BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 19, 2024 (SKNIS) – Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, declared that the groundbreaking for the establishment of a water desalination plant at Canada Estate signifies the capability and willingness of the current administration to find viable solutions to longstanding problems that have impacted residents, including the issue of water.
“What we are seeing here today is a demonstration that we can find solutions to the problems. We are dealing with the scourge of climate change. We are here because of climate change; climate change that has resulted in a decrease in precipitation and access to water. And as a result, we are forced to find a solution,” said Prime Minister Drew during the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, March 18, 2024.
Dr. Drew reiterated his position that while St. Kitts and Nevis is not a significant contributor to the scourge of climate change, the Federation is not looking for pity when it comes to addressing the problem.
He added, “We are looking for partnerships and solutions because as small as we are…we want and we will find solutions to our problems.”
The honourable prime minister described the growing concern of access to potable water as a “fundamental problem of existence”. He noted that while the Federation enjoyed an abundance of water for hundreds of years prior, the country has seen a steady decline in rainfall in the last decade, fundamentally as a result of climate change.
“Any disaster, any issue can also be man-made to some extent. If man does not respond appropriately, any situation can be exacerbated or resolved. We choose the latter to resolve the matter. And so we are partnering with the UAE, of course, as a government and as a people, to bring solutions to this serious problem. And even though we hear 76,000 gallons, which will probably serve some communities here on the coast or add to our overall water supply, it is a start in the right direction,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said, while emphasising that with political will and the technology available, St. Kitts and Nevis can resolve the problems it faces.
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis received the donation of two Solar-Powered Water Desalination Plants from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of the UAE’s Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (CREF).
The second plant is expected to be established in Nevis.
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