Achieving eff icient, portable and a safe water supply system

IT IS well known that over 70 per cent of the earth is covered by water. Our oceans hold well over 90 per cent of this life-giving resource and our aquifers, streams, lakes and other water bodies, above and beneath the surface, cradle this most precious commodity.

This year’s theme for World Water Day 2018, ‘Nature for Water’, speaks to the use of natural solutions to the water issues faced around the world. In Jamaica, we have a rich history of utilising environmentally friendly methods of harvesting and storing water. However, with the prevailing effects of climate change, coupled with pollution and increased, prolonged droughts, we must take deliberate steps as a nation to more responsibly utilise our water resources.

Jamaica has long been touted as the ‘Land of Wood and Water’. Today, despite decades of industrial development and urbanisation, Jamaica retains good water sources through our aquifers, rivers and springs. The continued careful maintenance and preservation of these water sources are a priority for the Government. The announcement by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in November 2017, of the Parliament’s adoption of a designated boundary for the Cockpit Country and of the Cockpit Country Protected Area, is an indication of the Government’s commitment to preserving our country’s hydrological resources. The protection of these over 74,000 hectares of forest land will serve to safeguard our island’s water resources for years to come.

While we seek to take advantage of solutions found i n nature for t he preservation and responsible use of our water resources, we know, too, that bringing water to our homes, schools, farms and businesses are critical to establishing a developed nation state.

The Water Sector Policy 2004 acknowledges that access to potable water remains an area of concern for many of our poorest citizens.

The redevelopment and restoration of existing water resources and the enhancement of water quality will serve well to increase overall access to water. We see the efficiency of the water supply system as a key aspect of development and economic growth.

When one considers our farmers, especially those who rely on irrigation systems to cultivate crops for our local and international markets, the importance of an efficient system becomes not only a water issue, but an issue of trade and local sustainability. Currently, water for irrigation accounts for one-third of the water abstracted and used on an annual basis.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, through the National Water Commission (NWC), the Rural Water Supply Limited and the National Irrigation Commission, will continue efforts to upgrade our systems in order to distribute both potable and irrigation water safely and efficiently across the island. We will also continue our efforts to address the issue of nonrevenue water loss suffered by the NWC, by upgrading water meters across urban and rural centres.

The upgrading and modernising of the processes and the business structure of our water supply agencies is critical to achieving the goal of an efficient, profitable and safe water supply system. Recently, the Water Resources Authority instituted a volume-based fee to encourage the efficient use of our water resources. These changes, we know, will result in a better quality of service in the sector overall.

As we continue to combine natural approaches to managing water with strategic structural improvements, I am confident that the water resources of this country will be preserved and maintained for generations t o come. The environmental challenges of this 21st century will require resilience and sound resource management. May we continue to work together to meet these challenges, respectful always of this life-giving resource. Indeed, water is life. HORACE CHANG, MP

Minister with Responsibility for Water