DDM urges water conservation as drought risk rises

The Department of Disaster Management has urged residents to conserve water and prepare for an increased risk of drought and wildfires as forecasters expect El Niño conditions to continue into 2027.

DDM Director Jasen Penn said the weather pattern could bring unusually high temperatures and dry conditions to the Caribbean over the coming months.

“Hot and dry conditions in our region are a typical result from El Niño,” Penn stated. “Forecasters have warned that this present cycle will be a strong one, and may bring record high temperatures to the Caribbean into next spring.”

Penn said excessive heat and dry conditions place the territory at greater risk of drought and wildfires. He urged residents to continue treating water as a precious resource, even as the territory remains within the Atlantic hurricane season.

“Slow onset hazards like drought sometimes take a backseat in the face of hurricane season and other pressing matters. The advice from our regional forecasters is a reminder that we must continue to treat water as a precious resource, and take extra precautions where fire is concerned,” Penn stated.

The warning follows continuing water supply interruptions across several Tortola communities. Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer recently attributed outages in Pasea Estate, Jennings Hill, Fort Hill and surrounding areas partly to leaks caused by ageing infrastructure and increased pressure on the distribution network.

The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology has also warned that El Niño has historically been associated with severe droughts, including those recorded between 2009 and 2010 and from 2014 to 2016.

CIMH climatologist Dr Cedric Van Meerbeeck said El Niño also increases the risk of extreme humid heat, wildfires and marine heatwaves that can trigger coral bleaching.

Van Meerbeeck said forecasts point to continued hot and dry conditions in the Eastern Caribbean until at least October. He said the combination “will likely translate into drought conditions over most of the Windwards, Leeward and ABC Islands, portions of the Greater Antilles including parts of Jamaica and Hispaniola, as well as portions of The Bahamas by October/November 2026.”

Penn also reminded residents to remain prepared for storms as the Atlantic hurricane season moves into its historically busiest period.

“The unfortunate reality is that risks like excessive heat and storms can occur together, so as a territory we must work together to be as prepared as possible,” Penn stated.

Residents can access preparedness information through the DDM website.