Overview of the challenges

The Wider Caribbean Region faces multiple challenges in the provision of wastewater and sanitation services. About 70 percent of the region’s population lacks access to safely managed sanitation facilities and adequate hygiene services.

It is estimated that between 70 and 80 percent of domestic wastewater is discharged into the environment partially treated or untreated. Weak policy, legislative, and regulatory frameworks, as well as the lack of financial resources to reach adequate levels of treatment, make the problem even more serious. This causes severe pollution of groundwater, soils, watersheds and ultimately the Caribbean Sea, resulting in significant environmental, economic and social impacts.

The GEF CReW+ project “An integrated approach to water and wastewater management in the Wider Caribbean Region using innovative solutions and sustainable financing mechanisms” provides innovative and nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of partially treated or untreated wastewater on the environment and public health.

The GEF CReW+ Project values water as a precious resource and applies the concept of Integrated Water and Wastewater Resources Management (IWWM) based on the four Rs of the circular economy approach: reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. The project treats wastewater not as waste, but as a valuable resource with reuse potential in agriculture, industry and other commercial sectors. Treating wastewater safely supports regional efforts for sustainable development by reducing pollution, safeguarding marine biodiversity and protecting human health. GEF CReW+ thus contributes directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15.