Sustaining a Nation's
Water Security
with Hydro-meteorology
The Yallahs River and Hope River Watershed Management Units (WMUs) are adjoining hydrologic basins on the southern slopes of the Blue Mountain range and east of the capital city of Kingston (population 667,000). Together, these WMUs which extend for 44,486 hectares supply 42% of Kingston's water and provide water for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses to 40% of Jamaica's population.
The mountains’ rainfall ranges from over 7,000mm per annum on the northern slopes, to less than 1,200 mm on the lower southern slopes. High intensity rainfall in the upper watersheds coupled with poor land use and agricultural practices have resulted in 49% of the WMUs’ steep slopes being prone to landslides and 65% of the two WMUs subject to soil erosion.
In order to reduce the rate of sedimentation which affects the regularity of water supply to residents in the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, the GOJ/GEF/IDB Integrated Management of the Yallahs and Hope River Watershed Management Areas Project will be conducting a hydro-meteorological study to inform the placement of intervention.