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Suriname 

 

 Main Water Issues

 

Suriname possesses both abundant hydrological resources and an extremely low population density; thus, water supply is adequate for both present and future needs.  However, Suriname has weak water supply institutions and no national law on water supply or sanitation; responsibility for both the water supply and the sanitation sector are split among various institutions.  According to a Water Resource Assessment report by the US Army Corps of Engineers, it has an “urgent need to update the legal framework of the Water Supply and Sanitation sector.”  Other water issues in Suriname include flooding and salinization problems in the coastal region, leakage, theft, and poor maintenance in the distribution system, and the contamination of surface water with pollutants—most notably mercury pollution due to unregulated gold mining. 

 

This information gathered from a report created by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which can be found here: 

http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/en/wra/Suriname/Suriname%20Water%20Resources%20Assessment.pdf

 

 Water Legislation

 

Suriname has no general law on water.

 

Three governmental entities share responsibility for Suriname’s water supply:

1) The Suriname Water Company

2) The Water Supply Service of the  Ministry of Natural Resources

3) The Ministry of Regional Development

 

 Other Important Environmental Legislation

 

De Natuurbeschermingswet Van 1954 (Dutch)

Created: 1954

Last Amended/Revised: 1992

Description: Provides for the protection of Suriname's natural resources, specifically by detailing rules for the creation and management of natural parks.

 

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This page was last updated on Monday July 25, 2005.