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Water Sustainability

COL Norberto CintronCommand Engineer, USSOUTHCOM

March 14, 2011

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DOD Recognition of Water Security

•2008: National Defense Strategy:“Over the next 20 years physical pressures – population, resources, energy, climatic and environmental – could combine with rapid social, cultural, technological and geopolitical change to create greater uncertainty.”

•2010: Quadrennial Defense Review:“Assessments conducted by the intelligence community indicate that climate change could have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to poverty, environmental degradation, food and water scarcity, increased spread of diseases and may spur or exacerbate mass migration and the further weakening of fragile governments.”

•2010: National Security Strategy“The change brought by a warming planet will lead to new conflicts over refugees and resources; new suffering from drought and famine; catastrophic natural disasters; and the degradation of land across the globe.”

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USSOUTHCOM Focus

• Potable water can be constrained by current capacity to provide critical services in support of distressed populations.

• Provide an appropriate response, negate national capabilities gap’s and provide opportunities to increase capacity in response to natural disasters.

• Population growth and urbanization will contribute to increased water scarcity and may present security challenges.

• Regional security and stability can be threatened by disputes over water.

Promote water security and enhance stability within our geographic area of responsibility to increase our

PN (Partner Nations) capability to respond during crisis events.

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Water Security Projects•Water Storage, Collection Facilities

•Environmental/Water Engagements•Marine Environmental Security Exchange Conference, 2008

•Marine Safety and Environmental Security Training, 2009

•Haiti Watershed Management Demonstration Project, 2010

•Water Distribution Systems

•Desalination Plants

•Water/Wastewater Treatment Facilities

•Flood Control Measures

•Water Wells

•Water Assessments

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•Teamed with international partners to restore water service to over 2 million people

•Over 2.5 million bottles of water distributed

•Potable water restored No longer an emergency concern after 2 weeks

Water Distribution-Haiti

5

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Location of completed Bank Stabilization site – SãoFrancisco River, State of Bahia, Brazil

Workers constructing soil cement bank stabilization

USSOUTHCOM & USACE Waterways Navigation w/ Brazilian Army

• Brazilian Army Engineers are seeking consultation from USACE on Waterways Restoration (Erosion Control / Bank Stabilization) and other issues related to navigation.•LTG Van Antwerp, USACE Commander, signed an implementing framework with the Brazilian Army for future work in Waterways Navigation.• Waterways navigation is an environmentally sustainable solution to decreasing carbon footprint in highways.

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Typical River Bank Erosion

The Peligre Dam showing major leak in spillway

HAITI Watershed Management USSOUTHCOM/USACE with Brazilian Army

Brazilian Army engineers, USSOUTHCOM and USACE

• Check dams with vegetation along the hills;

• Place local vegetation & erosion protection structures along river banks;

• Place water level monitoring and rain gages

Project – Work with Brazilian Army engineers to helpresolve sedimentation issue on Peligre Watershed:

Solution:

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PEAK Program (J7)• Objective: PEAK (Prepositioned Expeditionary Assistance Kit) has the

capabilities that can be pre-positioned to help provide sustainable, essential services in time sensitive events:

• Support U.S. and enhance Partner Nation capabilities to carry out key missions through proactive military-to-military engagement

• Provide critical services for targeted purposes during the first days of a crisis through structured planning

• Capabilities:• Power• Water• Communications• Situational awareness

PEAK is focused on Building Partner Capacity (BPC)

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PEAK Program (J7)

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DISCUSSION