The SWRIS project “Development of a Suriname Water Resources Information System” started on June 16, 2009 and the main activities ended in September 15, 2010. 90% of this project was funded by World Wildlife Fund Inc. (WWF Suriname) under Contract Agreement No. KR-70. This contract was signed in July 2009 between Mr. Dominiek Plouvier (WWF Guianas Regional Representative) and Mr. Allan Li Fo Sjoe (Acting Chair of the Board of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname). AdeKUS and the other four partners have contributed 6% and 4% to the budget respectively.
Background SWRIS project
General
The collaborating partners in this project were:
Executing institution and project coordinator:
The executing institution and grantee is the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Faculty of Technology, Department of Infrastructure, SMNR education and research programme.
Contact details
Address: AdeKUS, FTeW, SMNR officie, Building 16, Room 56, Leysweg # 14, POB 9212, Suriname
Phone: 597-465558
SMS/APP/MOB: +597-0-8500283
Email: msc-smnr@uvs.edu
Project coordinator is Mr. Nurmohamed R. PhD
For a few years the SWRIS website was hacked and thus offline. The UNDP Suriname offered to build this website again. This was done between June-August 2017.
Project information
Water resources development, management and engineering is mainly the task of the Ministry of Natural Resources, while other ministries such as the Ministry of Public Works (Department of Hydraulic Engineering, WLA, and the Meteorological Service, MDS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries also have an important role to fulfill in water resources management and engineering such as the design, planning and maintenance of urban and rural water drainage canals, irrigation canals and water supply systems. None of these ministries have a clear policy on water resources management and, more importantly, there are no sufficient financial means to maintain all water infrastructure and develop new ones.
Field observations (e.g. river water levels, water quality of rivers and groundwater, river discharges, groundwater levels) are scarce, not up-to-date and not fully processed in a digital format. Most observations in, especially, the interior of Suriname, date back to 1985 or before. Around 2000, initiatives were taken by the different water-related institutions in Suriname such as WLA, MDS and the MAS to make several observation stations, including some in the interior, operational again. Initiatives were also taken by ADEKUS in cooperation with WLA, MDS, NCCR and MCP to implement modern observation techniques in Suriname and update the existing water networks with regard to water resources observations.
Lack of sufficient financial resources for the substantial investments in new instruments, lack of applied courses in the field of water resources management for current personnel at the different institutions, lack of sufficient professionals in the field of water resources management and engineering, lack of a clear overview of available information in the field of water resources, poor communication between water partners in Suriname and poor networking are obstructing the development of water resources management in Suriname.
The goal of the SWRIS project is:
To create an information center for the collection and distribution of water data in order to promote the conservation of aquatic resources in Suriname.
The academic objective of the SWRIS project is:
To promote wise use of water resources in Suriname through education, dialogue, data exchange and public relations.
The developmental objective of the SWRIS project is:
Through research, promote and establish a proper and adequate scientific framework with regard to water resources information in Suriname e.g. a digital water portal (website).
The specific objectives are:
Geographical coverage of the project:
National, Suriname
Main focus: Suriname river basin
Partners participating in this project:
The target groups of the SWRIS project are:
Supporting agencies
This project is scientifically supported by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), Global Water Partnership Caribbean (GWP-C), the World Wildlife Fund Suriname (WWF) and the UNDP Suriname. The SMNR education and research programme of ADEKUS, in cooperation with the collaborating partners will keep maintaining this project.
Executing institution and project coordinator
The executing institution and grantee is the Anton de Kom University of Suriname,
Faculty of Technology, SMNR education and research programme. The project coordinator
is Dr. R. Nurmohamed. He is also the reseacher of this website. This site is peer revieuwed.
Donor
The Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+) is an initiative of the European Union (EU) to establish a network between the EU and developing countries that are more likely to need support in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Under this initiative UNDP Suriname is working towards increasing the country’s capacity to manage climate change impacts through increased climate information, institutional governance, sustainable agriculture, and mangrove protection.
Under the GCCA+ Suriname Adaptation Project there are 2 Expected Result Areas by expanding the existing knowledge base on effects of climate change and on developing tools and instruments that will allow developing targeted adaptation measures to the benefit of the entire population and strengthening capacities for mangrove conservation.
Outcome (ERA) 1 will focus on climate data collection, on the performance of the national meteorological service, on hydrological/hydraulic modelling as a basis for sustainable water resources management at country level, and on adaptive research in the agricultural sector aiming to reduce the sector’s vulnerability to the negative effects of climate change. This is linked to the focal sector of the 11th EDF NIP, sustainable agriculture.
Outcome (ERA) 2 will address the problem of ongoing destruction of the mangrove ecosystems which provide a natural defense of the coastal area against sea level rise and erosion. The activities under this component are complementary to ongoing initiatives in this field and respond to priorities indicated by the national stakeholders concerned with mangrove conservation and coastal area management. In this sense, the project will facilitate the development of a mangrove strategy and the conduct of an economic (monetary) mangrove valuation study and improve the conservational management of the still abundant but threatened mangrove areas.
In both Expected Results Areas, the focus will be on the development of capacity to adapt to climate change and contribute to mitigation of climate change in Suriname. Knowledge and information generated by the project will be essential inputs for subsequent climate change mainstreaming into national policies and strategies in concerned sectors. The project will also directly contribute to global EU and international climate change commitments (REDD+, UNFCCC, SIDS etc.).
CONTACT
SWRIS
The SWRIS was created by the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (SMNR programme) with the support of UNDP, WWF and government authorities and is a voluntary effort on the part of the partners.
SWRIS-Secretariat
Address:
Anton de Kom University of Suriname
Leysweg, POB 9212,
Paramaribo, Suriname
Department of infrastructure
Building 16, Room 56
General phone:
+597-465558 ext 2355, 2357
APP/SMS/MOB:
+597-(0)-8500283
Email:
msc-smnr@uvs.edu
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