Water resources management in Jamaica
The management of Jamaica's freshwater resources is primarily the domain and responsibility of the National Water Commission (NWC).
The duties of providing service and water infrastructure maintenance for rural communities across Jamaica are shared with the Parish Councils.
Other challenges include the lack of clear communication and effective coordination between the relevant water management institutions, however efforts are being made here as well to correct this deficiency.
There is concern that over-exploitation, industrial effluents and sewage wastes are affecting aquifers and surface waters at an alarming rate.
Fifty percent of the unused water resources in the Liguanea Basin serving the Kingston and St. Andrew area are contaminated with nitrates.
Difficulty in securing the proper financial resources is problematic as the National Water Commission (NWC) has incurred losses.
Competing demands on the Government's budget mean that this source has not been adequate to provide for the water infrastructure needs of the country.
In spite of numerous interventions by the Government to make the NWC more commercially focused, the desired results have not been achieved for a number of reasons, including: i) the absence of timely and adequate tariff adjustments; ii) an increase in the area served by the NWC; iii) and insufficient capital to upgrade the water facilities and infrastructures.
Much of the rainfall results from northeasterly trade winds which release most of their moisture on the northern slopes of the Blue mountain range.
Due to its geographic location, Jamaica is regularly in the path of tropical storms and hurricanes during the period of July to November.
The Black river is 53.4 km long and is used for tourism, irrigation, and transporting trees to the Caribbean ports where they are then sent to England.
[clarification needed] The Rio Minho is the longest river in Jamaica at nearly 93 km with headwaters originating in the geographic center of the country.
[2] The Government is putting forth an effort to ensure that urban drainage is treated as an integral part of the water sector.
With the continued increase in global oil prices, hydroelectric power has become a priority for Jamaica, and they are now more competitive in this arena.
Estimates at the time projected that by 2010, the unmet demand for potable water would be 320 million liters per day, if no additional capacity is put in place.
The Government's strategy to satisfy this demand uses a combination of methods including new household taps, catchment tanks and the increased trucking of water.
This plan proposes solutions, taking into consideration the projected demand and the status of existing systems, water resource availability and the socioeconomic profile of communities.
Private sector participation is encouraged to generate additional capacity through joint venture and also increase the number of licensed providers in new areas.
[2] The Water Resources Act (1995) was declared as a new statute in the Jamaican Parliament in September 1995 and enacted into law on April 1, 1996.
This marked a 25-year effort to address the deficiencies in legislation for the proper administration, development, and optimal use of the island's water resources.
The primary focus of the Act is the conservation of water resources by protecting lands and riparian zones along the watersheds.
The Act is intended to ensure proper land use in vital watershed areas, reduce soil erosion, maintain optimum levels of groundwater, and promote regular flows in waterways.
2009 For Jamaica as a small developing island state, confronting the potential impacts of climate change is of critical importance.
