Sept / Oct 2016 | Business View Caribbean

24 September 2016 - Business View Caribbean Business View Caribbean - September 2016 25 The CWWA, itself, is comprised of the Executive Direc- tor, Executive Assistant, Executive Board, President, two Vice Presidents, two member representatives, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations specialist. Membership stands at approximately 400, in total, di- vided into four categories: General member: a practitioner in the sector, either with a major corporation or as an individual. Represen- tative could be a professional who works for a private company, or someone who works under the Ministry – whether for an actual utility, or in a policy position related to a particular Ministry. Corporate members: individual companies that usu- ally exhibit in the annual CWWA Conference. Associate members: students, or people on the pe- riphery with semi-involvement in the sector, but not necessarily full, active involvement. Utilities: Some utilities prefer instead to join Cari-WOP (Caribbean Water Operators’ Partnership) – a partner of CWWA in training programs. Though the CWWA is much broader in scope, it provides support to WOP members, as well. Seminars and workshops foster awareness of new de- velopments in water supply and waste disposal. “Pro- fessional Perspectives” is a CWWA-sponsored lecture series focusing on issues of importance to water and waste management entities in the Islands. A recent offering called “Rainwater in the Caribbean: Opportu- nities and Challenges” addressed the serious impli- cations of ongoing water shortages. Educational pre- sentations such as these, given by renowned experts, bring a wealth of insight and information to CWWA members and their respective communities. Communication Builds Rapport This year, the association celebrates its 25th anniver- sary, and exciting plans are in the works to mark the milestone event during the annual CWWA Conference and Exhibition on October 24th – 28th at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad. Johnson notes, “The conference will feature work- shops, professional forums, technical presentations, training sessions, an awards ceremony, and a full ex- hibition hall of vendors and service suppliers, show- casing the latest technology, and promoting their prod- ucts and services. There is also a social aspect of the conference that’s about the distinctiveness of all the different Caribbean communities. The venue provides an exceptional opportunity for regional bodies to meet and helps them build rapport.” The monthly CWWA Newsletter, “INFOstructure,” is dis- tributed by email to all members, and online “Sector News” keeps them informed and up-to-date on current regional and international developments. The associa- tion has grown to realize the value of websites, email blasts, and social media as vital communication tools for connecting with their membership, and reaching out to others in the water and waste management sec- tor. On the advocacy front, Johnson explains the essential role played by CWWA. “We communicate with all the regional Ministers of government, to help advise them on topics related to water management. We put them in touch with relevant tech experts, policy developers, researchers, so the Ministries can make more effec- tive decisions.” Future prospects Recently, the CWWA has signed some memoranda of understanding with its sister organization, the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association. PWWA is com- prised of small countries, including Samoa, American Samoa, and Guam that are tasked with water man- agement in their regions and are keen to share infor- mation. Johnson says, “We will be working more with them in the future, benchmarking small utilities and learning how climate resiliency is being applied in the Pacific sector in contrast to the Caribbean sector.” CWWA is also working with the Global Water Partner- ship alliance to share perspective between Caribbean water utilities and those in North and South America. A major initiative, right now, is establishing a partnership with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), aimed towards improving the water management pro- cess in Haiti. The Caribbean water sector is in the midst of signifi- cant change. Much of the infrastructure was devel- oped in colonial times, and the needs and expense for operation of the water management systems have in- creased substantially. Investigation is ongoing regard- ing appropriate regional applications that are in the conceptualization and engineering stages. “We are able to share that information,” says Johnson. “That’s our greatest value to members – as a resource to share perspective, applications, and solutions that are then applied in a regional context to deal with our changing environment. This includes everything from the increasing costs of water waste management, to handling and disposal of old electronics. We are the preeminent voice associated with the unique perspec- tives of Caribbean communities, and how they are handling various challenges given the limited resourc- es of small developing islands and small developing economies.”