Special Focus on Water Access March 20

The Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change will observe World Water Day (WWD) on Friday, March 20, under the locally adopted theme ‘Water for All: Inclusivity and Equity’.

This day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance, held on March 22, to highlight the importance of freshwater and advocate for sustainable management and equitable use of water resources.

The UN theme for WWD 2026 is ‘Water and Gender’.

Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority (WRA), Peter Clarke, highlighted at a recent JIS Think Tank the importance of the sub-theme in the Jamaica context for WWD, emphasising the need for addressing inequalities in water access.

“When we look at the inequality, what we’re looking at is the fact that some people have water or a reasonably good supply of water, and some people don’t have water or they have a poor supply of water. So, there’s that inequity that’s built into the system [and] into how water is currently being delivered, and we want to change that,” he said.

Senior Director in the Water Policy and Monitoring Branch, Talia Gibson, informed that for WWD 2026, the Ministry will host an exhibition at the Assembly Hall, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, on Friday, March 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“There will be an opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m. and the keynote speaker will be Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change,” she said.

The Ministry is placing a strong focus on youth engagement for WWD, with poster, jingle, photography and video creation and article-writing competitions at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

“The [exhibition] will feature the presentation of awards to students who participated in the primary, secondary, and tertiary level competitions,” Ms. Gibson said.

“One of the key [messages] which we would like them to take away is the whole idea of protecting the natural water resources and conservation,” she added.

She noted, further, that young people are the next generation and that helping them understand their role in water sustainability is essential for Jamaica’s future.

“If we let the youth understand what their role is in the sustainability of water, then we should have it easier in the future, because they will understand what is needed to ensure that water remains within the country,” she said.

The day’s activities will feature approximately 25 exhibitors drawn from both the public and private sectors.

These will include the National Water Commission, Rural Water Supply Limited, the Forestry Department, the National Health Fund, the Jamaica 4 H Clubs, Jamaica Bauxite Mining, HEART/NSTA Trust, and others.

“Persons and exhibitors will be there to showcase what they do and how it is that water is utilised by all sectors of the economy and will also be used to educate students about careers in water,” Ms. Gibson noted.

At the WWD exhibition, students will also have the opportunity to engage directly with exhibitors and learn about the wide range of careers in the water sector.

“A lot of persons believe that to be in the water sector, you must be a technical person, but that is not the case. We do have technical positions such as engineers, hydrologists, and so forth but we also have the non-technical persons who we require. They have degrees in public administration, in public policy, or even management studies,” Ms. Gibson said.

“There are areas such as policy that we require to ensure that the water sector is managed properly,” she added.

Patrons will also be exposed to methods of water resource conservation they can employ at home and in their communities.