Summary
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are currently implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded CReW+ Project – an integrated approach to water and wastewater management in the wider Caribbean region. UNU-INWEH- a project partner, develops a Water Information Management System (WIMS) to support national decision-making in six states in the Region – Costa Rica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
WIMS is a web-based open data portal where water-related data and information can be discovered and analyzed. It is designed using an open-source technology stack to ensure the data portals’ cost-effectiveness, ease of use, interoperability, and sustainability. The system will facilitate and promote the access to and dissemination of water-related data and information (both current and historical) in a real-time and secure fashion. The system will help store, archive, share and control access to water related data and information provided by relevant stakeholders. It will also provide protocols for data exchange, procedures for quality assurance, metadata maintenance and archiving of incoming data. The system facilitates national, regional and global reporting on relevant commitments including, e.g. the Land Based Sources (LBS) protocol of the Cartagena Convention, SDG 6 and SDG 14.
The objectives of the project are to:
- Develop and deploy WIMS in Costa Rica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago
- Develop a basic Data Governance Framework that the collaborators of the WIMS can adopt. This framework includes processes, roles, policies, standards, and metrics that can be used to ensure the quality and security of the data within the WIMS, as well as the effective, efficient, and ethical use of the information to enable the water sector stakeholders to achieve their goals.
- Develop and implement a knowledge transfer procedure using online courses and a community of practices approach to prevent knowledge loss when the project is completed.
- Build capacity in the partner countries via online/in-person training to analyze and manage spatial water-related data.


Partners
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
- Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- Dirección de Agua, Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), Costa Rica
- Ministry of Public Utilities (MPU), Trinidad and Tobago
- Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (WRA),Trinidad and Tobago
- Central Water and Sewerage Authority, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- National Parks Rivers and Beaches Authority, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Fisheries Division, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines
- Water Resources Authority, Jamaica
- National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Jamaica
- Water Resource Management Agency, St. Lucia
- Sustainable Development and Environment Division, St. Lucia
- Department of Sustainable Development, St. Lucia
- Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, St. Lucia
- National Water and Sewerage Authority, Grenada
Contact
Dr. Mir Matin
mir.matin@unu.edu
Cover photo : Sewage treatment plant in Costa Rica|riekephotos -Shutterstock