The Rio Minho Hydrological Basin is found in Clarendon, which is one of the most southern parishes in the island. The basin is divided into three WMUs of which the Rio Minho Watershed hosts the island’s longest river at 92.8 kilometres (57.7 mi). The Rio Minho River and its associated tributaries rise close to the mainland’s geographic centre, where it flows from the steep mountainous limestone slopes in the north to the flat coastal alluvial plains in the south. On the banks of the river, lies the town of May Pen. The Rio Minho not only produces one of the highest ground water discharges (Climate Studies Group Mona, 2014), second to the Black River WMU in St. Elizabeth, it is also the main source of surface water for water supply in Clarendon. Rainfall is the main source of water in the Rio Minho Watershed Management Unit, where it yields three basic water resource types: direct rainwater, surface water and ground water.
Key areas of livelihood strategies within the watershed are heavily dependent on the natural resources of the area, resulting in a fragile balance between environmental stability and economic survival. With the latter often times outweighing the former, some of the factors that have contributed to the degradation of the watershed include, among others, deforestation, poor agricultural practices, and mineral exploitation. Some of the resulting environmental impacts arising from these unsuitable land use practices include soil erosion, modification of the stream flow regime and reduced water quality.
Action taken
In terms of watershed management there have been concerns over the years about the increasing degradation of Jamaica’s watersheds. This has led to a series of project-based interventions aimed at mitigating and preventing the environmental and human factors which impact negatively on watershed areas. These interventions were carried out mainly through bilateral and multilateral assistance, with some varying degrees of success.
Agencies and policy makers have tried to address the degrading levels of soil erosion within the Rio Minho Watershed, caused mainly by deforestation and the activities of hillside farmers. The approach taken to address these problems and protect upland slopes has been dominated by both biological/cultural and engineered soil conservation methods.
In 2003, the UK Department of International Development (DFID) funded the joint Effective Development of River Mining Project between the British Geological Survey and the Jamaica Mines and Geology Division. The objectives of the project among others were to evaluate the renewability and sustainability of fluvial sand and gravel resources, as well as the socio-economic and biophysical impacts of sand and gravel extraction on host communities and the environment.
Lessons learnt
- What was found to be a part of the current programmes being implemented in the Rio Minho Watershed were components addressing the social, economic and environmental aspects of the watershed and its use of water resources. One of the vital requirements in implementing aspects of I/AWRM which these programmes also addressed, is the improvement of institutional and local level capacity building in relation to adaptation.
- Even though the current programmes to be implemented possess aspects of I/AWRM, there are still recommendations which can be made to improve the process. It is necessary to note that based on the Watershed Policy for Jamaica by NEPA (2003), agencies involved in watershed management are responsible for securing adequate financing for watershed management activities, through the development of programmes and projects for donor funding.