Jamaica has reaffirmed its commitment to ratifying the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol of the Cartagena Convention. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, said it requires one final step, which is the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act. “I would have seen what I hope to be the last version before it goes to...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA), in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, will host its inaugural public education exhibition at the Police Officers’ Club playfield, in Kingston on Friday, October 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dubbed, ‘Value of Water 2 Me: Embracing Jamaica’s Lifeblood’, the exhibition is aimed at promoting the protection, conservation and sustainable use...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to increase the use of isotope hydrology in the management of Jamaica’s water sector. Isotope hydrology is a branch of hydrology that uses nuclear physics or the molecular structure of isotopes in water as a tracer for where water moves and goes. Deputy Managing Director at...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is urging farmers to take a more proactive approach to planning for their water demand by assessing their agricultural needs. With instances of drought and intermittent rainfall during some seasons being a reality, farmers are being encouraged to store water to supply their crops. Deputy Managing Director at the WRA, Geoffrey Marshall, said being aware...

The Water Resources Authority of Jamaica (WRA) is imploring farmers to use fertilisers safely and responsibly to prevent contamination of water sources. Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, Deputy Managing Director at the WRA, Geoffrey Marshall, said that proper agricultural practices prevent adverse effects on both ground and surface water. “Be careful of how you use fertiliser because it can...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) has pointed to the continued effects of climate change as a significant threat to Jamaica’s water resources and industries relying on them. Deputy Managing Director, Geoffrey Marshall, told JIS News that increasingly erratic rainfall patterns and rising sea levels remain major concerns. “In terms of impacts of climate change on water resources, the main threats...

The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is urging the implementation of proper solid waste and effluent management practices to safeguard upstream water sources within the Rio Bueno sub-Watershed Management Unit (WMU) in St. Ann. The call follows findings from a recent isotope hydrology assessment of the area, conducted by the WRA in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which...