Living in a developing country such as Jamaica has its share of challenges which can often lead to disruption and displeasure for its citizens. One perennial problem that perturbs us whenever there is a prolonged drought is the scarcity of piped water for everyday use.

It seems that every year we experience progressively worse conditions with the country’s declining rainfall levels. Whether we are suffering from the effects of global warming or the removal of trees needed to boost the watershed areas, something is drastically wrong in the ‘land of wood and water.’

Money down the drain

Many households and businesses are crippled by the lack of this precious commodity. Some of the issues affecting our productivity include: employees who are late or absent from work due to their search for water; lost revenue for businesses that depend on water; and money diverted into purchasing potable water.

While I acknowledge that other countries are also suffering from the results of climate change, I question our national response to the water crisis. Praying for rain may be our standard answer, but I would like to see more permanent solutions to address our dwindling water resources.

Advocate for change

There has been too much talk and not enough action about developing a long-term plan to take our water reserves into the 21st century. While we demand more positive results from the government, individuals, businesses and communities also need to look for creative solutions to this problem.

One option is to install gutters on the rooftops to harvest rain into drums or tanks. People can also create a system of pipes to take used water from their kitchens or washrooms into their gardens. Planting trees and discouraging deforestation are other steps that will help to promote rainfall.

Preserve what you have

One of the important lessons we can learn from this period of drought is how to take better care of the resources we have. If you’re currently suffering from a lack of water in your pipes, you probably know the small amount of the liquid that is really required to bathe, wash dishes or flush the toilet.

It would be beneficial for us all if we continued to restrict the usage of water even when there are no water lock-offs. Let’s not take the water we have for granted; we should be acutely aware that the entire Earth, not just Jamaica, is in critical danger of running out of potable water in the future.

Resist the trap of self-pity

If you have to bathe with a bucket instead of lying in your soaker tub, or you’ve not been able to visit the hairdresser for weeks, you might be tempted to feel that all is wrong with the world. When our creature comforts are taken away from us, it’s easy to feel miserable and discontented.

Instead of focusing on your problems, give thanks for simple things that you might have missed in your time of abundance. Use shared misery to build deeper relationships with your neighbours; celebrate a trickle of water that eventually fills a bucket; and shout for joy when a few raindrops fall!

Recognise the less fortunate

Another reflection we can make in this time of scarcity is that for many people, water shortages are a constant feature of life. While some of us may complain about spending too much on trucked water, there are those less fortunate members of the society for whom piped, potable water is a luxury.

Interestingly, this lack of water unites us all. Your net worth doesn’t negate your needs; water is essential for everyone’s existence. This period of drought should be a wake-up call for people with greater means to respond more charitably to the plight of the downtrodden and dispossessed.

Money scarce like water

These water challenges are not unlike the problems some of us may have with money. For many people, money is as hard to come by as a good shower of rain on a hot summer day. However, while the water shortage happens once or twice per year, scarcity of money is a year-round reality.

The issues that lead to a lack of water are also similar to those that cause our money problems. We spend money without a care for our future needs. We don’t save enough to build up our money reserves. We neglect to find innovative ways to earn more money to increase our cash flow.

One big difference between the scarcity of water and the shortage of money, however, is that we have more control over our ability to generate money than we have over our means of creating water. Next week, we look at how some people are actually blooming in this time of drought.

Copyright © 2015 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, July 16, 2015.

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl