The sessions provided a structured platform to examine the island’s systems, identify key challenges and opportunities, and explore future-oriented approaches to support sustainable development, with a specific focus on water security.
This initiative originated from the interest and willingness of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to invest in strengthening water resilience on St. Eustatius. The Ministry secured funding for this purpose and engaged IHE Delft, as the water expertise institute, to further develop and guide the project.
During the working sessions, the delegates actively contributed island-specific insights and contextual information in response to research questions, ensuring that local realities, priorities and development needs were clearly reflected in the discussions. The delegates considered the working sessions to be both successful and valuable. The input provided will support the identification and development of tailored solutions, which can be further refined and translated into concrete actions for St. Eustatius.
As a next step, IHE Delft will conduct follow-up visits to St. Eustatius to carry out on-the-ground research, allowing for deeper local analysis and validation of the proposed approaches. A report on the work trip and its outcomes will be submitted to the Executive Council. The Directorate looks forward to continued collaboration and the next steps in translating these discussions into concrete actions for the island.
