Decentralized desalination strengthens Saba's Black Rocks Harbor

On the small Caribbean island of Saba, Dutch water and maritime expertise is helping tackle several challenges at once: limited freshwater availability, exposure to hurricanes, difficult logistics, and the need to protect a vulnerable marine environment.

At the center is the new Black Rocks Harbor, which is being constructed by Dutch company Ballast Nedam International Projects on behalf of the Public Entity Saba. As part of the project, Elemental Water Makers, a Dutch water technology company, has delivered a decentralized desalination system that gives the construction site its own reliable freshwater supply.

According to Ballast Nedam, water supply is only one element of a much wider resilience challenge.

Saba depends heavily on maritime connections for goods, transport and economic activity. Following the damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, plans for the harbour grew from renovation to the construction of an entirely new, hurricane-resistant facility.

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