Water minister warns of recurrent drought due to climate change

 

Minister with responsibility for Water, Matthew Samuda, is warning that Jamaica could face persistent drought conditions in the coming years due to climate change.

 

Speaking Thursday at the opening of the National Water Commission's commercial office in Falmouth, Trelawny, Senator Samuda highlighted the drought conditions affecting the western end of the island over the last several months.

 

He warned that the country must brace for more dry spells going forward.

 

"We're being impacted by the changing weather pattern where you're seeing longer, more intense, hotter droughts. Last year, at the end of March, when they did the accumulation of the six months leading up to that, which would have been October 2022 to March 2023, it was found that it was the driest cumulative period in Jamaica's history," he pointed out. 

 

"When you look at the eastern end of the island in February, for instance...in Kingston and St. Andrew you had eight per cent of your 30-year average rainfall.... You had streams in the rainforest parish of Portland run dry. The parish of eight rivers in St. Ann had streams run dry. That's the level of impact that we have seen because of the change in our climate. This year, though not as extreme as last year, has indeed felt similar impacts."   

 

Mr. Samuda said the administration has been focusing on assisting communities in Western Jamaica being affected by the drought.

 

 

Meanwhile, the National Water Commission is now seeing an improvement in its revenues following its islandwide collection drive.

 

The NWC has been targeting delinquent customers who owe the utility company billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

 

Citing two years of surplus, Senator Samuda commended the management of the NWC for its actions to improve the revenue stream of the company, adding that it could not have been achieved without the effort of the hardworking men and women of the entity.

 

"This year, the Water Commission is actively pursuing an additional J$5 billion of investments into the infrastructure that ensures every drop truly counts 'cause we're not pumping it into the ground. It is why this government has allocated J$1.6 billion to the Rural Water Supply Limited, doubling the largest ever allocation to facilitate investments in rural water needs for rural communities in an unprecedented way," the minister announced. 

 

The NWC started another collection drive last month.