JN hosts water summit this week to promote climate resilience
THE JN Foundation, in a bid to promote climate resilience among local residential and commercial industries, will from May 13 to 14 host a climate change, sustainability and innovation water summit.
According to the foundation, the two-day virtual event will educate the public on the devastating effects of climate change on small island developing states (SIDS), while proposing solutions to Jamaica’s ongoing severe water management and water supply issues.
“We’re leading the charge in addressing this important and topical issue that befalls small island countries such as ourselves. Many Jamaicans have noted and have personally experienced the problem of inconsistent water supply, especially in longer drought periods. We want our private citizens and local industries to, as a standard, utilise the available water adaptation technologies in their homes, businesses and within the construction sector to lessen the inevitable effects of climate change on the country,” said Parris Lyew-ayee, chairman of the JN Foundation.
Lyew-ayee was speaking ahead of this week’s summit during a media launch at the
JN Financial Services Centre boardroom on Belmont Road in Kingston.
“As the local population continues to grow, the demand for reliable water supply is increasing. This, coupled with extreme weather events such as storms and droughts happening more frequently, has had a serious and negative impact on our local communities. This is why it is important that our Government implements an impactful, scalable model for greater water efficiency in Jamaica,” he added.
In addition to hosting discussions and panels on the topic and showcasing the entrepreneurial efforts of local business that promote water efficiency, the summit will address and seek to effect changes within the Jamaican housing sector by obtaining a commitment from the Government of Jamaica to action water conservation strategies.
The JN Foundation said the summit will aggressively advocate for the outfitting of all future housing projects with water conservation fittings and systems, such as rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, water-efficient faucets, and shower heads and aerators, as minimum standards . This will especially include the 70,000 housing units that will be constructed through the National Housing Trust and the Housing Agency of Jamaica to achieve Goal 4 of Vision 2030 by year 2023.
The summit is the culmination of a series of activities that comprise The Water Project Jamaica, a four-year project executed by the JN Foundation in collaboration with the Interamerican Development Bank that focuses on the important role that householders and developers should play to improve efficient water use in the housing sector.
The conference is open to members of the public. Persons can register on the JN Foundation website at www.
jnfoundation.com to attend the virtual summit.