Caribbean Cornucopia's Blog
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Caribbean water shortage
The entire Caribbean – all 13 Caricom member states – are watching national water levels as every day more countries in the region confirm their water shortage problems. It was bound to happen. There is such a cavalier attitude to water in this paradise region, it is simply not funny.
This water shotage is affecting islands like the oil and gas rich Trinidad and Tobago, and popular tourism dependent economies of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Jamaica.
Authorities in Guyana in particular, are closely monitoring a drought in the country which agriculture officials say is related to the El Nino phenomenon. This is the definition of El Nino from the scientists.
But these water problems shouldn’t come as a surprise. For a start, with most islands in the region so heavily dependent on the tourism sector – hotels, resorts, spa etc many multi-national corporations behind the hotel industry built in their desalination plants but where were the public awareness programmes to engage the populace?
It is only very recently, hotels across the Caribbean have started asking patrons “do you really need a replacement towel everday?’
It’s still a region where people enjoy watering down their lush tropical gardens (much like a timed sprinkler system I guess) with a hose or where children still blissful bathe in stand pipes on the corner.
But a water shortage is serious and threatening. The poor always seem to suffer the most. Caribbean governments are paying attention and taking measures to address the situationon until the onset of the rainy season may bring nature’s own solution to the problem. The rainy season traditionally starts at the end of April and this may seem a long way off as people try to live with empty taps and dry local a stand pipe with no water.
And despite the media hype around the rainy season as it looms over Haiti in particular- pretty much all Caribbean peoples including Haitians who have not had any aid water bottles or any water of any kind since the earthquake struck, may be doing a rain dance or chant right about now.
Haiti hit by another earthquake
Eight days after the massive earthquake hit Haiti, another large one has struck the Caribbean island again.
Measuring 6.1 on the ritcher scale, the earthquake struck around 6.30 this morning sending shock and horror out in to the early morning air.
It struck northwest of the capital Port au Prince and it’s not yet clear if there’s been futher deaths or damage.
Despite the massive international aid mobilisation, supplies, food, and medicines are still slow to reach the people who need it most in the outlying villages. Reports seem to indicate that tangible aid and distribution are coming from the Haitian Olympic Committee members, a small hospital on the Dominican Republic border.
One committee member told reporters “the top people meet for too long everyday.“
According to the Haitian President Rene Preval aid delivery was the main problem now.
Help came “very fast,” he said. ”When it arrives, the question is: where are the trucks to transport it, where are the depots?“
And this got me thinking that I haven’t seen pictures of heavy earth moving machinery, bobcats or bulldozers anywhere. Are the roads in Haiti still impassable?
Shouldn’t it be a major priority to move rubble out of the streets clearing a path for the medical workers and aid distribution teams? Maybe the rubble is being cleared and paths being created for the delivery trucks and the cameras just haven’t picked up these images as yet.
And people are starting to question the images coming out of Haiti. One NPR blogger in America is asking whether the images have crossed the lines of taste and decency? See my previous posts.
Meantime, rescue workers are still finding survivors. A little brother and sister pulled from the rubble after seven days of being trapped.
This resilient spirit is a most powerful message.
