Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of El Niño and Climate Change on Rainwater Harvesting in a Caribbean State

Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Cite this article

Abstract

The water situation of the Pusey district in St Catherine parish of Jamaica is acute because of the district’s hilly terrains which made connections to centralised public water supply difficult. Residents depend on rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems to meet potable needs, like many other catchments across Jamaica. Rainwater collecting practices and water use habits of the residents were surveyed and the present and future RWH capacity was evaluated using the available 18 years (1996 to 2013) rainfall data and downscaled PRECIS model A2 and B2 climate change scenarios. In addition, the effect of El Niño episodes on rainfall patterns was evaluated. The coefficients of variations for annual rainfall were found to be higher for the El Niño years than in normal years. In two of the El Niño years (1997 and 2009), rainwater harvesting capacity is negatively impacted as rainfall annual total is (42 % and 34 %) lesser than the average annual rainfall. The ability of RWH to meet potable needs in 2030s and 2050s will be reduced based on predicted shorter intense showers and frequent dry spells. A storage tank of 2.5 to 4.0 m3 per household (4 persons) is proposed to meet water demand during the maximum consecutive dry days, and January and February water shortage periods. Design of efficient RWH systems and provision of government subsidy on storage tanks will enable the residents to capture more rainwater to meet their daily domestic needs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aladenola OO, Adeboye OB (2010) Assessing the potential for rainwater harvesting. Water Resour Manag 24:2129–2137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartolini E, Claps P, D'Odorico P (2009) Interannual variability of winter precipitation in the European Alps: Relations with the North Atlantic Oscillation. Hydrol Earth Syst Sc 13:17–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell JD, Taylor MA, Stephenson TS, et al. (2011) Future climate of the Caribbean from a regional climate model. Int J Climatol 31:1866–1878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caribbean GWP (2014) Toolbox for Rainwater Harvesting in the Caribbean

  • Cashman A (2014) Water security and services in the Caribbean. Water (Switzerland) 6:1187–1203

    Google Scholar 

  • Cashman A, Nurse L, John C (2010) Climate change in the caribbean: The water management implications. J Environ Clim 19:42–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Centella-Artola A, Taylor MA, Bezanilla-Morlot A, et al. (2015) Assessing the effect of domain size over the Caribbean region using the PRECIS regional climate model. Clim Dyn 44:1901–1918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen AA, Taylor MA (2002) Investigating the link between early season Caribbean rainfall and the El Niño + 1 year. Int J Climatol 22:87–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen A, Taylor M (2008) Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Jamaica’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC: Climate Scenarios for Vulnerability and Adaptation

  • Chen AA, Bailey W, Taylor MA (2008) Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Jamaica’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC: Vulnerability and Adaptation in Human Health.103

  • Dohman P (2014). How to Calculate the Coefficient of Variation

  • Edwards K, Martin L (1995) A methodology for surveying domestic water consumption. J Chart Inst Water E 9:477–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekwue EI (2010) Management of water demand in the Caribbean region: current practices and future needs. W Indian J Eng 32:28–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Fatichi S, Ivanov VY, Caporali E (2012) Investigating interannual variability of precipitation at the global scale: Is there a connection with seasonality? J Clim 25:5512–5523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goddard L, Mason SJ, Zebiak SE, et al. (2001) Current approaches to seasonal-to-interannual climate predictions. Int J Climatol 21:1111–1152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gouirand I, Jury MR, Sing B (2012) An analysis of low- and high-frequency summer climate variability around the Caribbean antilles. J Clim 25:3942–3952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones IC, Banner JL (2003) Hydrogeologic and climatic influences on spatial and interannual variation of recharge to a tropical karst island aquifer. Water Resour Res 39:SBH51–SBH510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones RG, Noguer M, Hassell D et al (2004) Generating high resolution climate change scenarios using PRECIS

  • Jury M, Malmgren BA, Winter A (2007) Subregional precipitation climate of the Caribbean and relationships with ENSO and NAO. J Geophys Res Atmos 112:D16107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karmalkar AV, Taylor MA, Campbell J, et al. (2013) A review of observed and projected changes in climate for the islands in the Caribbean. Atmosfera 26:283–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kjellström E, Bärring L, Gollvik S, et al. (2005) A 140-year simulation of European climate with the new version of the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric climate model (RCA3). SMHI Reports Meteorology and Climatology (RMK) 108:54

    Google Scholar 

  • Köhler M, Poll PH (2010) Long-term performance of selected old Berlin greenroofs in comparison to younger extensive greenroofs in Berlin. Ecol Eng 36:722–729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JY, Yang JS, Han M, Choi J (2010) Comparison of the microbiological and chemical characterization of harvested rainwater and reservoir water as alternative water resources. Sci Total Environ 408:896–905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neelin JD, Münnich M, Su H, et al. (2006) Tropical drying trends in global warming models and observations. P Natl Acad Sci USA 103:6110–6115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oberndorfer E, Lundholm J, Bass B, et al. (2007) Green roofs as urban ecosystems: Ecological structures, functions, and services. Bioscience 57:823–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Retamal M, Turner A, White S (2009) Energy implications of household rainwater systems. Water 36:70–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanches Fernandes LF, Terêncio DPS, Pacheco FAL (2015) Rainwater harvesting systems for low demanding applications. Sci Total Environ 529:91–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence JM, Taylor MA, Chen AA (2004) The effect of concurrent sea-surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic on Carribean rainfall. Int J Climatol 24:1531–1541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephenson TS, Vincent LA, Allen T, et al. (2014) Changes in extreme temperature and precipitation in the Caribbean region, 1961-2010. Int J Climatol 34:2957–2971

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor M, Alfero E (2005) Climate of Central America and the Caribbean. In: The Encyclopedia of World Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, Springer Press, p 854

  • Taylor M, Centella A, Charlery A et al. (2007) Glimpses of the Future: A Briefing from the PRECIS Caribbean Climate Change Project. Belize: Climate Studies Group, Mona, p 24

  • Taylor MA, Centella A, Charlery J, et al. (2013) The precis Caribbean story lessons and legacies. B Am Meteorol Soc 94:1065–1073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas T (1998) Domestic water supply using rainwater harvesting. Build Res Inf 26:94–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RB, Kirisits MJ, Lye DJ, Kinney KA (2014) Rainwater harvesting in the United States: A survey of common system practices. J Cl Prod 75:166–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tourigny E, Jones CG (2009) An analysis of regional climate model performance over the tropical Americas. Part I: Simulating seasonal variability of precipitation associated with ENSO forcing. Tellus Ser A Dyn Meteorol Oceanogr 61:323–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2009) A practical guideline featuring best practices for Rainwater Harvesting inSmall Island Caribbean Environments. Handbook on Rainwater Harvesting for the Caribbean:55

  • UN-HABITAT (2005) Blue drop series on rainwater harvesting and utilisation. p 101

  • Verial D (2014) How to Calculate P-Values for Significance

  • Vieira AS, Beal CD, Ghisi E, Stewart RA (2014) Energy intensity of rainwater harvesting systems: A review. Renew Sust Energ Rev 34:225–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waite M (2012) Climate-change mitigation and adaptation in small island developing states: the case of rainwater harvesting in Jamaica. Sus Sci Prac Pol 8:81–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Way CM, Martinson DB, Heslop SE, Cooke RS (2010) Rainwater harvesting: Environmentally beneficial for the UK? Water Sci Technol: Water Source 10:776–782

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong CL, Venneker R, Uhlenbrook S, Jamil ABM (2009) Large-scale variability of rainfall:Creation and Analysis of a New Daily Gridded Data Set for Peninsular Malaysia. International Conference on Water Resources.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados

    Olanike Aladenola, Adrian Cashman & Douglas Brown

Authors
  1. Olanike Aladenola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adrian Cashman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Douglas Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olanike Aladenola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aladenola, O., Cashman, A. & Brown, D. Impact of El Niño and Climate Change on Rainwater Harvesting in a Caribbean State. Water Resour Manage 30, 3459–3473 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-016-1362-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-016-1362-2

Keywords

search

Navigation