WATER RESOURCES OF THE RIO COBRE BASIN OF JAMAICA USING WEAP: IMPACT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY

Climate variability in the Caribbean has become a cause for concern for life and livelihood due to the impact of flooding and drought on these Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Jamaica has been impacted by an increased frequency of flooding and drought which has resulted in damage to many valuable sectors i.e. water, agriculture, health and tourism. With an increase in population each year the severity of the drought and flood conditions has negatively affected citizens. The capital city of Kingston has experienced repeated drought conditions in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with each event resulting in severe water shortages. This thus necessitates the need for research on water conservation and other methods of drought mitigation due to its impact on the economy. Aquifer vulnerability to contamination has limited the use of groundwater in Kingston, thus relying on surface water alone which heavily relies on rainfall. The growing problem can be adjusted with focus on water resources from adjacent parishes such as the parish of St Catherine in this case. The Rio Cobre Basin in St. Catherine can be considered a potential source for water for the Kingston Basin due to its reliance on surface and groundwater sources. A Water Resource Assessment of the Rio Cobre Basin to analyse the demand and supply of water in the basin using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) software is necessary to assess to full potential of the Rio Cobre Basin to supply itself and contribute to the Kingston Basin. The WEAP software takes into consideration all the parameters which contribute to the water resources within the basin. With this assessment the excess water can be transported and supplied to the drought stricken Kingston Basin. The Rio Cobre basin consist of different sectors such as agricultural, domestic etc. therefore data collected for each sector and added to the WEAP model. Scenarios have been generated in WEAP which takes in consideration a wet, dry and normal years for precipitation and expected changes in water demand and supply for future years.