Water Issues in the Pacific Islands

Transcription

1 Water Issues in the Pacific Islands A 37-question survey was developed by the Pacific Islands Water Quality Team to document public awareness, aptitudes, attitudes, and actions towards water quality in American Samoa, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Demographic data about survey respondents was also collected. This statistically designed survey was completed by at least 50 residents of each entity who were solicited for this study in early The collected data was analyzed using the SAS procedure at the University of Idaho. The sampling error of these survey questions was +/- 4 percent. How Do You Feel About the Environment? Survey respondents rated the importance of ten water issues (Table 1). Clean drinking water appears to be the most important water issue on the islands - 84% of respondents ranked the issue as extremely important, while 100% of the respondents ranked water as either extremely or very important. Over 75% of respondents considered the following water issues as either extremely or very important: 1) clean drinking water, 2) household water supply, 3) clean groundwater, 4) water for agriculture, 5) aquatic organism protection, 6) water for recreation, 7) clean rivers, streams, and lakes, and 8) water for industry. Table 1. The importance of water issues in the Pacific Islands. Column 2 is the percentage of respondents rating the issue as extremely important. Column 3 is the percentage of respondents rating the issue as extremely or very important. Issue Importance Extremely Extremely or Very % Clean drinking water Household water supply Clean groundwater Clean rivers, streams, lakes Aquatic organism protection Water for agriculture Water for recreation Watershed restoration Water for industry Wetlands

2 Water Issues Only 54.7% of the respondents feel that their home drinking water is safe to drink. Forty-five percent of the respondents consider not having enough water as a potential problem (sum of definitely and probably ) (Table 2). Approximately 29.4% of the respondents regularly purchase bottled water, 29.0% use rainwater catchments, and 23.1% use city water for drinking purposes. Table 2. Responses to the question: Do you regard having enough water as a water problem in the area where you live? Response % No 37.3 Definitely 31.3 Probably 13.7 Probably not 9.3 I don t know 8.0 Over 40% of the respondents know or suspect that the following pollutants are problems in their drinking water: 1) high bacteria counts, 2) toxic wastes, 3) heavy metals, 4) fertilizers/nitrates, 5) pesticides, 6) minerals, and 7) salt water intrusion (Table 3). Table 3. Percentage of respondents that know of or suspect the following problems in their drinking water. Pollutant Know or suspect problem, % High bacteria counts 66.4 Toxic wastes 50.3 Heavy metals 45.3 Fertilizers / nitrates 44.4 Pesticides 42.9 Minerals 40.8 Salt water intrusion 40.4 Over 45% of the respondents cited: 1) land clearing, 2) erosion associated with roads and/or construction, 3) wastes from urban areas, and 4) septic systems/cesspools as activities most responsible for pollution of island water resources (Table 4). 2

3 Table 4. Responses to the question: Which of the following are most responsible for existing pollution problems in water resources? Pick three choices. Pollution source % citing Land clearing 53.1 Erosion roads / construction 48.2 Wastes from urban areas 46.2 Septic systems / cesspools 45.2 Agriculture livestock / poultry 25.7 Wild animals / wild pigs 16.8 Agriculture crop production 14.2 Industry 10.6 Motorized watercraft 9.9 Erosion after wildfires 9.2 Recreational vehicles 6.6 Pasture management 3.6 Military bases 2.6 Mining 1.3 Only 48% of respondents know the definition of the term watershed. Based on the importance of this term and the fact that only 18% of the respondents are very aware of watershed management this area needs some programming attention. Governance A majority of respondents feel that the environment does not receive enough emphasis from local government and elected officials (Table 5). One third of the respondents feel that individual citizens should be most responsible for protecting water quality in their community. Conversely, 59.0% of respondents believe that the government should be most responsible for protecting water quality (Table 6). Table 5. Responses to the question: In your opinion does the environment receive the right amount of emphasis from the local government and elected officials in your jurisdiction? Response % No, not enough emphasis 58.1 No opinion / don t know 23.1 Yes 12.2 No, too much emphasis 6.6 3

4 Table 6. Responses to the question: Who should be most responsible for protecting water quality in your community? Should be most responsible % Individual citizens 33.3 Government 59.0 Other 5.2 Don t know 2.4 Water Quality Education A majority of respondents have received water information via radio, newspapers, environmental agencies and television (Table 7). Over 43% of the respondents have received water information from Extension. This may be the highest Extension penetration in the United States, Territories, and Freely Associated States. Table 7. Responses to the question: From which of the following sources have you received water quality information? Information source % Radio 71.7 Newspapers 70.2 Environmental agencies 64.1 Television 56.1 Schools 48.9 Environmental groups 45.4 Extension service 43.6 Universities 21.1 Consumer confidence reports 17.9 Over one-third of survey respondents cited newspapers, television, demonstrations, fact sheets and bulletins as the best learning opportunities (Table 8). Over 80% of respondents want to learn more about drinking water and human health. A majority of respondents want to learn more about water conservation. Conversely, only 35% of respondents want to learn more about nutrient and pesticide management (Table 9). 4

5 Table 8. Survey respondents learning opportunities of choice Opportunity % choosing Read newspaper / watch television 38.0 Look at demonstration or display 37.0 Read printed fact sheets, bulletins, brochures 35.6 Radio messages 31.0 Take part in volunteer activity 27.1 Watch a video of information 26.1 Attend short-course 24.8 Visit a web site for information 23.4 Get trained for volunteer position 17.2 Take a course for certification or credibility 16.2 Attend a fair or festival 11.2 Ask for a home, farm or workplace water practices assessment 10.6 Advertising on billboards, at movie theaters 6.3 Table 9. Responses to the question: Which of the following water quality subject matter areas do you want to learn more about? Water area % wanting more information Drinking water and human health 83.8 Water conservation 58.4 Agricultural water management 49.2 Pollution assessment and prevention 47.2 Watershed management 46.9 Environmental restoration 44.2 Water policy and economics 43.2 Animal manure and waste management 42.9 Nutrient and pesticide management 35.3 Programming Priorities Based on this survey, we have identified three important programming areas. These areas include: Drinking water and human health Water conservation Watershed management 5

6 Demographics We have confidence in the results presented from this survey because the residents sampled accurately reflect the islands demographics. Over 300 individuals completed this survey. Examples of the demographics of this survey are: Community sizes of: >10,000, 2,500 10,000, 1,000 2,500, 300 1,000 and < 300 represented 25, 19, 19, 22 and 13% of the respondents, respectively. Two-thirds of the respondents have lived in the islands all of their lives. Approximately 53% of survey respondents were male, while 47% were female. The education levels of: elementary or some high school, high school graduate, some college, A.A. degree, and college graduate represented 20.9, 24.3, 19.9, 21.9 and 13.0% of the respondents, respectively. The age ranges of <30, 30 39, 40 49, 50 59, 60 69, and 70+ represented 34.0, 20.8, 25.1, 12.5, 5.0 and 2.6% of the respondents, respectively. 6

7 Appendix A American Samoa Key water quality issues identified for all islands are of concern to people in American Samoa (AS). However, the degree of concern was different to that identified among all the Islands (Table A-1). Clean drinking water was considered to be the most important water quality issue on all islands including AS, followed by household water supply and clean groundwater. Contrary to the overall results, AS respondents identified clean streams as an area of greater importance (86%) than water for agriculture (74%) and aquatic organism protection (69%). This is not surprising considering the abundance of streams on Tutuila Island, many of which are rapidly deteriorating in areas of high population density. Monitoring of surface and groundwater enables accurate assessment on the overall status of these systems. Clean and healthy streams rely on a complete and functioning ecosystem with a range of aquatic organisms, which are indicators of stream health. Similarly, as a major source of water for household and drinking water use in AS, groundwater needs to be assessed and maintained. Education and outreach will increase the public s awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems for water quality purposes. Table A-1. The importance of water issues in American Samoa and the Pacific entities. Both columns indicate the percentage of respondents rating the issue as extremely or very important. Numbers in bracket indicate importance rating from Issue Clean drinking water Household water supply Clean groundwater Clean rivers, streams, lakes Water for agriculture Aquatic organism protection Water for recreation Water for industry Watershed restoration Wetlands Extremely or very important in A. Samoa % (rank) 100 (1) 88 (2) 88 (3) 86 (4) 74 (5) 69 (6) 66 (7) 64 (8) 55 (9) 53 (10) Extremely or very Important on all islands % (rank) 100 (1) 96 (2) 87 (3) 76 (7) 86 (4) 85 (5) 78 (6) 75 (8) 66 (9) 60 (10) Overall public perception of drinking water quality in AS is low, with a large number of people relying on bottled water either solely (30%) or partly (up to 62%) for their daily drinking water requirements. Although few people are certain, many people (up to 45%) suspect drinking water in AS to have problems with high bacterial counts, toxic wastes, heavy metals, fertilizers/nitrates, pesticides, and salt water intrusion. A similar percentage of people, up to 51% (Table A-2), don t know the state of their drinking water, which highlights the need for more information and education on this area. 7

8 Table A-2. Percentage (%) of respondents that know or suspect pollutants in American Samoa drinking water. Pollutant Know Suspect Don t know Not a problem High bacteria Fertilizers/nitrates Heavy metals Minerals Pesticides Salt water intrusion Toxic wastes All respondents identified several human activities responsible for pollution of island water resources. Land clearing, erosion due to construction and road building, wastes from urban areas and inadequate septic systems were all perceived to contribute to existing pollution problems of water resources. The effect of agriculture and livestock (pigs) was also identified but to a lesser degree, indicating there is a need for more education and outreach in this area, because practices such as piggery waste disposal into streams have been identified as a major human health hazard in AS. A large percentage of people surveyed requested to learn more about drinking water and human health and watershed management indicating a need for more information/education that addresses the impact of unacceptable activities on water resources. A majority of AS respondents (56%) felt that the environment did not receive enough emphasis from local government and elected officials. Many people also felt that local government, local villages and individuals (30%, 32% and 30% respectively) should be most responsible for protecting water quality in their community rather than the federal government (2%). These results indicate the need to encourage local initiatives and village based action strategies that will empower individuals to become more active in their own communities. Overall this survey has highlighted that water quality issues are very important to the Samoan people but there is a great need for more education and public awareness supported by research. Priority areas for AS are in line with those identified for all the Islands: Drinking water and human health Water conservation Watershed management Land Grant, ASEPA, ASPA and several other agencies are addressing issues relating to all of the above. Key areas for collaboration include: Producing educational materials Workshops, addressing watershed management Increasing the visibility of water quality programs through education and outreach Incentives and support for village based programs Extensive research and monitoring of water resources Government support and enforcement of water conservation and preservation of resources. 8

9 Appendix B Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Based on the results of the 37 question survey completed by 53 CNMI community members in early 2004, it has been recognized that the CNMI has its own unique water quality concerns when compared to the responses obtained from the rest of the Pacific Island region. From these results we can determine special water quality programming areas that are of a priority for the CNMI in relation to protecting water quality. The three main islands in the Commonwealth were surveyed with 11 surveys performed on Rota, 11 on Tinian and 31 on Saipan. The results discussed in this portion of the summary report are comprised of those combined responses (all 53 surveys). Therefore, the results used to analyze the data collected from the CNMI participants may not have the impact they deserve in respect to specific issues because of the diversity of the islands themselves. A future goal is to further analyze the CNMI survey responses to determine individual island water quality needs and/or issues. Analysis of CNMI results When asked about the importance of a number of water quality related issues, respondents indicated Clean Drinking Water, Clean Groundwater, Water for Agriculture, and Water for Household/Private Sector as having the greatest priority. CNMI respondents gave clean groundwater and water for agriculture higher ratings than did respondents from all the Pacific Islands (Table B-1). Table B-1. The importance of water issues in the CNMI and the Pacific entities. Both columns indicate the percentage of respondents rating the issue as extremely or very important. Numbers in bracket indicate importance rating from Issue Clean drinking water Clean groundwater Water for agriculture Water for household/private sector Aquatic organism protection Clean rivers, streams, lakes Water for recreation Water for industry Watershed restoration Wetlands Extremely or very important in the CNMI % (rank) 100 (1) 100 (1) 94 (3) 92 (4) 85 (5) 85 (5) 75 (7) 75 (7) 72 (9) 51 (10) Extremely or very important on all islands % (rank) 100 (1) 87 (3) 86 (4) 96 (2) 85 (5) 76 (7) 78 (6) 75 (8) 66 (9) 60 (10) Clean groundwater is closely tied to clean drinking water in the CNMI with 100% of respondents ranking both issues as extremely or very important. Clean groundwater is of particular importance on Tinian where more aquifers exist than on any other island in the Northern Marianas, and where naturally porous soils leave those aquifers vulnerable to contamination from surface activities. Saipan also recognizes the importance of clean groundwater related to clean drinking water as heavy salt water intrusion to groundwater sources has made the municipal water supply undrinkable. 9

10 When asked, Do you regard water quantity (having enough water) as a problem in the area where you live? CNMI respondents were evenly split, with 37% indicating no, it is not a problem, while 35% said it definitely is a problem. Residents of Rota were most likely to answer no (73%) while residents of Saipan were most likely to answer definitely (52%). No single category had a majority of responses in Tinian. The difference in these responses can be explained by Rota s abundance of natural streams and springs, and high quality municipal water system contrasted with Saipan s limited water resources of generally poor quality. While Tinian s water resources are threatened by contamination, they currently do have a reliable municipal water supply system. As a result, water conservation efforts, including rainwater catchment, will focus on Saipan and Tinian where resources are most limited. There is a great potential to educate CNMI residents on the use of rainwater catchments as a way of reducing the demand for water from underground reservoirs. Furthermore, there is a need for training on the setup, maintenance and management of these catchment systems to try and reduce the potential for contamination which may create a risk to human health. Other Pacific Islands that rely heavily on rainwater catchments for drinking water include Palau, FSM, and the RMI and may provide an opportunity for partnerships in the development of training materials. 10

11 Appendix C Federated States of Micronesia Water issues in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), although similar to other islands in the Pacific, are unique in some ways. Each of the four island groups scattered in the Easter Caroline Islands has its own geographic and demographic characteristics. While there are similarities, some differences such as language, cannot be overlooked. Another difference to be considered is that sources of water are not the same on the volcanic high islands as on the low coral islands. Volcanic islands may have access to rivers, streams, wells, water catchments, and city water systems while the coral atoll islands depend mostly on rainwater and wells. In many areas, particularly on the outer islands, water quantity is an issue. In response to the survey question Do you regard having enough water as a problem in your area, the mean combined response of definitely and probably for the Pacific Islands was 45%, for the FSM it was 52%. Based on these responses, water conservation and efficient water use is a priority issue across the region, and in the FSM. For the FSM, the issue is of greatest importance for the low coral (outer) islands in particular, however, it is also an important issue in many communities on the high volcanic islands, including urban areas where the population depends solely on city water. Education/outreach efforts should be conducted accordingly, preferably in conjunction with local EPA and other relevant agencies and NGOs. There are some differences within the FSM with regards to water users understanding of activities and terminologies related to water. The term watershed, for example, has become a household word for people in the state of Pohnpei, while it is a completely foreign word to others. Despite this difference, the FSM had the greatest positive response in the region with 63% of respondents indicating that they know what a watershed is; only 48% of all survey respondents in the Pacific Island region indicated the same. As in the Pacific Island region, 100% of FSM respondents indicated that the issue of clean drinking water is either very or extremely important. However, FSM residents tend to be more satisfied with their available drinking water than are residents region-wide (Table C-1). Table C-1. Satisfaction of FSM residents and all Pacific entities with their drinking water. Statement I am satisfied with my drinking water My home drinking water is safe to drink FSM respondents that agree (%) All Pacific Island respondents that agree (%) Water Quality Education It is very encouraging to note that Extension is relatively visible with regards to water quality education. As noted in Table 7 in the general summary, over 43% of respondents region-wide have received water quality information from Extension, in FSM that number is even higher at 47%. To keep this number high, and perhaps reach an even greater audience, the CSREES Water Quality Program in FSM will put forth an effort to bring about needed teamwork and collaboration to address water quality issues in the FSM. 11

12 Some issues from the survey that came across as very important for the Pacific Islands and the FSM include a) Drinking water and human health, b) Water conservation, and c) Watershed management. These should be collectively addressed through a collaborative effort of agencies and NGOs having responsibilities including education, policy making, and regulatory activities. Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge all of the survey respondents in Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap who unselfishly spent time to answer the lengthy survey. I would also like to thank the following agencies who assisted in the actual conduct of the survey: Pohnpei EPA Chuuk EPA Yap EPA Kosrae EPA Kosrae DRC COM-FSM Yap COM-FSM Kosrae 12

13 Appendix D Guam Several environmental issues related to water quality are of concern for Guam residents. The top issue identified by survey respondents is clean drinking water, with 94% rating it extremely important. Other top issues rated extremely important are water for household/private sector, clean rivers/streams, and clean groundwater with 92, 86, and 84%, respectively (Table D-1). Table D-1.The importance of water issues in Guam. Column 2 is the percentage of respondents rating the issue as extremely important. Column 3 is the percentage of respondents rating the issue as very important. Environmental Issues Extremely important Very important Clean drinking water 94 6 Water for household/private sector 92 8 Clean rivers/streams Clean groundwater Protection of aquatic organisms Watershed restoration Water for agriculture Water for recreation Water for commerce/industry Destruction of wetlands While approximately 30% of respondents from the Pacific Islands as a whole indicated they regularly purchase bottled water that number jumps to 77% on Guam. Only 9% cited city water as their main source of drinking water. The importance of clean drinking water and use of bottled water is also reflected by the 69% of respondents who do not believe that their home drinking water is safe to drink. From this data, it appears that the respondents perception of city drinking water is rather poor. 13

14 Appendix E Republic of the Marshal Islands Based on the results of the 37 question survey completed by 52 RMI community members in early 2004, it has been recognized that the RMI has its own unique water quality concerns when we compare their responses to those obtained from the rest of the Pacific Island region. From these results we can determine special water quality programming areas that are of priority for the RMI in order to protect water quality in the Marshals. When asked to rate the importance of several water related issues, a much greater percentage of respondents from the RMI than from the Pacific Island region as a whole indicated they have no opinion. On the issue of watershed restoration, 68% of respondents have no opinion versus 22% region-wide; 78% have no opinion regarding the destruction of wetlands (riparian areas), versus 26% region-wide; and 92% have no opinion about the quality of surface waters in the area where they live, vs. 42%. These results are not an indication that the RMI community is less concerned about water quality, but rather that the Marshall Islands have no surface water resources (eg., rivers, streams or wetlands) to be concerned about. When asked whether they knew the definition of the term watershed 54% of RMI respondents stated no, furthermore, 67% indicated they were unaware of how watershed management affects water quality. Together, these findings suggest that there is little understanding in the RMI of the importance of watershed management or the role that watersheds play in maintaining water quality in the islands. Although there is a lack of surface water resources that generally define watershed management efforts, an education and outreach program on how watershed functions are related to groundwater resources is encouraged. Given that the majority of rainwater that hits the Marshal Islands is quickly percolated through the ground and distributed into groundwater aquifers below, there is a special risk regarding degradation of these aquifers as a result of possible contaminants, such as household and toxic wastes, leaching into the soil. When Respondents were asked, where do you get your drinking water? 69% said they obtain there water from rainwater catchment systems. This would suggest that there is a need to investigate the demand for training and support in the management of rain catchment systems to ensure that the water being consumed in the individual households is safe (free of contaminants and bacteria which might pose a threat to the health of the consumers). Other Pacific Islands that rely heavily on rainwater catchments for drinking water include Palau and FSM, and may provide an opportunity for partnerships in the development of training materials. When asked, Do you regard water quantity (having enough water) as a water problem in the area where you live? 81% of the respondents chose definitely as their answer as opposed to 31% in the region as a whole. Despite this concern over water quantity, 21% of respondents acknowledged being unaware of water conservation methods and 51% stated that they were only somewhat aware. 14

15 Appendix F Republic of Palau 1. MOST PALAUANS GET DRINKING WATER FROM RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEM. The people of Palau are more than twice likely to get drinking water from a Catchment System as compared to the Pacific Islands as a whole (American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands), 67% and 29% respectively. City water was the second most common source of drinking water for Palauans at 29%. Almost 90% of the survey respondents were not satisfied with the quality of their drinking water, piped in house; attributing high bacterial counts as the major pollutant in their water. A majority of respondents (64%) indicated that their drinking water source is separate from their water supply system. Most likely, these are rainwater catchment systems. Educational Materials and Outreach Programs should be developed for maintenance of safe water quality in catchment systems. Water quality monitoring programs should be implemented and supported. Information will be developed to target individual users and disseminated through various means, possibly including radio, newspaper, environmental agencies and television. I propose to assist in the development of the information materials, conduct monitoring and maintenance training programs with collaboration from the partner organizations. 2. DRINKING WATER / HUMAN USE TOP PRIORITY ISSUE Palau respondents top the rest of the Pacific Islands ranking drinking water as the top issue at ninety eight percent (98%). A majority of residents perceived the following contaminants to affect the water quality: toxic wastes (63%), heavy metals (60%), and pesticides (50%). The high public concern about the potential water contamination of the above pollutants is likely due to misconceptions and lack of information. Given that the water source for 70% of Palau s population is situated within the developed area (residence, farms, road construction, etc.) the public perceives the contaminants to be present. Water Quality Screening Tests for the suspected contaminants and relaying of the test results, including supporting education materials, would help correct this misconception. I propose to work with relevant agencies to conduct the water quality tests, farm survey and overall survey of the land use above the surface water source and relay result to the public. I will also encourage the regulatory agency, public health and utilities to increase public awareness activities. 3. CITIZENS LACK WATERSHED KNOWLEDGE 15

16 There is significant difference within the Pacific Islands as a whole for lack of knowledge on what a watershed is with Palau having the least awareness at only 24%. Only 22% of respondents were very aware of how watershed management affects water quality. Lack of information availability is one of the factors that contribute to the reduced public awareness of watershed management issues in Palau. Education materials should be developed and disseminated through various means, possibly including radio, newspaper, environmental agencies and television. Collaborative work with the partner agencies to increase watershed management awareness should be emphasized. Watershed Educational Programs in Schools and Communities, and adult developmental education opportunities should be strengthened and receive sustained support. Summary prepared by Christine French, University of California Riverside, Center for Water Resources 9/15/04 This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No "Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture." 16