Dr the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Planning, Economic Development and Physical Development has welcomed the launching and commencement of the Climate Resilient Water Sector in Grenada (G-CREWS) Project.
Delivering remarks at the launch, Dr Mitchell said, “We are proud of this project and the fact that we are able to get the support for this important initiative. As pioneers in the climate financing arena, we take great pride in having G-CREWS as the first project approved by the Green Climate Fund for funding for Grenada.”
The Climate Resilient Water Sector in Grenada (G-CREWS) is a 6-year project. The project is financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) under its International Climate Initiative (IKI), and the Government of Grenada.
The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Implementation, the Grenada Development Bank and the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) will implement the project’s 5 components.
These components are: Climate-Resilient Water Governance; Climate-Resilient Water Users; Climate-Resilient Water Supply System; additional contributions of the water sector to Grenada’s Climate goals and regional learning and replication.
The budget of the project is EUR45.297 million (approximately EC$135 million).
The Prime Minister stated that “this investment shows Grenada’s efforts towards accessing climate financing and that the G-CREWS project is expected to have transformational impact on our water sector, significantly improving resilience in that particular area. As I indicated in my delivery of the 2020 budget, the magnitude of this project will also see the creation of more than 1,500 jobs thereby creating positive impacts on multi-fronts in our country.”
In her remarks, Regional Director of GIZ Caribbean Verena Blickwede said despite the long and tedious preparations, she is happy to finally see the launching of the G-CREWS Project.
However, Blickwede called upon citizens to be patient noting that changing behaviours, raising awareness, building capacities, and above all, the planning, tendering and construction of important infrastructure measures take time. She said, “The project team will do everything possible to show visible results as soon as possible. However, G-CREWS can only succeed when all stakeholders, authorities, institutions, the civil society and all involved individuals contribute with all their power to its implementation. That cannot be done by the G-CREWS Team alone.”
Minister for Infrastructure Development, Public Utilities, Energy, Transport and Implementation Hon. Gregory Bowen in delivering the feature address also welcomed the support from GCF and GIZ. This, he noted will bring great benefit to the Grenadian society. He said, “Grenada is very fortunate to have a project like G-CREWS. As a country, we are no stranger to the effect of climate change. Right here, where we are now, the South St George constituency. The impact of climate change is felt. The hotel industry depends on continuous freshwater supply throughout the year.”
Minister Bowen further stated that “one of the adverse effects of climate change is the frequency of severe drought and changing weather patterns. Residents in the south of the island receive less rainfall than the rest of mainland Grenada throughout the year. It is therefore important for all of us to ensure that we introduce water-saving measures in our daily operations.”
Head of Project, Dr Hans-Werner Theisen, in providing an in-depth presentation highlighted the envisioned impacts. These are:
- Sustainable water resource management in Grenada
- Water savings in the agriculture and tourism sectors
- Water loss reduction in the distribution systems
- More water storage
- Cost reduction and green energy in water supply systems
- Grenada as a regional runner for climate-resilient water management
- Better water supply services, especially in times of drought and after extreme weather events
Member of Parliament for St George South, Hon. Nickolas Steele, in delivering welcome remarks, expressed his eagerness to see “the benefits of this project that will make us more climate-resilient, more water sustainable, more environmentally friendly users as we grow from strength to strength as a nation.”
The event held at the Grenada Trade Centre on Tuesday, 25 February 2020 was attended by government officials, representatives from the private and public sector, civil society and NGOs.
The ministries and entities benefitting from this project include The Ministry of Infrastructure and Implementation, Ministry of Climate Resilience, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, the hotel sector, farmers, Grenada Development Bank, National Water and Sewage Authority (NAWASA) and civil society.
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