Water and sanitation highlights
Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, with a population of 2.7 million people and an economy based on agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and financial services, with wholesale and retail services being the largest contributor to its gross domestic product (GDP). Surrounded by a narrow coastal plain, mountains dominate the inland and divert a large portion of the country’s average annual rainfall of 2,100 mm to the northern parts of the island. Jamaica’s tropical climate supports various ecosystems and a highly diverse wildlife. Freshwater is abundant and about a third of the available resources are used, mainly by agriculture, and Jamaica’s many rivers allow for hydropower production. Ambient water quality is by large good, but threatened by pollution from industrial and domestic wastewater, agriculture, as well as saltwater intrusion. Access to safe and adequate drinking water and sanitation services is high, although the urban poor, living in unplanned settlements, continue to be affected by waterborne diseases due to inadequate services. Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt of the Atlantic Ocean, and thus frequently suffers from water-related disasters. As a small island developing state, the potential impacts of climate change are significant.
Involved institutions
Institutions that primarily focus on water and sanitation are the Ministry of Health, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Water Resources Authority (WRA), the National Water Commission (NWC) and bauxite companies. The National Irrigation Commission (NIC) is responsible for agricultural (non-potable) water.
The NWC, as the main supplier of potable water, submits data to the Ministry of Health who monitors water quality. All entities who extract water must submit an application to the WRA, who issues a licence that dictates, inter alia, the volume of water that can be extracted by that abstractor. The abstractors must submit abstraction data to the WRA, who uses the information to monitor compliance, water use efficiency and water stress. The work of issuing licences is an inter-sectoral process with other agencies who also monitor water quality.
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) receives and publishes data from the above-mentioned institutions. STATIN carries out an annual household survey on the living standards of the Jamaican population entitled Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions. The publication facilitates the tracking and monitoring of changes in living standards and is effective in guiding policy decisions. STATIN also executes a decennial population census also provides information on water and sanitation issues in households.
To foster a coordinated approach on water and sanitation related issues, the relevant institutions convene regularly under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation to discuss financial and technical operations of their ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The Minister with responsibility for water also convenes meetings with the heads of these institutions to ensure that they are operating under policy guidelines and in tandem with each other.
