After 47 years of service to Jamaica’s water resources sector, of which 20 years were spent at the helm of the Water Resources Authority (WRA) as managing director, it would be an injustice not to highlight some of the major achievements which Basil Fernandez CD, JP, has spearheaded.

The major accomplishment in my view is the passage of the Water Resources Act (1995), which he championed and which resulted in the sector, for the first time, being fully regulated. The Act also saw the establishment of the Water Resources Authority (WRA) and proved an important chapter in the development of Jamaica’s water resources sector. Simply put, it brought order to the sector.

The Act catalysed a new paradigm in how Jamaica’s water resources would be managed. It defined clearly the functions of the new authority and prioritised areas of interest. Focus was now placed on the development and publication of a water resources master plan, the regulation of abstraction and use of water, the control and protection of underground water, and the control of well-drilling and water quality through a water quality control plan.

In light of the drought that Jamaica has been facing since late 2014, it is prudent to mention that without proper water resources management the dilemma faced would be much more significant. The plight of Jamaicans in drought-stricken parishes would have been more devastating and the effects felt throughout a greater part of the island. The WRA Master Plan provides a guideline for all water users, information for safe/reliable yields taking into account environmental water, thus ensuring that the reserves of the resource are maintained. In all matters related to water, the allocation and abstraction of the resource are most important.

Other noted accomplishments of the WRA, under the leadership of Fernandez include:

1. WRA’s web map, which is the first fully accessible hydrological database in the region, and makes available to the general public all the hydrological data collected (surface and groundwater) by the authority.

2. The modernisation of the data collection process, moving towards telemetric data transmission through a Pilot Project for Climate Change Resilience, a GOJ/World Bank initiative.

3. The Artificial Groundwater Recharge project in St Catherine, established to reverse the effects of saline intrusion of the alluvium aquifer in southern St Catherine; a result of unregulated pumping prior to the passing of the Water Resources Act.

The water sector has benefited tremendously from the stewardship of Fernandez at the WRA, and is now in a better position to effectively manage the resource. The WRA, under its new Acting Managing Director Herbert Thomas and staff, is now seeking to complete, improve and implement several other projects which will fulfil the mandate of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

Michael R A Wilson is a senior hydrologist at the Water Resources Authority. Send comments to the Observer or micwil40@gmail.com.