Editorial | Confronting drought

Drought-mitigation talks are loudest in the midst of a drought. Farmers who are currently in the grips of drought in rural farming districts might have listened intently to the recent announcement by Agriculture Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, of a $4.4-billion investment in irrigation networks.

The impact on farming provides irrefutable evidence that climate change is real. Poor harvests, resulting from droughts, place additional burdens on communities, disrupt poverty alleviation efforts, and negatively impact the gross domestic product. Consumers feel the difference, too, because it is reflected in the quality and quantity of produce and in the price they have to pay.

Sadly, though we often hear of drought-mitigation plans, it’s difficult to point to any perceptible improvement in water supply or innovative drought security measures, which means resilient farmers have had to struggle through crop-killing droughts year after year.

Our farmers are tough and resilient and drought is an enduring feature in parishes like St Elizabeth, Manchester, Trelawny, and Clarendon. Despite their best efforts, crop failures, pest attacks, and brush fires continue to wreak havoc on their farms. What’s disheartening is the fact that, as a consequence of climate change, droughts are expected to last longer, become more severe, and happen more frequently.

BUILD RESILIENCY

Speaking to the press earlier this week, Mr Charles declared, “We must move away from rainfall dependency” and build resiliency. The minister outlined a number of strategies which will be led by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and, importantly, he has pointed to a role for members of parliament.

It therefore sounds as if Mr Charles has determined that it will take a concerted national effort to mitigate the effects and attendant risks that climate change brings with it to agriculture-dependent countries such as ours.

While we are focusing our attention on the plight of rural Jamaica, we would be remiss not to mention Jamaica’s ageing water system with its leaky infrastructure compelling the National Water Commission to institute annual water lock-offs. Again, talk of desilting the main dam and reservoir, and the upgrading of sewage systems, rises to the surface during periods of drought and are hastily forgotten at the first sign of rain. Or so it seems. Drought resiliency has to be addressed during non-drought times.

In this land of wood and water, there remain many unexploited sources of the precious commodity, and the mechanism of how to move water from the north of the island to the south has so far not got the attention and focus that it deserves.

However, there are some small steps being made in building resilience which are worthy of attention. Take the Mount Airy community located in the hilly reaches of northern Clarendon, which is the beneficiary of a water-harvesting system, whereby large tanks catch and store rainwater and distribute it via drip irrigation, to the obvious relief of small farmers. Such a project requires prudent management in the face of reduced rainfall. Funded by the United Nations and the Government of Jamaica, this has been an effective strategy which could be replicated throughout the island to help overcome the challenges of climate change.

If Mr Charles wants to show that he means action, there ought to be a plan to identify the vulnerable communities in the island and help them build climate-smart responses. A full-bodied response is needed to build new, resilient farming practices.

Vision 2030 ,which seeks to plot Jamaica’s long-term development path, articulates the need for the integration of social, environmental and economic issues, in order to create a better quality of life for its people.

The success of this vision can only occur if Government, Opposition, private sector and communities ensure focused attention on strategies that will deliver the kind of society where people can enjoy their quality of life.