85% Hello everyone, very happy to be here with you today. Numbers don't usually lie!! This is the reality, Aprox 85% of the wastewater produced in the Caribbean reaches the sea untreated. My name is Alfredo Coello and this is the CReW ·Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management“ 20 sc Ok

Belize Jamaica Trinidad and Tobago Guyana 13 countries are participating in the project – both Spanish and English Speaking. 4 of them have Pilot projects - Belize Guyana Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. Started in July 2011 and will finish in January 2017, including an 18 month no-cost extension period. 20 sc OK

LACK OF FINANCING IN THE WASTEWATER SECTOR! CHALLENGE LACK OF FINANCING IN THE WASTEWATER SECTOR! When we started the CReW, the main challenge was the lack of financing for Wastewater management, supported by the general view of those in the sector, as well as decision-makers, that wastewater treatment is expensive and a burden and provides little return.   Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

20 Millions USD GEF-CReW Grant for all Components Establish innovative financing mechanisms for cost-effective and sustainable financing of wastewater management in the WCR 1 So, the main and first component of the CReW was designed to tackle this issue, thus to test 4 pilot financing mechanisms. It is implemented by IDB. We are already working with three financing mechanisms and finalizing the structure of the fourth in Trinidad and Tobago. The total amount for the project all components is 20 million, with more than 16 million being dedicated to this component.

Jamaica Belize Guyana T &T T&T Revolving Fund US$2 million Rehab. of Scarborough WWTP Jamaica Credit Enhancement Facility US$3 million Rehabilitation of 8 existing Belize Belize Wastewater Revolving Fund US$5 million WW Works In BWSL Guyana Guyana Wastewater Revolving Fund Public Private Partnership US$2 million And these are the four pilots, Three Revolving funds and one Credit enhancement Facility. The pilot that has captured the most attention is the Jamaica case, mostly due to the application of the so called K-factor to ensure repayment of the loans and sustainability of the financing mechanism.

Financing is not the main issue What is Really Happening??? But before we consider the other project components, let’s take quick look at the issue of financing. CReW has found that lack of financing per se is not the mayor issue, as initially thought. What is Really Happening with Waste Water? The reality is more complicated and involves many questions that need answering.   Image courtesy of Twobee at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Enabling Environment - Institutional, Policy, Plans, Legislative, Regulatory, Tariff, Cost Recovery? Public and Political Awareness and Commitment ? Need for and Type of Investment - business case, technology selection, decentralized/centralized etc. ? ? ? ? This are just a few of the questions that come to mind. And most of them should be considered before embarking upon the development of a financing mechanism. CReW’s experience had taught us that the most important question is the first one - Has the country the right policy, legislative and institutional framework to enable the development of a SUSTAINABLE financing mechanism?. Do I have in place a sound Enabling Environment? Can I use the money? Am I aware of available technologies? How about operation monitoring and maintenance of the facilities? Do I have a plan to repay the loans. i.e. tariffs? Do I have a master plan or business plan attached to the investment? Do I really need to make the investment? Does the general Public understand the importance of Wastewater Management?

Improve national and local capacity for wastewater management through strengthened policy, institutional & legislative frameworks Facilitate regional dialogue and knowledge exchange with the key stakeholders in the WCR 2 3 The reality is that each country is in a different state of development in regard to the enabling environment. Components Two and Three are implemented by UNEP and deal with the strengthening of the institutional, policy and legislative frameworks as well as communication, knowledge sharing and documentation of lessons learnt.

Appropriate Technologies Now I will share with you some of the many activities implemented during the project. Here we see the Appropriate Technologies Workshop for the Spanish speaking countries, which was also done for the English speaking countries. It aimed to provide the knowledge not just about new technologies but also how to calculate and design the process involved in the treatment of the wastewater.

Resource Valuation UNEP This photo is from the workshop on Resource Valuation, planned to help countries to make decisions on wastewater management when there is lack of quantifiable data or information. Three sites were studied in two countries and methodologies and results were shared at this workshop. In general, all activities were designed to address the questions introduced before and to build capacity in the participating countries.

Site Visit Journalists Wastewater is an issue neglected by the media too! Sensitizing them was important so they can help us get the message to the public. So we held workshops for both Spanish and English-speaking journalists. Here journalists interview someone from Guyana Wastewater Incorporated at a wastewater collection facility in Georgetown.

I really like this slice, it is an artist’s representation drafted live while the group was having the dicussion, of one of the key topics discussed in the Knowledge Sharing session at the Fourth Project Steering Committee Meeting, July 2015 Guatemala :  Putting Wastewater on the National Agenda. What helps?  timing OK

Enabling Environment: Policy, Institutional, Legislative & Regulatory is critical for all activities Start with small scale project LESSONS LEARNT Let’s move on now to lessons learnt. I have already mentioned the most important of them all - the Enabling Environment has to be in place. Also be patient, start slowly, and don’t try to test with large, complicated projects. Slides 13- 15 OK - Black and White very effective. Not sure if saying start slow conveys right message. Want to emphasize need for high impact, short term results from activities such as smaller shorter projects that can then be replicated and used to engender public, institutional and political support.

LESSONS LEARNT Sequential rather than parallel implementation Wastewater on the National Agenda: Need to Link to IWRM, Global & Regional Initiatives LESSONS LEARNT Understand the situation in each country and go step by step, managing adaptively where necessary. And of course it is helpful if there is a national plan that includes linkages to other sectors and is consistent with Global and Regional Initiatives. 15 sc ok

LESSONS LEARNT Communication strategy from early stages Need for champions LESSONS LEARNT Of real importance though is to start the communication component right from the kick off of the project and develop a communication strategy to support your objectives as early as possible. Last but not least, the need for champions… No champion… no hope… no game, so do what to have to do to find one. 15 sc Ok

In addition to our national partners – ministeries, agencies etc In addition to our national partners – ministeries, agencies etc . Regional partners – public and private sector as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental, have worked with us to do so much more than would otherwise have been possible. Not least the partnership between UNEP and IDB which has been very successful and continues to grow stronger. 18 sc OK During the implementation of the project much has been done in developing and creating partnerships which in turns allowed us to enhance the goals set at the beginning of the project, Some of the others are shown in this slice, CDB, the Water Center, Minister of Water in the region and many more With this last note, I leave you with Mr Corbin who will present to you the CReW+ www.gefcrew.org

FROM CReW LACK OF FINANCING IN THE WASTEWATER SECTOR TO CReW+ IMPROVE THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT / WIDER RANGE OF FINANCING OPTIONS / MULTIFOCAL/ INTEGRATED APPROACH& TREATED WASTEWATER AS A RESOURCE The CReW team is currently finalizing the draft of a new Project Identification Form for CReW+, a new initiative born from lessons learnt in implementing CReW, and with significant inputs from a wide range of stakeholders.

CReW+ Moving from Pilot, Planning & Policy Development to Implementation, Transformation & Sustainability Multifocal Area: International Waters and Chemicals; with STAR from Biodiversity, Land Degradation & Climate Change Broader Framework & Upscaling of Financing Mechanisms It will provide a wider range of financing options, give more flexibility, be multifocal, use a more integrated approach, and have interventions at local, community and national levels. 28 sc!!!!!!!!!

CReW+ Sustainable Development Goals & LBS Protocol Wastewater as a Resource: Innovative Solutions Country Ownership: Inclusion of more countries aprox 20 It is targeting the SDG´s and promoting an integrated approach the use of wastewater as a resource. The number of countries is expected to increase, based upon expressions of interest so far received. We like to think that this is due to the benefits that participating countries have seen during the CReW.

THANK YOU! GRACIAS! Alfredo Coello Vázquez Project Coordinator GEF-CReW acoello@iadb.org www.gefcrew.org www.facebook.com/GEFCReW/ Thank you very much for this chance to share the work and achievements of the CReW. I hope you have enjoyed my first Pecha Kucha Presentation!, Hopefully it´s not my last.

This one NO Facilitated Session A very successful activity was training in facilitation early in 2013, to help countries improve the quality of stakeholder participation, solve problems and reach consensus on action. We saw countries use facilitation techniques at all levels after this and used them ourselves. Here is a facilitated Session during the 2014 Project Steering Committee Meeting, which started the work of shaping the project’s replication strategy. It was a great collaborative effort that planted the seed of CReW+ 23 sc!!!!! Not good Check timing after donna input!!!