Catalog

Water and Islands
Balancing Act

A new water action plan promises to help small island nations of the Pacific manage their water resources more efficiently

By Jeffry Stubbs( jstubbs@adb.org )
Country Director, South Pacific Resident Mission

IMPROVING HEALTH Water-related illness is chronic among poor islanders, particularly children

Background

Small island countries require unique approaches to most development issues, including sustainable water management.

The limited nature of water resources in most island countries, combined with the shortage of administrative and human resources, constitutes a major challenge.

The atoll islands often have no surface water. They must rely on shallow groundwater lenses and rainwater for their water supplies. Some are completely dependent on rainwater harvesting.

The high volcanic islands have abundant rainfall, but it usually runs off quickly and is often difficult to use effectively. On both atolls and volcanic islands, water utilities are often ineffective and inefficient.

Small island countries are vulnerable to seawater rise, cyclones that bring heavy rains, drought, environmental pollution, watershed depletion, and rapid population growth.

In some places, tourism development is being threatened by degradation of the natural environment. Tourism operators require a pristine environment. However, they also require a labor force that may contribute to pollution.

Their own wastes, unless collected and treated, often impact negatively on nearby lagoons, lakes, and streams. Water problems may also be created by poor solid waste management by tourism operators, particularly hotels, and lack of water conservation by tourists.

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Challenge of Climate Change

Aside from tourism, small island countries face climatic challenges that strain water resources.

Many remote and low-lying islands experience cycles of a few years of heavy rainfall followed by a year or two of drought, when competition between households, tourism, and agriculture pushes the freshwater supply to its limits. These cycles of heavy rainfall followed by drought seem to be becoming increasingly severe.

Seawater rise caused by global warming threatens the atolls’ freshwater aquifers. As the seawater rises, the freshwater aquifer, which sits on top of the seawater, becomes thinner.

This expected decline in groundwater resources reinforces the need for water conservation, and for reliance on water sources such as rainwater harvesting and, where it is affordable, desalination.

Water-related illness is chronic among poor islanders, particularly children. In addition to water supply issues, most island nations lack adequate sanitation. This is being addressed through community-based experiments with technology such as composting toilets, but cultural challenges must be overcome before this can be considered successful.

Small islands are unique in the fragility of their water resources, and ADB and a group of partners are helping small Pacific island countries focus on integrated water management practices.

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Action Plan

Government, private sector, and civil society representatives from 18 island countries adopted a regional policy framework and action plan in the Fiji Islands at the ADB-organized regional consultation in August 2002 on Water in Small Island Countries.

Delegates agreed to a unified approach and committed to achieving sustainable water management for the benefit of all.

The action plan will help increase the capacity of small island countries to sustainably manage water, sanitation, and hygiene. The key aspects of the action plan cover water resources management; vulnerability; participatory planning; and education, technology, financing, and institutional strengthening.

Read more about water and islands.

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