Freshwater Security in Small Island Developing States: A case study of Anguilla

Abstract: Freshwater scarcity leads to serious effects on the socioeconomic and commercial development of a country. The management of freshwater resources will be one of the most pressing issues of this millennium making it a catalyst for war and peace. Some of the most water-scarce countries in the world are small island developing states that are mainly supplied by freshwater through groundwater and rainwater due to their natural conditions. Small islands in the Eastern Caribbean are geographically prone to suffer from water scarcity due to their natural circumstances. Due to systematic failures, the small island developing state of Anguilla has few renewable freshwater resources. To meet the Sustainable Development Goals and respect Human Rights, Anguilla needs to invest in finding new ways of securing freshwater for its inhabitants. Leading technologies in the insurance of freshwater security are desalination, wastewater clearing and the import of freshwater. Three case studies of Kuwait, Cyprus and Singapore have been analysed as best practices as these countries are experienced and have sophisticated water strategies for dealing with water scarcity. The three technologies and the knowledge and practices from the case studies have then been applied to Anguilla. Due to the economic situation, Anguilla will most likely keep relying on freshwater imports but also on treating wastewater for irrigation and flushing uses to release stress on freshwater. The option of implementing a water conservation tax or fiscal subsidies would be an additional incentive for inhabitants and tourists to reduce water consumption and release stress on freshwater scarcity in Anguilla.