ACTING GENERAL MANAGER of the Barbados Water Authority, Dr John Mwansa said the island was heading for a drought.
During a Press conference today at their Pine, St Michael, offices Dr Mwansa said Barbados was currently under a drought warning and predictions did not look good.
“We are in a drought warning situation [and] if we go by predictions by the Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum, where they are saying they anticipate that the rainy season is going to have 50 per cent below normal rainfall . . . we are heading to a prolonged drought,” he said.
Dr Mwansa said the rainy season normally started in June, so by August the aquifers would start to recover, but this year there had not been much rainfall.
“The little rain we have had in September is not enough to contribute to ground water [recovery].”
So far, he said, they were recording decreased levels of water – from 30 to as much as 50 per cent – from water wells in areas such as Sweet Vale, St George and Bowmanston, St John, or a reduction of one million gallons a day. (CA)