Making such declarations is easy. The real challenge is putting processes in motion that begin working on actionable measures. A year and a half after the inception of White Water to Blue Water, the Wider Caribbean region has become the launching point for what will hopefully evolve into a worldwide initiative.

The underlying assertion is that sustainable development for the wider Caribbean – and other primarily coastal and island regions – cannot take place without healthy watersheds and marine ecosystems. The ultimate goal will be to share knowledge and experiences gained in the Wider Caribbean so as to have an impact on small island and coastal communities around the world.

This is not a problem that can be handled at the local, regional or even national level. It is truly a worldwide one and will require the collective resources of the world to address. Consider the following, for instance:

• Today, more than 50 per cent of the world’s population lives in coastal areas and depends heavily on oceans and coastal resources for survival. By 2025, 75 per cent of the world’s population will live in coastal areas.
  
  
• In many developing countries, fish may account for up to 60 per cent of the animal protein consumed; yet some 70 per cent of the world’s fish stocks are fully fished, or overfished.
  
  
• Worldwide shipping is expected to triple over the next 20 years.
  
  
• About 25 per cent of the world’s coral reefs have been lost within the past two decades.

In small islands and coastal regions, these natural systems are the basis for sustainable economic development.

Overfishing, pollution, degradation of habitats and natural disasters are increasingly undermining the ability of coastal populations to meet basic human needs. The result is missed opportunities for sustainable development and new job creation.

If we are going to achieve sustainable development, at any level:

• We need better use of existing and potential resources at both the national and regional levels.
  
  
• We need better recognition of the benefits of regional and cross-border cooperation among all groups.
  
  
• We need to improve the capacities of coastal states to manage entire coastal-marine ecosystems.
  
  
• We need to treat the primary cause of marine pollution – that which occurs upstream in the watersheds, forests, farms and cities. Upland sources deliver pollutants into wetlands, mangrove swamps and coral reefs – the nurseries for most of the commercial species on which human populations depend. Ultimately these pollutants find their way into our oceans.

These goals cannot be achieved by one party or a small group of interested people. The environment we seek to improve is complex and interconnected and our method of dealing with it will require equal complexity. WW2BW is already beginning to accomplish this by bringing together stakeholders to focus their attention and resources on these problems.

In March, WW2BW partners had their first ever meeting in Miami. This week-long conference and training session helped facilitate partnerships and allowed key players to exchange best practices and encourage innovation. The conference was the launching point for key achievements including the establishment of the International Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (ICWRP) for the protection, enhancement and restoration of wetlands that have been designated as Ramsar or World Heritage Sites or both, around the world, as well as the announcement of the first project, sponsored by Gillette, in Sian Ka'an, Mexico.

New beginning
The Miami conference saw the establishment of the GPA North American Node, jointly sponsored by UNEP and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and headquartered at NOAA’s National Ocean Service. This represents a commitment on the part of NOAA and UNEP to work together to provide technical assistance, information and links to expertise in order to protect the valuable marine environment from pollution from land-based activities.

The establishment of the Node is both a culmination of many years of collaboration between NOAA and UNEP on this topic, and a new beginning. NOAA’s engagement pre-dates the establishment of the GPA office, beginning with the negotiation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities in Washington DC in 1995. Since that time, NOAA and the GPA office have worked closely together to ensure that the ‘words on paper’ would not be the endpoint, but that they would guide actions, projects and progress, on the ground and with support at the regional and bilateral levels. This vision, and the dedication to its fulfilment, are due in large part to the efforts of Tom Laughlin, NOAA’s Deputy Director for International Affairs, and Veerle Vanderweerd, Coordinator, GPA, heading the UNEP-GPA office in the Hague.

Working together
Clearly, the Caribbean is one of many regions that will benefit from integrated approaches. The lessons currently being learned will serve as a model for other countries, partners and stakeholders who wish to solve some of the key problems in the search for sustainable development.

US astronaut Neil Armstrong once noted that science has not yet mastered prophecy. We predict too much for the next year, and yet far too little for the next ten. Working in partnerships, networking, brainstorming, together we can surely exceed our goals not only in the short term, but for generations to come.