Finite nature of water sources underscores necessity to conserve

FOR WORLD Water Day (WWD) 2024, the theme is ‘Leveraging Water for Peace’, which seeks to raise awareness of the global water crisis where approximately 2.2 billion people are without water globally.

In 2015, Jamaica joined 192 other UN member states in adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This groundbreaking agreement aims for a world without poverty, emphasising universal peace, equity, and inclusion.

World Water Day is used to advocate for the sustainable access, management, and use of freshwater resources. It is an undeniable fact that water is life and access to this fundamental right is essential for the health, well-being, and prosperity of all individuals and communities.

In playing its part, the Government, through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), has taken tangible and substantial steps to address the challenges within the sector. The MEGJC has portfolio responsibility for the major water agencies, the Water Resources Authority (WRA), and the National Water Commission (NWC), as well as the Central Wastewater Treatment Company Limited, a subsidiary of the NWC, which provides sewerage services.

The GOJ’s vision for managing the nation’s water resources is guided by the National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan 2019 (NWSP). The NWSP aims to ensure that the country’s water resources are managed sustainably and integrated to facilitate the population’s universal access to potable water and adequate sanitation by 2030.

The overarching goal is to ensure that Jamaica’s water resources are effectively managed to provide for our nation’s social, economic, and environmental well-being, now and in the future.

The quality of water that we receive begins with the quality of our raw water. The WRA continues to support the Government in securing the sustainability of Jamaica’s water resources and the resilience of the nation to droughts and floods. A major achievement of the agency was the completion of the updated Water Resources Development Master Plan (WRDMP) to provide inter alia, a framework for rational decision-making in the development of Jamaica’s water resources; and a strategy for meeting the current and future demands for water.

Last year, the WRA constructed three river gauging stations and infrastructure improvements to five stations. The agency also expanded its real-time data platform, to provide ‘up to the minute data’ that can be immediately accessed.

Also, the agency completed studies of groundwater quality and aquifer protection in the Lower Rio Cobre Alluvium Aquifer – Aquifer Protection Zone (APZ) established in parts of Portmore/Bernard Lodge. These activities are intended to strengthen the Government’s capability to provide reliable and potable water for our citizens.

For World Water Day 2024, it is imperative that we enhance the effectiveness of our water source management, minimise wastage, and promptly report any leakages. The finite nature of our water sources underscores the necessity of conservation efforts. By safeguarding and replenishing these sources, we contribute significantly to global peace and productivity.