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Human life and well-being depend on access to clean water to ensure good hygiene, good health and multiple uses for sustainable living in both urban and rural areas. Water is needed in households, schools, workplaces and by all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry, and energy production. In times of crisis, particularly in emergency situations, safe access to water is even more important. In the current COVID 19 crisis, for example, water is needed to prevent and contain the transmission of coronavirus, as it is used to wash hands, clean surfaces, provide sanitation and personal hygiene.

In addition to the COVID-19 crisis, the Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean (SIDS) have faced increasing climate- and water-related crises in recent years. The Caribbean SIDS are at the forefront of climate change and its consequences, particularly with regard to the management of their freshwater resources, which are essential for human existence.

Scientific evidence shows that climate change is threatening water security. Climate change and its associated disasters, such as tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and droughts, confront most Caribbean SIDS with increasing water scarcity. For these reasons, it is necessary to promote and implement measures aimed at increasing and improving the resilience of the Caribbean SIDS population to the multiple threats and risks related to water security.

In this context, on 29 July, the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean launched the Caribbean Water Webinar series as a platform to engage, discuss, interact and exchange knowledge and best practices on water issues in the Caribbean subregion. The first event, entitled "Safe Access to Water in Times of Crisis and Beyond: Voices from Caribbean Youth", focused on youth engagement in the context of numerous crises, such as the current COVID 19 pandemic and the ongoing climate crisis facing most Caribbean SIDS. The results of these discussions will feed into the 9th World Water Forum (9WWF), the world's largest and most important event on water issues, which will take place in Dakar, Senegal, in March 2021.

Katherine Grigsby, the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, welcomed the young panelists and highlighted UNESCO’s contribution to youth engagement in the global water governance processes, such as the 9WWF. She encouraged Caribbean youth “to continue to think boldly and innovatively and to work together with UNESCO to ensure clean water and sanitation for all.”

Massimiliano Lombardo, UNESCO Programme Specialist in Natural Sciences for the Caribbean sub-region, introduced the moderator Fatimatou Sall, Coordinator of the Youth Steering Committee of the 9WWF, who led the panel discussion. Fatimatou gave a brief overview of the main thematic priorities that will be discussed in Dakar in 2021 – Water security and sanitation, Cooperation, Water for rural development and Means and tools. She reminded that the 9WWF “is a unique platform where the international water community and key decision-makers can collaborate and make long-term progress on global water challenges”.

Karishma Asoodani, World Water Council Youth Delegate,  Asia & Pacific (India) represented Franklyn Raul Varillas Salazar, Youth delegate for the Latin America and Caribbean Region.

She explained the outcomes of the 9WWF youth delegate program and suggested some options for Caribbean youth to engage in the preparations for the 9WWF.

Kerricia Hobson from the Caribbean island of Grenada suggested how youth can make their voices well heard on water-related issues, especially in national settings.

“There is a lot of value in what we young people have to say. But before we start, we have to learn, we need to get together, we need to get involved with other likeminded people, join clubs, and much more.”

Khadija Stewart, Representative of the World Youth Parliament for Water, gave an overview of water issues in her home country, Trinidad and Tobago. She explained that, due to climate change, water shortages and droughts became more frequent and intense in recent years. This led to insecurity in the education sector because schools had to close given the lack of water – in rural areas, some schools were closed for weeks or months. Khadija also called for intergenerational cooperation to share expertise and resources. “Young people cannot do it alone. We do not have the resources, the knowledge or finance. There needs to be an intergenerational collaboration to move forward together and to involve young people meaningfully.”

After the presentations of the four youth panelists, Rianna Gonzales, representing the Global Water Partnership (GWP), opened the virtual floor for questions and comments from the webinar participants. One of the main concerns was about the lack of interest among Caribbean youth to engage in water issues. The panelists argued that part of the challenge in the region is the limited knowledge about the critical issues related to water security.

The average water use per day is high. For example, in the island of Grenada, each person uses approximately 35 gallons of water per day, which is a relatively high consumption rate. However, many citizens of Grenada are not aware about the current shortage of freshwater. Rianna argued that “It is important to show the reality of what we are experiencing as a region especially in view of climate change impacts such as droughts”. 

Fatimatou summarized some of the lessons learnt from the webinar. She highlighted that the threats and risks that could affect water security in the Caribbean region are already a reality. As a result, the inequalities in terms of access to water and sanitation are increasing, and thus they need to be addressed urgently, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of this situation, Caribbean youth are taking actions but there is a need for them to be more proactive and to be supported in their initiative.  There is still much to do on the road ahead, and the times we are all going through are very challenging, but, certainly, Caribbean youths are now more aware and prepared to engage and contribute to the 9th World Water Forum processes, concluded Massimiliano Lombardo.