NWC Launches World Water Day Essay and Photo Competitions
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Acting Community Relations Manager for the Eastern Division of the National Water Commission (NWC), Delano Williams, addresses the launch of the NWC’s essay and photo competitions on February 13 at the agency’s Hope Water Treatment Plant in St. Andrew.
The National Water Commission (NWC) has launched essay and photo competitions aimed at engaging Jamaicans, particularly the youth, in the preservation of the country’s freshwater resources.
The contests are part of activities for World Water Day 2018, to be observed on March 22 under the theme ‘Nature for Water – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century’.
Acting Community Relations Manager for the NWC’s Eastern Division, Delano Williams, said the objective is to raise awareness about the country’s water resources and the importance of protecting them for future generations.
These resources, he noted, are particularly important in light of the increase in global warming and climate change, which could affect the flow of streams and rivers.
“By doing these competitions, we are hoping to sensitise the next generation, so that the change and the management can continue,” Mr. Williams said at the official ceremony to launch the competitions held at the NWC’s Hope Water Treatment Plant in St. Andrew on Tuesday (February 13).
The essay competition is open to primary and high-school students islandwide and will be judged in two age-group categories – nine to 12 and 13 to 16.
Essays are to be completely original and written in English on the World Water Day theme. The word limit is 600-800 words for the nine- to 12-year-old category and 900 to 1,200 words for the 13- to 16-year-old students.
Judging will be based on the relevance to the topic, originality, accuracy and analysis of the researched data, writing style and language skills. Essay submission should also include title and bibliography or list of references.
Deadline for entries is March 9.
The photo competition is open to Jamaican nationals and has no age limit. Entrants are required to submit a 10” x 7” photo in black and white or colour. The photograph must be artistically arresting, aesthetically pleasing and geared towards heightening awareness of the beauty and art of the water resource.
The deadline for submission is March 16.
The essays and photos must be submitted with a completed original entry form to the NWC’s Corporate Public Relations Department or at any of its commercial offices islandwide. Entries will also be accepted electronically at imc.nwc@nwc.com.jm.
The forms can be downloaded from the NWC’s website or picked up at any of its offices.
The top-three essays and photos will be displayed at the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) 2018 Conference, which will be held in Montego Bay, St. James, in October.
Other partners in the staging of the competitions are the Forestry Department, Water Resources Authority, Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and the Meteorological Office.
