Jamaica to Participate in Latin American Sanitation Conference

Representatives of the Ministry of Water and Housing and its partners from community-based organizations will leave the island on Sunday, November 11 for Cali, Colombia to participate in the Latin American Sanitation Conference (LatinoSan 2007) to be held from November 12 to 16.
The delegation includes executives of Development Benevolent Societies (DBS) formed to administer community managed water supply systems in sections of St. Thomas, St. Mary, Clarendon and St. Elizabeth, under the Government of Jamaica/Inter-American Development Bank Rural Water Programme.
Speaking with JIS News, Public Relations Officer of the Mile Gully/Warwick Castle DBS in St. Mary Joslyn Mattison, who is part of the delegation said, he expected the conference to be educational and informative. He said the team would be sharing information about sanitation issues in the respective communities including access to sanitary conveniences and running water. Mr. Mattison further informed that they would highlight the measures that are being taken to prevent the pollution of domestic water resources.
Meanwhile, Gender Specialist with the Rural Water Programme, Linnette Vassell, said that the delegation would also be visiting community-managed water and sanitation systems in order to gain practical insight into the experiences with this new model of water resources management.
LatinoSan 2007 is being staged in preparation for the International Year of Sanitation in 2008, declared by the United Nations General Assembly. The aim of the conference is to raise the political profile of sanitation and hygiene at country and regional levels in Latin America, and the Caribbean, through high level advocacy.