Editorial | Our withering villages

It’s perhaps hard to believe that there are communities in the country that are without the ­benefit of potable piped water. But that is indeed the sad fact of life in many rural villages in Jamaica in 2019. The cynics among us may suggest that water is not even guaranteed in the taps of city residents, as many found out earlier this year when the island was in the grip of a long drought. Water rationing was even instituted across the nation’s capital.

And for many years, more than 3,000 homes in various St Elizabeth communities had to contend with water being trucked to them. So for these 20,000 residents, Wednesday was a red-letter day when the $600-million Essex Valley Supply was commissioned into service by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Among the towns to benefit is Junction, which was once rated among the fastest-developing townships in the island. One imagines that if a safe and reliable supply of water and better infrastructure had been features of that town, there would be more investments, with entrepreneurs seeking to satisfy the growing population’s demand for goods and services.

Within rural communities, water management and other critical infrastructure development, including roads, have always lagged behind the urban areas. From fire service to police with guaranteed mobility to sanitation facilities, many essential services are just not available in rural communities.

JAMAICA BECOMING MORE URBANISED

Policymakers often talk about the importance of rural development. However, both public and private sectors seem unable to come up with the kinds of creative initiatives that would drive this development. In rural Jamaica, where agriculture thrives, there is already a high network of self-employment, which could increase if boosted by human and ­development capital.

If we truly believe that rural communities help to set the foundation for national growth, then a greater effort must be made to provide better amenities so that young persons will be encouraged to remain in their communities, thus reversing the migration of human capital to cities and overseas destinations.

We are not convinced that our municipal councils are placing the right focus on development opportunities. They asked for autonomy, and they are now able to determine priorities in serving the residents, so we urge them to make better decisions so that young people will not leave in droves to search for better amenities and opportunities in the cities.

Here’s the picture in some of our rural schools. Children sit around their desks glued to their tablets, but when they are finished gaining all that knowledge, there is no guarantee that toilets will flush and that water will flow from the taps. Electronic gadgets in schools indicate that we are keeping pace with the technology revolution, but there are still some basic services that we are unable to guarantee.

Jamaica today is becoming more and more urbanised, and many small villages which were once thriving are now suffering from decline. The vibrant grocery store which once stood at the centre of activities is now shuttered. So while the cities become more developed, the villages are withering. It is imperative that there be policy dynamics that recognise the urgent need to achieve a balance between urban and rural development.