The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a USD909,000 grant to The University of the West Indies (UWI) to address water resource challenges and bolster climate resilience in Jamaica’s coastal and inland communities.
Jamaica, ranked among the 36 most water-stressed countries globally by the World Resources Institute, faces a paradox of abundant freshwater yet uneven distribution. While the northern region has the primary water sources, the population centers, industries, and agricultural areas are concentrated in the south, leading to chronic shortages in rural and semi-urban communities. Aging infrastructure, inadequate treatment capacity, and insufficient storage facilities further exacerbate these issues.
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Compounding the crisis, climate change intensifies Jamaica’s water insecurity. Droughts, hurricanes, flooding, and rising sea levels significantly impact over half of Jamaica’s nearly three million residents, most of whom live in coastal areas. Strengthening water management and building resilience against climate-related threats have become critical priorities.
The grant will fund the Technical Assistance – Strengthening Water Resource Management and Climate Resilience in Coastal and Inland Communities – Jamaica project, which targets Port Maria’s coastal areas and the inland Kingston and Rio Cobre Basins. The initiative will focus on consulting services, goods procurement, and several key activities, including:
- Conducting a detailed assessment of water resources in Kingston and the Rio Cobre Basins.
- Developing gender-responsive, socially inclusive flood early warning systems.
- Enhancing knowledge, awareness, and capacity building for vulnerable communities.
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The total project cost of USD1,264,220 includes counterpart funding of USD355,220 from The UWI.
The initiative falls under CDB’s Caribbean Action for Resilience Enhancement (CARE) Programme, a €14 million, five-year initiative funded by the European Union. The programme aims to support disaster risk management and climate change adaptation efforts in CDB’s 19 Borrowing Member Countries.
CDB has previously partnered with UWI under CARE to implement climate systems initiatives and provided technical assistance for enhancing flood early warning systems in Jamaica’s Bog Walk Gorge. This new project continues their collaborative efforts to safeguard Jamaica’s future in the face of climate change.
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