by Howard Cincotta
State Department Writer

November 29, 2006:  Fresh or salty, the waters of the world overrun national boundaries, geographic divisions, and environmental distinctions. The unique characteristics of water -- whether stream, lake, aquifer, or ocean -- are central to the formation of a unique international partnership that cuts across all the usual economic and environmental categories to link fresh water and ocean ecosystems: the White Water to Blue Water (WW2BW) Initiative.

White Water to Blue Water
WW2BW, first announced at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, might more accurately be called a partnership of partnerships, since its members comprise a diverse number of governments, public agencies, nongovernmental organizations, universities, private companies, and local communities. Its initial focus has been in what is called the Wider Caribbean region. (See U.S. Government fact sheet).

At the first major White Water to Blue Water conference, held in Miami, Florida, in March 2004, more than 700 representatives from organizations throughout the Caribbean region launched nearly 100 public-private partnerships that, broadly speaking, fell into four categories:

• Integrated Watershed Management, which encompasses the impact of agriculture, forestry, land use, tourism, and wastewater on coastal zones and watersheds.

• Marine Ecosystem Management, which involves balancing environmental protection and sustainable development.

• Sustainable Tourism, reflecting both the environmental impact of the tourist industry.

• Environmentally Sound Marine Transportation, focusing on partnerships to reduce the impact of boats and ships on marine ecosystems.

Water Connections
The United States recognizes that combating poverty and protecting the environment are not possible without management and protection of oceans and freshwater.

At the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City in 2004, for example, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky said: "To address poverty and disease we must look at water.... This is why the United States supports achieving the internationally agreed goals on water and sanitation."

Pollution and industrial waste may originate on land, but inevitably, all such run-off enters watersheds and moves into coastal waters and the open sea. As a result, integrated management of both oceans and freshwater resources is imperative for maintaining both sustainable development and healthy environments.

"Flagship" Turtles
In a recent article, marine scientists Karen Eckert and Arlo Hemphill described sea turtles as an "icon" of the marine environment, whose antiquity and vast migration range make them "a universal symbol for ocean health in the new millennium." They can serve, they assert, "as flagships in the Wider Caribbean region."

Sea turtle populations have suffered steep declines in recent years, but the populations of endangered Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles may be recovering through one of WW2BW's partnerships, whose members include Panama, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, and the indigenous Ngobe-Bugle people. These groups have worked to protect a significant nesting location for these turtles, on remote Chirqui Beach. In 2003, researchers counted 379 hawksbill nests and 914 for leatherback turtles. Two years later, they found almost 700 hawksbill nests, while leatherback turtle nests increased more than five times, to 4,775 - making Chiriquí Beach one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the world.

WW2BW Partnerships
The protection of sea turtles and other marine life often draws media attention, but many of WW2BW's initiatives focus on less glamorous but equally vital efforts to reduce pollution, preserve marine habitats, and conduct research.

One project, begun in 2004, teamed the Gillette Company, the Nature Conservancy, and the United Nations Foundation, to pledge $750,000 for the protection of the wetlands and coast around Sian Ka'an, a designated World Heritage site on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

The U.N. Environmental Program and NOAA have joined with countries throughout the Caribbean to establish National Programs of Action (NPAs) to reduce pollution that can degrade marine environments. With technical assistance from NOAA, 12 nations in the region have begun the NPA process, and three have already established their own National Programs of Action: Brazil, Colombia, and Jamaica. Plans are now underway to expand the program into the island nations of the Pacific.

In recognition of the growing importance of tourism and ocean cruising, the International Council of Cruise Lines and Conservation International have announced a $1.1 million partnership for exploring ways of making cruise operations more environmentally friendly.

More broadly, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) trains hotel operators and other tourism businesses with in saving energy and water. CAST recognizes that, while the tourist industry may represent nearly 3 million jobs and 31% of the Caribbean's gross domestic product, it also depends upon delicate ecosystems that sustain the region's white beaches and azure waters.

One WW2BW partnership team has produced a basic how-to guide, called Mobilizing Resources http://www.sdp.gov/documents/organization/77315.pdf and http://www.sdp.gov/sdp/pubs/77180.htm, which covers such practical issues as funding, technical assistance, and the use of volunteers.  (For additional information about the White Water to Blue Water partnership, see the WW2BW website).