Simulation of the Streamflow for the Rio Nuevo Watershed of Jamaica for Use in Agriculture Water Scarcity Planning
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 3
Abstract
Jamaica’s water resources are under increasing risk of degradation and depletion, especially in light of increasing population growth, urbanization, and climate change. In this study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the hydrologic characteristics of the Rio Nuevo watershed in Jamaica to assess streamflow availability for irrigation supply during dry periods. Approximately 85% of the watershed consists of aquiclude rock material, thus resulting in low potential for interaction between surface and groundwater. Historical climatic data (precipitation and temperature) were obtained for the watershed, and streamflow data were obtained for the Rio Nuevo, which drains the watershed. The model was calibrated over the period 2002–2004, and validated using the period 2005–2007. This paper outlines the parameterization of SWAT for the Rio Nuevo watershed and describes the potential for its use in agricultural water scarcity management in Jamaica. A Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient of 0.76 was obtained for calibration, whereas a coefficient of 0.50 was obtained for validation. Results indicate that in drought periods, the stream cannot supply the necessary water needed for the agricultural areas.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the help of Andreas Haiduk from the Jamaica Water Resources Authority for his assistance in providing both technical insight of the study region and the streamflow data used for the research. The Meteorological Service of Jamaica has also played a fundamental part in this research through their provision of climatic data. The Rural Agricultural Development Agencies of Westmoreland, Clarendon, and St. Thomas, as well as the Rural Physical Planning Unit, are deeply acknowledged for their willingness to share data. The authors thank Mr. Michael Pryce of the Jamaica Ministry of Agriculture for providing crop yield data. This research was undertaken through the auspices of McGill University’s Caribbean Water Initiative (CARIWIN), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. Authors would like to thank three anonymous reviewers and editor for their insightful comments that improved the quality of the paper.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 3 • March 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 27, 2014
Accepted: Jul 15, 2014
Published online: Aug 20, 2014
Discussion open until: Jan 20, 2015
Published in print: Mar 1, 2015
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