IWRM NEWS OiEAU 2021

13 TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE AREA OF WATER MANAGEMENT BETWEEN CUBA AND FRANCE Project stakeholders National partner National Institute for Water Resources (INRH) Project team Experts: A. Bernard, V. Frey, P. Haener AEAG experts: A. Comeau & L. Boulp Project leader: B. Dhont Key information Location Almendares-Vento river basin Key words IWRM, Basin Council, Observatory, Water Information System & Catchment Protection Objectives Basin Council consolidation; Basin characterisation; Preparation of the Basin Water Development and Management Plan and its Action Programme; Water information system development; Observatory implementation. Implementation schedule 2020-2021: Phase II Project financed by Adour-Garonne Water Agency Outcomes and results Main current results Detailed project description Environmental management of water resources is indicated as one of the priority areas of cooperation to be developed in the letter of intent co-signed in May 2015 by the French and Cuban Ministers of the Environment. In that context, the Adour-Garonne Water Agency and the International Office for Water (OiEau) agreed in 2016 with the National Institute for Water Resources (INRH) of Cuba on a cooperation programme to modernise water resources management in the country. The Almendares-Vento watershed was chosen as the pilot basin because of its national interest: its water catchments supply most of Havana’s metropolitan area. The tripartite Memorandum of Understanding for technical cooperation on integrated and sustainable water resources management was formally signed in March 2017 during the international CUBAGUA forum in Havana. The Martinique Water Office was associated with these exchanges to promote its expertise provided to the Caribbean region. The project addresses well the needs of the country for the implementation of integrated water resources management under the recent Inland Water Act (2017) and in the context of climate change. Phase 1 of the project ran from 2017 to 2019. The Almendares-Vento Basin Council meets regularly around the themes determined in the Programme of Action; A deconcentrated Coordination Office has been created as an initial base of the Technical Basin Secretariat; The outlines of the Almendares-Vento Basin Water Observatory have been drawn up (the system is being developed); Three automated piezometric measuring equipment have been delivered. Focus on In February 2020, the OiEau together with the Water Office of Martinique, organised a study visit by the INRH to Martinique, in particular on the subject of alternative wastewater treatment in tropical environments. This event led to the submitting of an INTERREG project (€1.8 M) to deploy the plant-based filter technology developed for the Antillean region in other Caribbean countries, in particular Cuba. Prospects Support for the implementation of the Basin Programme of Action by working groups; Expansion of the pilot basin to the Ariguanabo-Vento basin; Operational implementation of the information system (Basin Observatory); Regional INTERREG project on wastewater treatment technology; Valuing experience in other Cuban basins of national interest (National Council of River Basins - CNCH) 14 CUBA