The Bajan Water Project
It’s time to address the water crisis in Barbados.
Too many Barbadians lack access to clean drinking water. We aim to change that.
ABE is bring awareness to and creating solutions for our island’s water issues.
As ABE’s first initiative, the Bajan Water Project was formalized out of a need to address water issues in what remains the 15th most water-scarce nation in the world with longstanding ongoing infrastructural issues, an overreliance on water tables and an under-priorization of zoning to protect said water tables, while being on the front-lines of climate change as a Small Island Developing State heavily impacted by drought, increased hurricanes and floods.
Young people in the most affected regions of northern rural Barbados coordinated to research the issue, gather data and employ citizen science through participatory action research where citizens formed part of the water testing procedure and documented their experience with water insecurity over the past 20 years.
Through the travels of our Executive Director, Yemi Knight, assistance was coordinated from fellow organisers in Anchorage, Alaska to bolster the efforts of young people in Bridgetown, Barbados, and thus AnchorBridge was formed.
These efforts were used to inform greater advocacy efforts on water security, with a plan to continue ongoing advocacy and create practical solutions that the community can be involved in employing. Solutions that can be replicated across the Caribbean as fellow small island and climate-vulnerable states.
The Issues.
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Water quality in Barbados varies widely. From pure, clean, and great-tasting drinking water to contaminated, foul water that is unfit for consumption. Over the past decade, numerous communities have faced persistent water quality issues and continue to struggle with reliable access to clean and safe water in their homes.
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Barbados ranks as the 15th most water-scarce country in the world, and access to water is increasingly becoming one of the most threatened rights of its people. Water outages are a frequent reality in many communities. While some measures have been taken to improve access, many residents still face daily challenges in securing a reliable water supply.
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Citizens of Barbados currently do not have easy access to clear information or scientific data regarding the quality of their drinking water. Moreover, there is no centralised or comprehensive system in place to keep the public informed about ongoing developments or water related projects across the island.
Our Pledge.
Bring awareness to the global community about how climate change is affecting our small island.
Gather important scientific data about our water quality to understand what our communities are consuming, while encouraging the key institutions to provide consumers with transparency and access to data.
Work together with communities and individuals to provide on the ground solutions to this ongoing crisis.