Foreword

The Small Island Developing States of the world have seen growing pressure on water resources, with increasing demand and costs, for agricultural, domestic and industrial consumption. This has brought about the need to maximize and augment the use of existing or unexploited sources of freshwater. There are many modem and traditional alternative technologies for improving the utility and augmenting the supply of water being employed in various countries, but with limited application elsewhere due to the lack of information transfer among water resources managers and planners.

The "Source Book of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation in Small Island Developing States" was prepared by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission as part of the joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Water Branch and International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) initiative to provide water resource managers and planners, especially in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition, with information on the range of technologies that have been developed and used in the various countries throughout the world. UNEP wishes to thank the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission and those individuals involved in the preparation of the Source Book. The final revision of the Source Book was assisted by V. Santiago, C. Strohmann and E. Khaka from UNEP IETC and Water Branch respectively.

This information was gathered through surveys carried out on a regional basis - in Africa, Western Asia, East and Central Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Small Island Developing States. The results, including this Source Book, will be compiled into a Global Source Book on Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation to be used throughout the countries of the world.

It is hoped that the technologies summarized here will be useful in the sustainable development of Small Island Developing States and other regions.

John Whitelaw
Director
International Environmental Technology
Centre
United Nations Environment Programme

Terttu Melvasalo
Director
Water Branch
United Nations Environment Programme

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