SAINT LUCIA’S former Minister for Sustainable Development, Dr James Fletcher, attended the 2018 World Water Forum in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, after being invited to attend to speak on the challenges confronting the water sector in the Caribbean and the impacts that climate change is having on this sector.
Dr Fletcher served as the minister with responsibility for the water sector from 2011 to 2016 and under his watch, significant improvements were made to the operations and financial viability of the island’s water utility company WASCO.
The 8th World Water Forum is the world’s largest water related event. Its mission is “to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life”.
This year, over 7,000 registered participants and more than 5,000 registered visitors were expected to attend the forum, held at the Ulysses Guimaraes Convention Center and the Mane Garrincha National Stadium from March 19-23.
Dr Fletcher was invited to speak at two events at the 8th World Water Forum.
He spoke at the opening session for the regional process of the Americas, on the first day of the forum, on the key water management challenges confronting the Caribbean region.
Dr Fletcher also delivered a presentation during a session on ‘Water and Caribbean Small Island Developing States’ on the topic ‘Building Resilience to Climate Change in the Water Sector in the Caribbean’.