The heavy volume of water poured on Jamaica by Tropical Storm Nicole affords us the opportunity to reflect on our water situation.

How much, for example, of those mega gallons of water has been stored for future use?

Generally, we know that farming uses 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater, industry takes 22 per cent and day-to-day living uses eight per cent.

It is our view that the next 20 years is going to see an escalation of conflict worldwide over supplies of fresh water, which are becoming scarcer every day and may not keep up with demand as global population grows. Water-stressed regions become zones of conflict as they suffer famine and pandemics.

Every day, nearly 6,000 people die from water-related illnesses, more than two million each year, the vast majority of these being children, according to the 2007 Annual Report of “Water For People”.

Jamaica used to be known as the land of wood and water. Certainly, we are no longer a land that provides its population with locally grown wood. Gone are the days when Jamaica exported logwood and was famous for our Mahogany and Cedar.

Today, lumber is almost entirely imported and local wood is scarce. The felling of valuable trees for construction, furniture-making and charcoal has denuded the most accessible lands and there has been little replanting. This unchecked deforestation along with unplanned human settlement has destroyed much of the island’s watershed with deleterious effects on rainfall, run-off and catchment.

Jamaica’s water situation is precarious because of devastation of the natural environment and is compounded by climate change. In a country where there is more than adequate rainfall, there are annual periods of drought and frequent scheduled and unscheduled lock-offs of water, particularly in Kingston and St Andrew.

We believe that since there is a pattern of floods and droughts it is only logical that we deal with the issue of catchment and storage of fresh water.

Yet, there has been no systematic plan for storage. We note that no new reservoir has been built to supply Greater Kingston during the last 60 years. Nor has the storage capacity of the 83-year-old, 400-million gallon Hermitage Dam been increased, as silt continues to accumulate.

The Mona reservoir fed by the Hope River was completed in 1947 and after several repairs for leaks was brought into service in 1959. The rest of the country depends on rainfall, rivers and wells but groundwater suffers in places from pollution from human waste.

The people of Jamaica need to hear what are the plans to ensure that Jamaica does not become a water-stressed area where fresh water is in short supply for normal human activities, tourism and agriculture.

We already import bottled drinking water as is the modern fashion, although we have potable water and produce local bottled water. We hope the day doesn’t come when we have to import water, and or that the supply sources of the local bottled water industry leaves Jamaican hands.

There is a corporate crusade to control the world’s supply of fresh water for the rapidly growing market for bottled drinking water. Similarly, we hope that there are no plans to privatise the National Water Commission because privatisation has had mixed results elsewhere in developing countries. We must produce the water that is essential to life in Jamaica.

Water is a human right and not just a need or commodity and certainly not a privilege.