THE Water Resources Authority (WRA) has prepared an aquifer vulnerability map for the island, which is aimed at providing information to protect the country’s water resources from current and future impacts of drought and other climate-related events.

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgil made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2015/16 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

“The vulnerability map indicates the potential risk to contamination at various locations across the island. This information is used to guide the development approval process, and the determination of mitigating conditions for the protection of water resources,” Pickersgill said.

In addition, the WRA, with funding from the International Atomic Energy Agency, has completed an evaluation of the water resources of the upper Rio Cobre sub-basin to determine the man-made impacts on the water quality.

Pickersgill informed the House that the analysis of the data is ongoing and a final report will be issued this year.

He also told the House that work has begun on the implementation of the Yallahs River/Hope River Integrated Watershed Management Project.

The Global Environment Facility, through the Inter-American Development Bank, is providing funding of $407 million for the undertaking.

“Under this project, over the next five years, key watershed problems will be addressed for the Yallahs River and Hope River Watershed Management Units, which are among the most degraded in the country,” Pickersgill said.