International Waters ProjectInternational Waters Project

Takuvaine Community, RarotongaTakuvaine Community, Rarotonga

Cook IslandsCook IslandsSouth PacificSouth Pacific

Where on earth is the Cook Islands?Where on earth is the Cook Islands?

•240m2 – total land area

•1.8million m2 - EEZ

•15 islands – Northern Group and Southern Group

Rarotonga – Kia Orana!Rarotonga – Kia Orana!

AVARUA – Main Town of Rarotonga

Takuvaine CommunityTakuvaine Community

BackgroundBackground

TourismTourism – $$$$$$$ – $$$$$$$ Green Environment, Green Environment,

Sun, Sea, Sand!Sun, Sea, Sand! Extremely Extremely

vulnerable to vulnerable to changes in the changes in the marketmarket

Images: Cook Island Tourism

BackgroundBackground Last 50 years seen changes in society!Last 50 years seen changes in society!Traditional, subsistenceTraditional, subsistence Modern, consumerModern, consumer

Why?? Free association with New ZealandWhy?? Free association with New Zealand Airport opened – tourism, emigrationAirport opened – tourism, emigration

Changed community structures & social behaviour; Changed community structures & social behaviour; erosion of traditional leadershiperosion of traditional leadership and sense of and sense of communal responsibility communal responsibility

Individualistic goals – no one cares about other Individualistic goals – no one cares about other people with the same aroa (care, love, etc) as they people with the same aroa (care, love, etc) as they use to.use to.

Cook Islands IWPCook Islands IWPPrimary Objective:Primary Objective:To find cost-effective ways to improve the To find cost-effective ways to improve the

management of freshwater management of freshwater Pilot community:Pilot community:Takuvaine Community and its water catchment Takuvaine Community and its water catchment

Problem:Problem:-No water treatment -No water treatment -Activities contributing to unacceptable levels -Activities contributing to unacceptable levels

of contamination to the water supplyof contamination to the water supply-No awareness so people don’t know -No awareness so people don’t know

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives

Provide access to good quality drinking water for the Takuvaine community

NationalProvide access to good quality drinking water for the rest of the Rarotonga

Beyond – 2006

Improve management of the whole Takuvaine Watershed

Management Plan for the Takuvaine Catchment

Management Plan for the rest of the Rarotonga catchments

Management Plan for the Takuvaine watershed

Community

RESERVATION OF UPPER CATCHMENTS

Cook Islands IWPCook Islands IWP Economic Valuation 2005Economic Valuation 2005

- Water pollution to cost millions if nothing is - Water pollution to cost millions if nothing is done to address problems now!done to address problems now!

-Loss of tourism, buying water, increased -Loss of tourism, buying water, increased health bills, loss of fish stocks, etchealth bills, loss of fish stocks, etc

- Recommendations -Land Use and National - Recommendations -Land Use and National Water Policy are someWater Policy are some

National Coordinator at the Takuvaine Water Intake

Root causes of the problem?Root causes of the problem?- People unaware of fragility of - People unaware of fragility of water catchments and how their water catchments and how their presence & activities are presence & activities are contributing to contaminationcontributing to contamination- - Activities include:Activities include:

-trekking (popular -trekking (popular with with tourists),tourists),

-planting/harvesting -planting/harvesting water taro water taro

staple food staple food of of Pacific Islanders) Pacific Islanders)

and other crops,and other crops,-bat shooting,-bat shooting,-animal grazing, etc-animal grazing, etc

No awareness because? – no resources!No awareness because? – no resources!

Lack of information for people to help make a Lack of information for people to help make a decision to change the way they do things, eg decision to change the way they do things, eg research, health statistics, etcresearch, health statistics, etc

It’s not a problem!I drink the water

from the tap and I don’t get sick!

Solution?Solution?

Water treatment – Water treatment – $$$$$$$$ - root causes still there! - root causes still there!

Low-cost, no cost solution??Low-cost, no cost solution??- Manage the activitiesManage the activities

Water Catchment Management Plan!!Water Catchment Management Plan!!

- Need changes, need awareness!Need changes, need awareness!

Communications ProgramCommunications Program Communications Strategy 2005Communications Strategy 2005

Ultimate goal? To Ultimate goal? To change behaviorschange behaviors of the of the target audiences so that we will have a much target audiences so that we will have a much safer drinking watersafer drinking water – the ultimate goal of the – the ultimate goal of the Cook Islands IWP.Cook Islands IWP.

Come on!!It Starts With

YOU!!!

Communications ProgramCommunications Program

Objectives:Objectives:

1.1. Help the target audiences to understand the Help the target audiences to understand the objectives, processes and benefits of the objectives, processes and benefits of the project at the community and national levelproject at the community and national level

2.2. Promote the adoption of specific plans and Promote the adoption of specific plans and behaviors to protect the Takuvaine water behaviors to protect the Takuvaine water catchment – and other catchmentscatchment – and other catchments

Communications ProgramCommunications Program

Target audiences:Target audiences:

1.1. The water users that are affected by The water users that are affected by contamination – the Takuvaine communitycontamination – the Takuvaine community

2.2. The users of the water catchment (growers, The users of the water catchment (growers, trekkers, public workers)trekkers, public workers)

3.3. The landowners in and outside the siteThe landowners in and outside the site

4.4. The national decision-makers responsible The national decision-makers responsible for developing a Freshwater Strategy for for developing a Freshwater Strategy for RarotongaRarotonga

Campaign targets: what can we Campaign targets: what can we realistically achieve?realistically achieve?

COMMUNITY:COMMUNITY:--For 75% of Takuvaine community & For 75% of Takuvaine community &

landowners to be landowners to be aware of the main problemsaware of the main problems affecting the quality of water by March 2006affecting the quality of water by March 2006

-For the Takuvaine community & landowners to -For the Takuvaine community & landowners to adopt a Management Planadopt a Management Plan to help minimize to help minimize harmful activities in the water catchment by harmful activities in the water catchment by February 2006February 2006

-For 75% of the Takuvaine community & -For 75% of the Takuvaine community & landowners to be landowners to be aware of the rulesaware of the rules stipulated stipulated by the MP reg’s by March 2006by the MP reg’s by March 2006

NATIONAL:NATIONAL:

-For 75% of Rarotonga’s population to be -For 75% of Rarotonga’s population to be aware of the main problemsaware of the main problems affecting the affecting the quality of their freshwater by April 2006quality of their freshwater by April 2006

-For Rarotonga’s population to -For Rarotonga’s population to support the support the development of a Freshwater Management development of a Freshwater Management StrategyStrategy by November 2006 – which may see by November 2006 – which may see the the reservation of all water catchments!reservation of all water catchments!

ChallengesChallenges

The lack of support from the community – The lack of support from the community – distrust in government!distrust in government!

The lack of experienced and creative people The lack of experienced and creative people to produce communications for freshwater to produce communications for freshwater AND behavior change!AND behavior change!

The lack of available resources to develop The lack of available resources to develop and implement these communicationsand implement these communications

ResultsResults Communications strategy a ‘checklist’Communications strategy a ‘checklist’ Cooks most significant achievement since Cooks most significant achievement since

the strategy include the queries and the strategy include the queries and feedback from those that have seen some of feedback from those that have seen some of the activities:the activities:

- Project documentary- Project documentary

- Champion articles- Champion articles

- Project posters- Project posters

Wow!!I didn’t know about

all these things! Please tell me

more!!

Continued....

Helping to revive traditional structures so that Helping to revive traditional structures so that communities can come together to manage their communities can come together to manage their own resources such as the Koutu Nuiown resources such as the Koutu Nui

Mama Terii Simpson – Community championMama Terii Simpson – Community champion

Let us not rely on government all the time.We must do our bit first then government will do

there’s!

CHAMPION Profiles – a communication tool – showing how these people are helping to protect their own water resource!

Management Plan yet to be implemented Management Plan yet to be implemented but some changes already include:but some changes already include:- Prohibited the use of chemicals- Prohibited the use of chemicals- Removal of animals- Removal of animals- Monitoring of the area (visitor numbers for - Monitoring of the area (visitor numbers for trekking, etc)trekking, etc)- Cease swimming in intake- Cease swimming in intake- Boiling drinking water- Boiling drinking water- Spread the message!- Spread the message!

More than 75% will consider changesMore than 75% will consider changes if only they knew how??!!if only they knew how??!!

LessonsLessons

Communications must be Communications must be properly properly plannedplanned, and messages must be , and messages must be SIMPLESIMPLE, , positivepositive, , repetitive repetitiverepetitive repetitive and and CONSISTENT…..CONSISTENT…..

Long time delays between campaigns Long time delays between campaigns means messages are easily forgotten!means messages are easily forgotten!

Involve the communityInvolve the community – make them feel – make them feel significant & responsiblesignificant & responsible

However,However,

-Still a need to learn how to plan and produce -Still a need to learn how to plan and produce effective communications to influence effective communications to influence behaviors and attitudes…behaviors and attitudes…

-Still a need to evaluate the effectiveness of -Still a need to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns in order to plan the next…campaigns in order to plan the next…

-Case studies --Case studies -What's everyone else doing??What's everyone else doing??

--What's working for them??What's working for them??

Kia Orana e Kia ManuiaKia Orana e Kia Manuia