The online meeting on November 28th marked the official completion of Phase 1 of the CARIBSAN project, a significant milestone in the journey toward improved sanitation and environmental protection. Partners from Cuba, Dominica, France and Saint Lucia gathered online to share the project's noteworthy achievements and outline the road ahead.
The collaborative efforts during Phase 1 focused on various aspects, including comprehensive training programs, the provision of equipment, awareness raising, and substantial progress in the preliminary studies for constructing pilot treatment wetlands in the partner countries.
Key Highlights:
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Training Initiatives: CARIBSAN prioritized knowledge transfer, ensuring that stakeholders in each country received comprehensive training about treatment wetlands (design, construction, maintenance). A total of 172 participants took part in 9 training sessions (classroom and field training) and more than 200 participants took part in 3 webinars. This equips local teams with the necessary skills and expertise to implement effective sanitation solutions.
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Provision of Equipment: Access to proper equipment is crucial for the success of environmental projects. CARIBSAN addressed this need by providing state-of-the-art equipment to support the development and implementation of treatment wetlands: sampling equipment (automatic samplers, bottles, protection), field measurements (probes, cases), laboratory equipment, and IT (hardware).
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Awareness-Raising : Awareness-raising is critical to the success of wastewater treatment projects. The project developed educational products on the functioning of treatment wetlands and the positive impact of the CARIBSAN project on Caribbean ecosystems.
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Progress on Preliminary Studies: Substantial strides were made in the preliminary studies for the construction of pilot treatment wetlands in Cuba, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. These studies lay the foundation for sustainable and effective sanitation solutions. Read more in our article.
The online conference served as a comprehensive follow-up to the regional meeting held in June 2023, fostering continued collaboration among project partners.
The CARIBSAN team expresses gratitude to all participants for their dedication and commitment to the project's success. As Phase 1 concludes, the momentum is strong, and the focus shifts to the next steps in implementing sustainable and nature-inspired sanitation solutions across the Caribbean region. Stay tuned for more updates as CARIBSAN continues to make a positive impact on sanitation, environment and well-being of the Caribbean population.
Access to all presentations (PDF)
