The Environmental Engineering Division, Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment, Barbados through the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, UWI, Cave Hill Campus is currently implementing a project funded by the Organisation of American States (OAS) entitled: “Regional Evaluation of Saltwater Intrusion (SWI) of Coastal Aquifers on Caribbean Islands”.

The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) has been engaged by the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, UWI, Cave Hill Campus to assist with this project. Specifically, CEHI is responsible for the following:

• Review the current methods of monitoring relevant to the management of saltwater intrusion in the pilot countries ( Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica). The review would also include all technical specifications of present and proposed equipment for saltwater intrusion monitoring.
• Review the current and proposed legal, institutional and administrative framework and arrangement for developing groundwater surveillance and monitoring network for saltwater intrusion. In addition the review would also consider the technical capability and capacity of the various institutions in the country to participate in the groundwater surveillance and monitoring progamme;
• Based on information collected during the review develop a two (2) days training programme aimed at the technician level in “Monitoring of Saltwater water intrusion in Coastal Karst Aquifer Systems in the Caribbean”. The Training programme would focus on a) developing hydrological and water quality monitoring network for groundwater, including saltwater intrusion, b) analysis, interpretation and presentation of the monitoring data for management decision-making, and c) the installation and maintenance of the hydrological and groundwater quality monitoring network;
• Conduct 2 two (2) day training sessions on “Monitoring of Saltwater intrusion in Coastal Karst Aquifer Systems in the Caribbean”. One session each in Antigua and Jamaica.

Training Course Outline

The training in SWI will cover the following topics:

• Introduction to SWI
• Fundamental concepts of hydrology
• Coastal hydrology
• Groundwater quality (saltwater and freshwater)
• Interaction of saltwater and freshwater
• SWI - causes and effects
• Description and prediction of SWI
• Fundamentals of groundwater monitoring
• Monitoring of SWI
• Interpretation and presentation of data
• Coastal watershed monitoring
• Water budget and safe yield
• Institutional arrangement for SWI monitoring
• Exercises and problem solving
• Computer applications
• Field trips and equipment demonstration

The training courses will be delivered as follow:

• Antigua – March 17 and 18 2005 (20 – 25 Participants)
• Jamaica – April 14 and 15 2005 (20 – 25 Participants)

The course will be opened to Participants from all Caribbean States.