Atlantic Ocean
Surname
French
Guyana
Water
Guyana
Resources
Brazil
The freshwater resources can be
divided into:


Natural freshwater resources, including rivers,
creeks, swamps and marsh covering 12,000
square km, discharging 4,975 cubic meters per
second into the Atlantic Ocean
Manmade Brokopondo Lake, a hydropower
facility, covering 1,560 square km.
The main source of public water
supply:


Coastal Zone; Groundwater
Hinterland; Groundwater and a minor portion use
surface water (the extend of groundwater in the
hinterland is not known)
Mineral Water in Suriname is
extracted from the following aquifers:



The “A-Sands” Aquifer (for Capital City) and
Zanderij aquifer
Coesewijne Aquifer
Water is supply by:



Suriname Water Company (SWM); this company
is since 1933 responsible for the water
distribution is coastal areas (state own)
Department of Water Supply Services of the
Ministry of Natural Resources
The ministry of Regional Development
Current information available on
water:




Water consumption
Production
Number of connection
Imports/ exports of bottle-water
Water legislation
Suriname has no general law on water. The only
important legislation is the Nature Protection law
of 1954
System of Environmental-Economic
Accounting:


Suriname has no experience with the SEEA
There are no plans right now for an Environmental-Economic
Accounting
Programs and Projects on water



Interwat; the Institutional Development project aims at
strengthening the organization and structure of the
Suriname Water Company in order to render it more selfsufficient.
The Strategic Plan, which aims at improving 15 systems
in the rural area and 27 "Water Supply systems" in the
hinterland during the period of 1994 to 2015.
The Mid Term Plan for the coastal area is a plan of action
aiming at integrating the activities included in the
Strategic Plan, the Five Year Plan and the Institutional
Development project. The is to transfer the rural systems
to SWM (up to 2010).
Policies and Strategies





Full autonomy of the Suriname Water Company; community-based
water supply management approach; and legal statement of recognition
for the village water committees.
Sanitation must be given national priority; a Drainage Authority for
capital city is recommended; ultimately Suriname should organize
under at a National Water Authority.
Inter-institutional collaboration and inter-sector
coordination/cooperation; private participation in the sector and
development of Human Resources for the sector.
Water saving and protection; norms for planning, design and
construction of water supply systems; water protection against bacterial
contamination; and water quality monitoring.
Technical and institutional measures should be taken on behalf of
sanitation; the Master Plan for Greater Paramaribo should be executed
and the waste from the airport must be treated
Special focus is on the following




Replacement and rehabilitation of productionand distribution facilities
A large degree of community participation
Continuous health and environmental education
programs should be undertaken
The Ministry of Health and Environment
Authority should provide leadership in ensuring
that appropriate water quality is achieved
Water consumption SWM Service Area (in cubic meters), 2002-2004
2002
16,145,271
2003
2004
15,899,586
16,452,753
Water Production Operated by SWM (in cubic meters)
2002
2003
2004
28,664,983 31,594,071 33,267,600
Number of connection
Kind of connection
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Yard Connection
3,057
2,868
2,851
2,823
2,737
3,074
House Connection
48,904 49,318 50,016 50,454 51,567 53,679
House with Swimming
pool
48
50
57
59
68
69
Industrial &
Commercial
Connection
4,611
4,748
4,995
4,997
5,593
5,816
Institution
1,018
1,017
1,030
1,043
1,053
1,069
Total
57,638 58,001 58,949 59,376 61,018 63,707
SWOT Analysis of the Water sector in
Suriname
This SWOT Analysis is to divided into:
 Economic part
 Social/ Cultural
 Environmental
 Institutional organization
Economic
Strengths
 Excellent quality water (low
chloride contents)
 Large per capita resource in
aquifers
 Close technical cooperation with
similar industries in the
Netherlands
Weaknesses
 Insufficient funds for expansion
of drinking water network
 No split of sewerage and
drinking water supply and use
 Slow salination beaches
consumption is higher than rate
of replenishment by aquifer
 Inadequate legislation (Drilling
Act. Of 1952 still applies)
 Mining Rights areas not yet
renewed despite timely
application
Economic
Opportunities
 Export of bottle water
 Establishment of Water
Authority
 Establishment of
groundwater protection
zones
 Replacement of old
stations, establishment of
larger pumping stations
Threats
 Depletion of resources for
Greater Paramaribo (A
Sands)
 Depletion of shells for
filtration
Social/ Cultural
Strengths
 90% of population linked to
drinking water company; 10%
in very sparsely populated
areas
 Low population density and
growth
 Relatively high literacy and
environmental awareness
Weaknesses
 Potable water not
available everywhere
 Wastage due to inefficient
use, and no reporting of
leakage
Social/ Cultural
Opportunities

Raise awareness to reduce
waste and inefficient use of
mineral water
Threats
None
Environmental
Strengths
No contamination by industrial
or agricultural activities
 Low possibility of well
Contamination (artesian well and
aquifer contamination

Weaknesses
 Too many potentially
contamination activities in
Savanna Zone; e.g. sand
excavation, waste dumping
Environmental
Opportunities

Legislation to prevent
contamination of Savanna
Zone
Threats
 Contamination of
catchments area of
Zanderij aquifer (Savanna
Zone)
Institutional organization
Strengths
 None
Weaknesses
 Outdated and inadequate
legal instruments/
framework
 The GMD (Geological
Mining Department)
needs institutional
strengthening
Institutional organization
Opportunities

Establishment of the Water
Authority, if necessary,
imbedded in the Minerals
Institute
Threats


Budget constraints to fund
vital public institutions
Continued weakness of
institutional and legal
framework