Int'l. water initiative proposed

The US government has presented an international initiative to protect and develop Caribbean ecosystems, El Critica reported. The presentation, known as "From white water to blue water" was made at the II Central American and Caribbean water conference held in Panama. Canada, France, the UK and the Netherlands will also participate, the paper added, while cooperation will be sought from all Caribbean governments, including Mexico, Central American and Venezuela, the private sector, NGOs and scientific institutions. More than 77 million Latin American and Caribbean residents have no access to drinking water and 210 million do not have sewerage services, according the regional water center, Cathalac, while the region is susceptible to tropical storms and other weather phenomena, the paper added.