1. Climate-Smart Water Management in Support of
Agricultural Production - the Ja REEACH Experience

2. INTRODUCTION
Climate change impacts are decidedly negative on
the Jamaican agricultural landscape
Threatens the lives and livelihoods of folks in rural
communities whose lives depend significantly on
agriculture.
Management of harvested water from its collection
to application to crops in a production system
provides a holistic approach to show case effective
adaption measures in dealing with drought and
critical water unavailability events.

3. TARGET AUDIENCE AND LOCATIONS
Projects funded in St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth and
Clarendon will be discussed
Intervention focused on water use efficiency
innovations across three areas
Water collection, distribution and soil moisture
retention
Targeted audience:
 Vegetable farmers
Students involved in after school enrichment activities.

4. The cases highlighted show the various adaptation
actions in response to drought, high temperature
and very windy conditions

6. CASE 1: Garvey Maceo High School
Climate Change Challenge:
Drought and high temperature
Inadequate rainfall; Rainfall variability; Unreliable
pressurized irrigation water supply
Resulted in restricted production of outfield vegetable
crop production to include scotch bonnet peppers

7. CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOLUTION:
1. Underground water storage tank renovated
2. Drip irrigation system - outfield and protected
structure
3. Shade house for high value crop production –
sweet pepper
4. Mulch – plastic for outfield and ground cover for
the shade house
Direct beneficiaries:
1,500 students and staff

10. CASE 2:
Mount Pleasant Farmers Association
Climate Change Challenge: Drought
Inadequate rainfall
Rainfall variability
Restricted the production of outfield vegetable
crop production to include scotch bonnet peppers,
leaf lettuce and tomatoes

11. CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOLUTION:
1. In-field protected production structure water
run-off harvested
2. Drip irrigation system - outfield and protected
structure
3. Mulch – plastic for outfield
Direct beneficiaries:
15 farmers

14. CASE 3: MUNRO COLLEGE
Climate Change Challenge:
Drought and strong winds
Inadequate rainfall
Rainfall variability
Restricted the production of outfield vegetable
crop production to include scotch bonnet peppers

15. CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOLUTION:
1. Water harvested from existing permanent structures on the schools
property - dorms, class rooms and administrative buildings
2. Drip irrigation system - outfield and protected structure
3. Mulch – plastic for outfield and ground cover for protected
structures
3. Protected structure
erected
Beneficiaries:
1,000 students and staff

20. Summary
Harvested-water production systems do have an
important role to play in allowing farming communities
to protect their lives and livelihoods and thus build
resilience in the face of climate change
Crops that were discontinued are possible once again
Market timing now possible. The farming enterprise
can participate in the market when the price of the
targeted produce is elevated
Allows for the introduction of crops that prior to then
could not be produced owning to scarcity of water