The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a grant of USD 909,000 to The University of the West Indies (UWI) to strengthen water resource management and climate resilience in Jamaica’s coastal and inland communities. This initiative, under the Caribbean Action for Resilience Enhancement (CARE) Programme funded by the European Union, aims to address Jamaica’s water security challenges, exacerbated by uneven water distribution, aging infrastructure, and climate change impacts such as droughts, flooding, and sea level rise.

The project will focus on the Kingston and Rio Cobre Basins and the coastal community of Port Maria. Key activities include assessing water resources, developing gender-responsive flood early warning systems, and enhancing community knowledge and capacity. UWI will provide USD 355,220 in counterpart funding, bringing the total project cost to USD 1,264,220.

Dr. Debbie-Ann Gordon-Smith, Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology at The UWI Mona and Project Lead, expressed gratitude for the collaboration with the CDB, emphasizing its importance in addressing climate-related challenges and improving water resource management. She is joined by team members Dr. Arpita Mandal (Department of Geography and Geology) and Dr. Louis-Ray Harris (Department of Physics), who bring valuable expertise to the project.

Dr. Yves Robert Personna, CDB Senior Programme Manager, highlighted the project's focus on improving water quality, security, and flood risk management to protect lives and livelihoods. The project continues CDB’s efforts to enhance disaster risk management and climate resilience across the region.

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