WRA launches education programme on water resources

KINGSTON – The Water Resources Authority (WRA) has launched a programme, aimed at promoting the awareness, knowledge and appreciation for water resources in Jamaica.

Dubbed, Water Education for Teachers (WET),the programme was launched on March 22, during a forum held at the Girl Guides headquarters in Kingston, as part of activities for World Water Day, celebrated on March 22 each year.

Speaking with JIS News following the forum, Hydrologist at the WRA, Natalie Ferguson, told JIS News that WET Jamaica is a joint effort among the WRA, the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Project WET International Foundation.

"Both (international) organisations have a water education programme. They recognise that if they work together in the region, they will be able to spread the word and empower teachers," she said.

Mrs. Ferguson explained that the move to establish WET Jamaica stemmed from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between UNESCO’s IHP and the Project WET International Foundation in 2006, in which they agreed to co-ordinate their water education efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Project WET Foundation was established in 2005, with the mandate to continue to develop and implement Project WET worldwide, which has the main objective of educating students regarding the importance of water and the need to conserve this scarce resource.

The IHP is the only inter-governmental programme of the United Nations system devoted to water research, water resources management, and education and capacity building.

Mrs. Ferguson noted that through WET Jamaica, education materials on water resources, its management and protection will be delivered to educators and children from the kindergarten to high school level.

A Water Resources of Jamaica Fact Book was also launched during the event and will be used as a supporting education tool for WET Jamaica. It provides easily accessible information in a simple bullet format illustrated by various maps on many aspects of water resources and water supply across the island.

The objectives of the fact book are: to provide the public with information on the water resources of the island to increase awareness and facilitate integrated water resources management; provide factual information to aid students and teachers in understanding the water resources/supply of Jamaica; and to provide information on the water resources of Jamaica for international agencies and audiences.

Chairman of the WRA, Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee said the fact book was conceptualised by the WRA to provide facts and figures and statistics and useful tid-bits on the nature of water resources in Jamaica.

"The fact book provides information/statistics on what is the longest river, and how many wells are in Jamaica… I think that’s very useful in and of itself, but we do have a lot of information with respect to people who want to bottle water, people who want to extract water for domestic purposes, irrigation purposes or otherwise. This is something that is going to be very useful to students, teachers, industry people, people applying for licences for water, government officials and researchers," he said.

Copies of the book were presented to Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Horace Chang, who participated in the forum, by Dr. Lyew-Ayee.

The WRA is responsible for the management, protection, and controlled allocation and use of Jamaica’s water resources. The WRA maintains a hydrological database and provides data, information, and technical assistance to government and non-governmental institutions.

The theme for this year's World Water Day celebration was – ‘Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge’ – which highlighted the impact ofrapid urban population growth on freshwater supplies.

Each year on March 22, Jamaicans join others around the world in observing World Water Day, to highlight the importance of freshwater and advocate the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

By ALECIA SMITH, JIS Reporter