to determine the main existing pollution problems in the bays and coastal areas of each of the studied countries, and also the general guidelines for the Environmental Management of those ecosystems were defined. As result, a follow up phase of the project was outlined, aiming to monitoring the development of the existing pollution problems and to gather the necessary information to implement the general solutions outlined in the Final Report of the project.

Decision IX of the Tenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Plan of Action for the Caribbean Environmental Program (CEP) and VI Meeting of the Contracting Parties of the Convention for the Protection and the Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region, held at Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 2002, approved the proposals of the Governments of the Republic of Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago, that the Centre of Engineering and Environmental Management of Bays and Coasts (Cimab) and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), be considered as a Regional Activity Centers (RACs) in the framework of the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol. This decision, as well as the existing scientific capacity in the region enhance the possibilities to implement the follow up phase of this project with the following objectives.

General objective

To know the current state of the marine pollution in the case studies presented by each of the participating countries in the project, determining the main causes and all the necessary organizational, technical and financial solutions to solve them.

Specific objectives

  • To update the information about the current status of marine pollution in the ecosystems, coming from activities and terrestrial sources and as well as the technical solutions to overcome the problem.
  • To establish organization strategies and environmental education, to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts coming from the terrestrial sources of pollution, considering their area of influence.
  • To determine, through pre-feasibility projects, the possibility of executing the proposed technical solutions and the associated costs.

Outputs

  • An Integrated Management Plan for the proposed case studies including the key organizational, technological and social measures to fulfill the requirements outlined in Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol.
  • Feasibility projects for the main solutions will be submitted to the Development Cooperation Agencies of developed countries with the applications for technical economic assistance.
  • A well-structured environmental education project, considering the current socioeconomic characteristics of each case study, including the associated costs.

Work plan and necessary budget

Activities / Starting date / Ending
date / Executors / Budget
Fiduciary Fund (MUSD)
1. Elaboration of project document / June/03 / June/03 / RAC-Cimab / 1,0
2. Approval and project signing / July/03 / July/03 / UCR/CAR-PNUMA / 1,0
3. Coordination mission to the participant countries / October 1st, 2003 / October 15th, 2003 / RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 8,0
4. Regional workshop for the approval of the of detailed work plan and budget distribution / December 1st, 2003 / December 3rd, 2003 / UCR/CAR RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 20,0
5. Update the information about the existing marine pollution in the ecosystems, coming from activities and terrestrial sources in the approved study cases. / January/04 / November/04 / RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 280,0
6. Definition of solution proposals / June/04 / November /04 / RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 40,0
7. Regional Workshop for the discussion and approval of the solution proposals to the case studies. / December 1st, 2004 / December 8th, 2004 / RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 30,0
8. Elaboration of feasibility projects to the foreseen solutions / January/05 / October/ 05 / RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 320,0
9. Search of financing sources for the projects execution. / July/05 / November/05 / UCR/CAR RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 10,0
10. Regional Workshop for the discussion and approval of the Final Report of the project / December 7th, 2005 / December 15th, 2005 / UCR/CAR RAC-Cimab
Focal Points / 50,0
Required budget / 760,0

PROPOSAL 2

JOINT REGIONAL PROJECT TO PROMOTE RATIFICATION/ACCESSION TO THE PROTOCOL CONCERNING POLLUTION FROM LAND-BASED SOURCES AND ACTIVITIES BY THE COUNTRIES OF THE WIDER CARIBBEAN REGION

Prepared by:
Centro de Ingenieria y Manejo Ambiental de Bahias y Costas (Cimab), Cuba and
Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Trinidad and Tobago

Project Sub-Title

Demonstration project of the socio-economic advantages of ratifying/acceding to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from the Land-Based Sources and Activities by the countries of the Wider Caribbean Region.

Country and/or geographical area

Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago

Background

In 1981, Governments of the Wider Caribbean, with the help of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), created the Caribbean Environment Program (CEP), to promote the regional cooperation for the protection and the development of the marine environment. A comprehensive framework agreement was developed, which is the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean (known as the Cartagena Convention). In the Conference of Plenipotentiary (held from September 27 to October 6, 1999, in Oranjestad, Aruba), the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities, to the Cartagena Convention, was adopted.

At the time of the adoption of the Protocol sixteen of the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention signed the Final Act. This culminated the work to develop the technical basis and the negotiations for the text of the Protocol and the source-specific annexes.

The Protocol was open for signature for one year from the time of its adoption. Six countries signed within that period. They are Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, the Netherlands and the United States of America. These countries are now in a position to ratify the Protocol. The countries that did not sign within the prescribed time period will have to accede to the Protocol. The LBS Protocol will enter into force, that is, become legally binding when nine countries have ratified or acceded to it.

Trinidad and Tobago signed the Instruments of Accession for the LBS Protocol in February 2003. The Instruments of Accession have been forwarded to the Depositary of the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols, which is the Government of the Republic of Columbia.

Keeping in mind this situation and in order for the Protocol to come into force, it is considered necessary to develop a regional project in which the main consequences for the Caribbean countries in implementing or not implementing the Protocol could be studied. It is hoped that this project will provide decision makers in Government Ministries and Agencies with the scientific, technical and economic knowledge to undertake the decision of ratifying or acceding to the Protocol.

Goal

To promote the LBS Protocol and encourage the Governments of the Wider Caribbean Region to ratify or accede to the Protocol, so that the Protocol will come into force.

General objective

To demonstrate the importance to the Wider Caribbean countries of ratifying or acceding to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities.

Specific objectives

The specific objectives of the project are:

  1. To disseminate information on the LBS Protocol and its annexes to decision makers in the Governments of the Region.
  2. To establish a Regional Activity Network (RAN) of collaborating institutions for the implementation of the LBS Protocol.
  3. To determine the public health, social and economic issues that would be affected by the implementation or non-implementation of the LBS Protocol.
  4. To determine the costs of implementing or not implementing the LBS Protocol to Caribbean countries, using two case studies.
  5. To disseminate the results of the Case Studies to the Governments of the Region and to the members of the RAN.

Activities

The activities proposed for this project are:

  1. Develop an information brochure on the LBS Protocol, to be published in both English and Spanish. This brochure would be sent to decision makers in Government Ministries and Agencies in the Wider Caribbean Region. Specially targeted agencies would be environmental authorities and water and sewerage authorities.
  2. Establish a Regional Activity Network (RAN) of collaborating institutions in the region to assist the RAC in the implementation of project activities in support of the LBS Protocol.
  3. Two case studies will be carried out, one in Cuba and the other in Trinidad and Tobago. The case studies will include an assessment of the costs of implementing or not implementing the LBS Protocol particularly as it relates to public health, social and economic development in the context of sustainable tourism.
  4. Organize a Regional Workshop to present the results of the two case studies to decision makers in the Governments of the Region and to the RAN. The Workshop will be utilized to obtain feedback on the Case Studies, so that the Case Studies Report may be finalized and disseminated to the Governments of the Region and to members of the RAN.
  5. Commission a public education and awareness digital video device (DVD) to inform the general public about the LBS Protocol and the public health, social and economic issues related to its implementation and the consequences of non-implementation. This should relate in particular to sustainable tourism. The DVD is to be made with English and Spanish versions.

Outputs

The proposed outputs of the project are:

  1. A promotional brochure on the LBS Protocol aimed at decision makers in Government Ministries and Agencies.
  2. The report of the two Case Studies, which will be disseminated to decision makers in Government Ministries and Agencies in the Wider Caribbean Region and to members of the RAN.
  3. A promotional DVD on the LBS Protocol aimed at the general public.

Work Plan and Budget

Activities / Starting date / Ending
date / Executors / Cost
USD
1. Coordination Mission / Jul ’03 / Jul ’03 / CAR/RCU
Cimab
IMA / $3,000
2. Elaboration of project proposal / Jun ’03 / Jun ’03 / Cimab and IMA / $1,000
3. Approval of proposal and project signing / Jul ’03 / Jul ’03 / CAR/RCU
Cimab
IMA / $1,000
4. Development of information brochure on LBS Protocol in English and Spanish. Dissemination of brochure / Aug ’03 / Oct ’03 / Cimab and IMA / $5,000
5. Establishment of RAN / Aug ’03 / Oct ’03 / Cimab and IMA / $3,000
6.Carry out case studies in Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago / Jan ’04 / Aug ’04 / Cimab and IMA / $20,000
7. Regional Workshop to discuss results of Case Studies and to provide recommendations for finalization of Case Studies Report / Oct ’04 / Oct ’04 / Cimab, IMA, CAR/RCU, RAN / $80,000
8. Finalization of Case Studies Report and Dissemination / Nov ’04 / Dec’04 / Cimab and IMA / $2,000
9.Commission public education and awareness DVD on LBS Protocol in English and Spanish / Nov ’04 / Jan ’05 / Cimab and IMA / $10,000

Total Budget

/ $125,000

PROPOSAL 3

JOINT REGIONAL PROJECT TO ASSIST GOVERNMENTS OF THE WIDER CARIBBEAN REGION IN CLASSIFYING THEIR WATERS SO AS TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LBS PROTOCOL

Prepared by

Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA)

Trinidad and Tobago

Project Sub-Title

A capacity building project to facilitate the Governments of the Wider Caribbean Region in implementing the LBS Protocol.

Country and/or geographical area

Countries of the Wider Caribbean Region

Background

In 1994, the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) of UNEP completed an overview of land-based point sources of marine pollution in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). The final report of that study (UNEP-CEP Technical Report #33) indicated that domestic wastewater was the largest point source contributor by volume to the WCR.

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development which was held in Johannesburg in 2002, it was reported that waste management has maintained its ranking as one of the major environmental issues in the Caribbean and worldwide. Sanitation is a topic of great importance which is linked to public health problems, economic losses and the degradation of coastal ecosystems.

If adequate measures are not taken, rapid urbanization, industrialization and tourism development, especially in coastal areas, can adversely impact the fragile balance of estuarine, near-shore and marine ecosystems. This will cause the reduction of the economic, social and ecological goods and services they provide, which will erode the foundation for social and economic development and negate against sustainable tourism in many Caribbean States.

The LBS Protocol is the first regional environmental agreement, where effluent limitations and other obligations are required within a given time frame for specific sources of pollution. Annex III of the LBS Protocol - Domestic Wastewater, provides regional effluent limitations for the control of sewage that discharges into or impacts the marine environment. Annex III also indicates effluent limitations required for discharges into Class I and Class II waters which are defined.

Class I waters are defined as waters in the Convention Area that, due to inherent or unique environmental characteristics, or fragile biological or ecological characteristics or human use, are particularly sensitive to the impacts of domestic wastewater. Class I water include, but are not limited to:

a)waters containing coral reefs, seagrass beds, or mangroves;

b)critical breeding, nursery or forage areas, for aquatic and terrestrial life;

c)areas that provide habitat for species protected under the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention (SPAW Protocol);

d)protected areas listed in the SPAW Protocol; and

e)waters used for recreation.

Class II waters are defined as waters in the Convention Area, other than Class I waters, that due to oceanographic, hydrologic, climatic or other factors are less sensitive to the impacts of domestic wastewater and where humans or living resources that are likely to be adversely affected by the discharges, are not exposed to such discharges.

In developing a classification system for the marine waters of the WCR, the level of anthropogenic impacts on areas listed as Class I waters in Annex III should be taken into consideration together with the potential for reversing these impacts. This means that in developing a classification system for the marine waters past, present and future impacting activities must be taken into account. Otherwise implementation of the Protocol will not be seen as practical or realistic.

Given the above, this project aims to assist the Governments of the Wider Caribbean Region in classifying their marine waters so as to facilitate the implementation of the LBS Protocol.

Goal

To facilitate the implementation of the LBS Protocol by providing technical assistance to the Contracting Parties as it relates to domestic wastewaters being discharged to the marine environment.

General Objective

To facilitate the Contracting Parties in classifying their marine waters into the Classes required for the implementation of the LBS Protocol.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the project are:

  1. To determine criteria and guidelines required for classifying areas into Class I waters or Class II waters.
  2. To develop a public education and awareness programme to sensitize the government and people of the WCR as to the need to classify the marine waters to facilitate the implementation of the effluent limitations outlined in the LBS Protocol.
  3. To organize a Regional Training Workshop to train governmental personnel to carry out the exercise of classification of their marine waters.
  4. To provide expertise through consultants or technical assistance to the governments to assist in the classification of marine waters exercise, e.g. through the provision of GIS specialists and/or Remote Sensing specialists.
  5. To organize a Regional Workshop to allow participating countries to present and discuss the results of the classification of marine waters exercise.
  6. To provide as an output of the exercise, GIS-based maps and accompanying text where necessary for all of the countries participating in the exercise.

Activities