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Earth Today | Risk Profile, Climate Change Adaptation Plans Produced For 15 Clarendon Communities

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

FIFTEEN COMMUNITIES in the Upper Rio Minho Watershed (URMW) area of Clarendon are now better able to plan for climate impacts and hazards via the development of risk profiles, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation plans for each of them.

The plans were completed for the communities of Morgan’s Forest, Rock River, Kellits, Summerfield, Thompson Town, James Hill, Crooked River, Chapelton, Coxswain, Trout Hall, Pennants, Moores, Ritches, Brandon Hill, and Cumberland.

“We are very happy that the plans are now completed and that the communities already have teams in place that are committed to implementing them,” said Dr Winsome Townsend, project manager of the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism (AP&FM) for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).

The plans were completed as a part of the deliverables of the five-year AP&FM project.

The 15-climate change and disaster risk reduction plans were a part of a bigger risk profile and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plan being done for the Upper Rio Minho Watershed. The watershed was chosen as a focal area for the AP&FM because of its level of degradation, its exposure to climate change and its associated impacts, as well as its susceptibility to seismic activity.

Additionally, the basin is one of the major ground water producing basins in Jamaica with annual abstraction reaching about 400 million cubic metres (MCM) in one year (Climate Studies Group, 2014).

The risk profiles and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans were produced by a research team from Environmental Solutions Limited (ESL). The team used modelling scenarios from 2030, 2050 and 2080 climate research to inform the plans.

According to ESL’s project manager for this consultancy, Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, extensive consultations were held in the communities and with key stakeholder organisations such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Clarendon Inter-Agency Network, the Water Resources Authority and Mines and Geology.

Workshops were also held to validate the findings of the studies and to discuss the recommended adaptation measures for the watershed and the communities in October.

PUBLIC AWARENESS KEY TO SUCCESSFUL RISK PLANNING

Rodriguez-Moodie noted that one of the main points consistently raised in these sessions was the issue of awareness and sensitisation.

“We can only implement actions towards a climate and disaster resilient watershed if we know what the issues are. Persons consulted felt that awareness and sensitization sessions towards climate change and its impacts should be done at different levels, focusing on the communities,” she said.

“Persons need to know what it means for their livelihood and how they can start planning. Many persons indicated that they can only afford to cope with the issues as they arise, whereas adaptation requires long term planning. In order to do so they feel if they are more educated and aware of the issues they will be better able to adapt,” she added.

Rodriquez-Moodie said that some of the adaptation measures being explored include revising zoning plans to reduce permitted development in flood zones, liquefaction zones and landslide zones.

Plans for long-term management will also include improving institutional and technical capacity; improving drainage infrastructure; addressing poor farming techniques; and encouraging the replanting of forest trees in the watershed.

Outside of the plans developed, the AP&FM has already started adaptation work in the watershed area. Some of the activities currently under implementation are:

– The installation of 1800 check dams to address flooding;

– Installation of 250 communal rainwater harvesting systems and rehabilitation of three rain ponds;

– Installation of 5 aquaponics systems in 5 communities;

– Reforestation of 15 hectares of land; and

– 50 hectares of Agro-Forestry.

“By helping with the restoration of the Upper Rio Minho Watershed the AP&FM is ensuring the water security of the island especially in the face of the longer droughts that we are seeing with climate change,” said Townsend.

15 graduate from JN Foundation Water Programme

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Fifteen persons, comprising engineers, developers, students and water experts, graduated from a 16-week rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling training programme, recently.

The training programme was organised by the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through the Water Project Jamaica.

General Manager of the JN Foundation, Onyka Barrett Scott, said the graduates were ahead of the curve, given that they were the first batch to be trained in rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling.

“Today, we are proud to be recognising graduates, who are armed with knowledge about rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling; therefore, we are confident that they will effectively implement what they learned,” she said.

The general manager explained that the aim of the initiative is to build local capacity in the design and installation of a variety of water efficient measures in the housing sector.

She said participants were exposed to the components of rainwater harvesting systems, water saving devices, which can be implemented by homeowners, to save water, factors which affect water quality, and water standards.

Barrett Scott noted that, in the case of Jamaica, drought and the shifting patterns of rainfall are already creating serious challenges, which negatively impact the country’s water supply and distribution system.

She further explained that the problem of inconsistent water supply has a devastating effect on families, institutions and communities and affect the business models of housing developers and construction companies, as was experienced this past summer.

In addition, she said the limited financing and an uncertain business case for water adaptation are barriers to the uptake of water efficient measures by the housing development sector.

“The Water Project Jamaica, therefore, aims to tackle these issues through the provision of an impactful, scalable model which will enhance Jamaica’s climate resilience,” she posited.

Minister in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Pearnel Charles, commended the JN Foundation and its partners for the training and encouraged the graduates to implement what they learned.

“I’m challenging you, so that, it does not become another line on your resume,” he said.

The minister also underscored the importance for the country to have strong water policy guidelines and gave his commitment to move the plan from draft stage to legislative format saying, “We have to press on the gas to have it completed”.

Watsonton Primary Learns About Change and More from Story Writing Contest!

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

Drafting an advocacy letter to the mayor. Improving computer skills. Collecting and coordinating entries to a competition. Learning about greenhouse gases and climate change.

These are just some of the large and small “wins” for students from Watsonton Primary School in Jamaica who, in 2019, entered a short story competition organised by Panos Caribbean’s Voices for Climate Change Education initiative. The initiative was supported by Jamaica’s Improving Climate Data and Information Management project which is managed by the Planning Institute of Jamaica with funding through the World Bank, under the Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).

The school, which submitted the most entries to the competition, copped second place and two honourable mentions in the primary school category. And despite their disappointment at not winning the competition, it is clear the very articulate young writers have achieved much more than prizes.

“I learnt that I cannot win every time…I was very disappointed but I would enter again because I am interested in learning about new things,” says Jovanna Anderson.

The competition was organised for schools in the Voices 2019 initiative’s target communities – the farming communities of Red Bank, St. Elizabeth and Lionel Town, Clarendon and the fishing communities of Rocky Point, Clarendon and White River, St Ann. The category for 9 to 12 year olds provided a prompt about twin siblings Tino and Tina in a small rural community (not unlike Lionel Town where Watsonton Primary is located) facing the threat of a hurricane strengthened by warmer temperatures caused by a changing climate. Students were invited to write a story of no more than 800 words about how the twins helped their community learn about and respond to this climate change challenge.

A love of writing, winning prizes, and the excitement of participating in a competition for the first time were some reasons students listed as their motives for entering the writing contest.

“A lot of people were encouraging me to enter,” says Tanecia Hyatt, who is also a literacy mentor at the school, helping fellow students build their reading and writing skills.

Ms. Carrie Davis, a grade three teacher and literacy specialist who shared information about the competition with students in grades four to six, was impressed with the fact that they did not rush to write but took time to gather information: “What I liked was that they did the research first. They studied a lot and immersed themselves in it.”

“I did not know what climate change was but I did research when I was writing on what it is, how it is caused and the fact that it is happening because of human activity,” says Breanna Ferguson.

“I didn’t know about greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide. These gases are making the earth hotter. I also learnt about the importance of trees and creating safe zones for trees – away from the public where people cannot cut them down,” shares Jamari Lambert.

Students’ stories reflected new knowledge about climate change and the threats hurricanes pose to small communities like theirs, but also highlighted steps ordinary persons can take to protect themselves, and the role children can play in raising awareness and educating adults.

“In my story the twins were encouraging people in Pondside to take more actions – to stock up on food items, to go to safer locations at the time of the hurricane and listen to what is happening on their battery radios. People listened to them,” says another member of the group.

Ms. Davis was not surprised that her students did well in the competition and says they could have done even better if more grade six students had been able to participate. She was confident in the skills of the students selected, and praised them for coordinating the submission of the 16 entries from Watsonton.

“I was at a workshop, so they printed and collected and submitted everything. There were two grade five students who were in charge and they coordinated the collection of stories, saving them on thumb drive, getting them printed. They coordinated everything!” Ms Davis reveals.

“I learnt to do things on the computer I could not do before. Of course I could use the computer but I learnt to do new things when we were writing our stories and putting in pictures and doing captions,” one student chimes in.

And at least one student has become an advocate because of her new awareness: “One day I thought of writing to the Mayor to ask him to consider planting more trees because when I was researching I saw on YouTube that one of the problems is that people are cutting down treest to build all the time, so I thought why not plant more trees..I wrote the letter but I did not get to send it yet,” Jovanna Anderson reveals.

Besides sharing their own learning, Watsonton Primary students and teacher also have some advice for Panos: continuing the competition “so we can enter again”; organising the competition at another time of the year when grade six students are not preparing for their exit examinations; and acknowledging all participants with certificates.

 

STORY PROMPT FOR 9-12 YEAR OLDS

Write a short story about how two young children helped their community learn more about climate change and take action to protect itself, beginning with the following lines:

Tino and his twin sister Tina were terribly afraid of hurricane season. Almost every year, between June and November, their little community of Pondside which is near the bank of the Rio Blanco river, was in danger when a hurricane or storm passed near to Jamaica. Hurricanes often meant floods or landslides or strong winds which damaged houses, business places and crops in Pondside. Mrs. Brown, the principal at Pondside Primary said that Jamaica could expect to see stronger hurricanes because of climate change and that the community had to learn to protect itself.

One year, Tino and Tina heard their parents saying a strong hurricane was out at sea and was heading towards Jamaica. How could they help the people in Pondside protect their community?

Mission Music: Jamaican Artistes Educate Communities About Climate Change

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

Kemaly Simpson has two occupations: he is a hardworking, young farmer from Red Bank, St Elizabeth, and he is the aspiring reggae artiste I-Knowledge who dreams of being a star in Jamaica’s music industry!

Recently however, I-Knowledge has been able to bring his two vocations together as a member of the Voices for Climate Change Education initiative, spearheaded by Panos Caribbean. The Voices initiative has been working in Red Bank and three other Jamaican communities, thanks to support from the Improving Climate Data and Information Management project, to empower local artistes to raise awareness about climate change and its impacts among community members.

“Before people in Red Bank use to know when it is supposed to be rainy season and they would plant and there would be no rain and they used to just talk about dry weather or dry season…But now thanks to Voices we know it is not just weather. It is about climate and climate change,” I-Knowledge says.

 

Climate Investment Funds Supports Voices for Climate Change Education Community Initiative

The project, funded by the Climate Investment Funds’ Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) through the World Bank, and managed by the Planning Institute of Jamaica, helped Panos expand its Voices for Climate Change Education initiative, which began in 2008 and has worked for over a decade to build the capacity of targeted Jamaican artistes to communicate about climate change through music.

In 2019 the Voices project worked with 21 artistes, most of whom were from the farming communities of Red Bank and Lionel Town and the fishing communities of Rocky Point and White River. The goal was to educate them about climate change so they could integrate climate change messages into their music.

 

Music In Harmony with Community Adaptation

Like the other three target communities, Red Bank is experiencing climate change impacts first–hand. In fact, all the communities had previously identified climate change impacts on local lives and livelihoods, and had successfully applied for grants from another PPCR project in Jamaica – the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanisms Project- to implement adaptation measures. Panos felt working with artistes from these communities would strengthen synergies between the Voices campaign and other PPCR –supported initiatives in the island.

In Red Bank the hard work and commitment of local farmers is visible. Numerous small green plots of tomatoes, melon, cucumber, thyme, escallion and other crops dot the dry, red landscape. To support agriculture in the area, the community benevolent society had received PPCR grant funding to put in water storage facilities and irrigation lines for about 50 farmers. President of the Society, Mr Kernan Spencer, describes how, before the funding, farmers had to “buy water and carry it on their backs” into their fields, carefully watering the root of each plant during the long dry seasons. The grant helped relieve them of this costly, back breaking exercise.

Although he is a farmer, climate change was not a topic that I-Knowledge knew much about before Voices. A friend told him about the new Voices initiative and gave his contact information to the project coordinators. He was contacted and eventually selected to be a part of the Voices family.

 

“Climate Change is..like the New Slang on the Street”

Four workshops and six concerts later, including two concerts in Red Bank, I-Knowledge is a climate change advocate and an even stronger performer. Under Voices, artistes received information about climate change and its impact on communities, visited adaptation initiatives in each target community to better understand the issues, developed songs to sensitise their communities about these issues and performed in concerts at each location. They also did outreach in local schools, including reading to primary school students on Read Across Jamaica Day.

I-Knowledge says the training provided, and the urgency of the message of climate change which he now shares, opened the eyes of people in the community and opened new doors for him as an artiste.

“Round here climate change is now almost like the new slang on the street! And for me it is important to continue with the learning process and teach the ones to protect the environment. We teach people that if you cut down a tree, you plant a tree….My music is now helping build awareness in others.…Even the children know me as ‘climate change.’”

The opportunity to perform at concerts, held in all target communities and featuring all the artistes, was unforgettable for him, particularly when he took the stage in his community.

“Red Bank is my hometown so I was anxious to perform and to see what the response would be. And people loved it...That motivated me and give me more confidence. So I start to read up even more about climate change to see how I can bring more of the message into the music!”

I Knowledge says he has always loved music, but notes that being an artiste in rural Jamaica is challenging, with limited access to recording studios and little exposure to the industry. The Voices experience built his skills as a performer, and interaction with trainers (some of whom are nationally established artistes), and other artistes has helped him a lot he says.

 

Voices Delivers New Advocates, Creates Local Stars

Mr Spencer, who attended all the training workshops with the artistes and most of the community concerts, says he sees firsthand how the artistes work together, constantly sharing ideas for lyrics and performances, on a WhatsApp group that was set up under the Voices project.

“What I saw in Ocho Rios was just fantastic. The artistes were just coming together and in 15 minutes, working with each other, they produced lyrics! Those trainers were good. In the WhatsApp group they consult each other in the nights, talking about the training and sharing ideas.”

Mr. Spencer says he has seen greater awareness in the community about environmental protection and climate change issues. He adds that those trained as messengers also now get greater respect from the community and continue the mission of Voices.

“I-Knowledge is now a star in Red Bank. People are still talking about those concerts we had here. Even now, although the project is over, he is still talking about climate change.”

I-Knowledge says the best moments for him were “when we all get together, community leaders and artistes, because it is then we see that unity is strength, and each one help one and each one teach one.”

Government Maintaining Ban On Expanded Polystyrene Foam Product

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

The Government of Jamaica will proceed with implementing the ban on locally manufactured and distributed expanded polystyrene foam products used in the food and beverage industry. The ban will take effect on January 1, 2020.

This follows the implementation of phase one of the ban on the importation of the items, which took effect on January 1, 2019.

In light of concerns regarding the availability of suitable alternatives in the local market and requests for a delay in the implementation of the second phase of the ban, policy makers engaged industry stakeholders including the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) and individual private sector companies, as well as the relevant public sector entities to consider the concerns.

Honourable Daryl Vaz, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investments noted that policy makers deliberated on the recommendations put forward by each stakeholder group, keenly considering the availability of suitable alternatives.

The policy maker’s assessment determined that with the increasing availability of viable alternatives, the Government is convinced that the timely implementation of this second phase will continue to improve the lives of all Jamaicans as well as safeguard public health and the environment.

Successful implementation of phase one of the ban on some single-use plastics
Minister Vaz explained that the decision to continue was strengthened by the successful implementation of the first phase of the ban.

The general acceptance of the ban has been observed across the island – although there are breaches taking place.

To date, the State has taken legal action and to date, over 27 individuals and companies have been charged for breaching The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order, 2018.

“I am encouraging the public to make use of the alternatives available on the market,” stated Minister Vaz.

The public and business operators are encouraged to read the orders governing the ban, which are available on the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) website:

  1. The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order,  2018
  2. The Trade (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order, 2018

NEPA continues to operate a hotline 876-285-8531 and a dedicated email address, policyonplasticban@nepa.gov.jm to receive comments, recommendations and queries on the ban on single-use plastics.

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For more information, please contact:
Policy on Plastic Ban/Plastic Free Jamaica hotline: 876-285-8531;
Email: policyonplasticban@nepa.gov.jm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticfreeja/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlasticFreeJA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticfreejamaica/

Expo To Benefit Persons With Disabilities In The West

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

THE DISABLED population in St Elizabeth will have increased access to vision and hearing screening among other health services, together with climate change education when the Nathan Ebanks Foundation hosts its first Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair next month.

“We are excited to be able to take this initiative outside of Kingston,” said Christine Staple Ebanks, founder of the Nathan Ebanks Foundation and event chair.

“We know that disability is not a one-size-fits-all, but that the needs of persons even with the same disability in one community/part of the island can be quite different from someone with that same disability elsewhere,” she added.

“For instance, we have been getting a number of reports of children who are both deaf and blind in St Elizabeth in higher numbers than we find in Kingston. Autism also seems more prevalent than say, cerebral palsy in that community,” Ebanks noted further.

The fair is timed to observe National Disabilities Awareness Week and UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities. It will form a major part of the National Disabilities Week Calendar and will offer a range of services, including climate change and disaster resilience information and talks for persons with disabilities, free registration of persons with disabilities with the National Disabilities Registration Database, free birth certificate registration for the 200 persons with disabilities.

Other free services will include vision and hearing screening, academic screening (reading and math), dental services, health checks and medical check-up, presentations and demos to support the lives of persons with disabilities.

“We, therefore, have taken the time to meet with main community stake­holders to get their input, which was used to design the event. We asked them ‘what breaks your back and hurt your heart concerning your child’s daily living right now.’ We used this information to create the list of services that we will offer at the event. We are grateful for all of the organisations which have come on board to support,” explained Ebanks.

A number of agencies and organisations will participate in the event, including the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Child Protection and Family Services Agency, the Ministry of Health, the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism (AP&FM) of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience, the Ministry of Education, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaica Association for the Deaf, Jamaica Library Services, the National Health Fund, Jamaica Fire Brigade, St Elizabeth South Lions Club, Community Based Rehabilitation Jamaica, Registrar General Department, among others.

EMPOWERING INITIATIVE

The Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair is a flagship initiative of the foundation and is designed to work in partnership with other organisations to advance the mission of inclusion, participation, and empowerment of children (and adults) with disabilities and special needs in Jamaica.

“For the AP&FM – it is very important for persons with ­disabilities to be aware of climate change and be able to respond. So the fair gives us a very good ­opportunity to engage the community,” said Dr Winsome Townsend, project manager for the AP&FM.

The Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair, St Elizabeth, is sponsored by the Supreme Ventures Foundation, AP&FM/Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, ODPEM, Child Protection and Family Services Agency, ChrisMix Radio, JISCO-Alpart, Kirk Distributors/Colgate, NHF, Ministry of Health, and Party Plus Entertainment.

“We once again have partners such as the AP&FM, ODPEM and the Jamaica Fire Brigade to share important information and resources on climate change adaptation, and disaster mitigation with persons with disabilities,” said Ebanks.

“Our vision is to see all children of varied abilities grow and uncover their unique gifts in a way that respects their diversity and celebrate potential. We were very pleased to see the easy way the St Elizabeth community has embraced us and this initiative,” she added.

 

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20191121/earth-today-expo-benefit-persons-disabilities-west

Golden Hill, Two West Rural St. Andrew Schools benefit from Water Systems

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

The community of Golden Hill and two primary schools from West Rural St Andrew are the latest to benefit from the installation of water systems by the Rural Water Supply Limited to increase storage capacity in communities and schools across the island. The schools, Essex Hall Primary School and the Lawrence Tavern Primary Schools had their newly installed rainwater harvesting systems commissioned by Sen. the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for Water, Housing and Infrastructure, yesterday (November 20).

The rainwater harvesting systems were installed to the tune of approximately $5.2 million. The Golden Hill Water Supply System was installed at a cost of over $13 million where a 60,000 gallon water storage tank was mounted to supply residents of that community, as well as Pinto Lane, Fraser Lane and surrounding communities, with potable water.

Minister Charles Jr. during his last stop at the Lawrence Tavern Primary School stated that water security is at the forefront of the ministry’s agenda while noting that the installed systems represent an amalgamation of hard work, strong and bold partnership and a focus on results.

“This Government is fixated on putting in place systems, particularly in institutions like our schools where we can reassure the schools and community members that there are ways for us to prepare for the drought, ways for us to prepare for what is going to come and to make sure that we alleviate the stress and frustration of not having water and improved efficiency of water delivery”, he said.

The Minister further noted that although the rainwater harvesting system has been installed at the Lawrence Tavern Primary School, Rural Water Supply Ltd. will be retrofitting the entire school with water saving toilets and taps, to ensure that the school is using water efficiently.

Managing Director at Rural Water Supply Limited, Audley Thompson for his part said that the commissioning of the three water systems gives him a satisfactory feeling, given their benefit to schools and the communities.

 â€œAs our slogan states, Rural Water Supply Limited ‘Engineering for Development’, we will continue to earnestly fulfill the mandate which we have been charged with by the Government and people of Jamaica”, the Managing Director added.

Since 2011, Rural Water Supply Limited has completed approximately 40 rainwater harvesting facilities in primary schools across the island, benefiting approximately 18,800 students and staff.

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Mangroves estimated to provide US$32.7 million in protection to Jamaica’s Coastlines

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

A study on Jamaica’s mangroves has estimated that they provide approximately US$32.7 million dollars in protection to Jamaica’s heavily settled coastline areas.

The study, which was funded by the Program on Forests (PROFOR) through the World Bank, involved several stakeholders including the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA); the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM); the University of California, Santa Cruz; and the University of the West Indies.

The study, entitled “Report Launch of the Forces of Nature Assessment and Economic Valuation of Coastal Protection Services provided by Mangroves in Jamaica (PROFOR Project)” was launched yesterday (November 20) at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Speaking at the launch, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Daryl Vaz, noted that even with the presence of mangroves, the estimate of coastal flooding due to storms here in Jamaica has been put at US$136.4 million in damages.

“What is alarming though, is that without mangroves the estimated damage from flooding would be US$169 million annually”, the Minister said.

 â€œOur mangroves are therefore estimated to provide US$32.7 million in protection to our coastlines.  When you factor in the protection of approximately US$2.4 billion in assets (people and infrastructure) during storms, the value of mangroves is more than US$186 million per hectare of mangroves”, Minister Vaz said. 

The Minister noted that because of the hilly features of the interior, much of Jamaica’s physical infrastructure such as our electricity generating plants, international airports and seaports, our major roadways among other assets, are located near our coastline.

“Mangroves act as the first and most significant line of defence. Their location between land and sea, their durability and flexibility make them a haven for biodiversity and add to their usefulness and productivity” he said.

Minister Vaz commended the Forestry Department which is currently conducting an assessment of all the mangroves across Jamaica, to determine the national baseline status with regard to spatial distribution, composition and health. 

Since the assessment started in January 2019, the Forestry Department has completed approximately 4600 hectares.

“On completion of this national assessment of the approximately 9700 hectares of mangroves identified in the 2013 land use assessment of Jamaica, the information will feed into the development of a National Mangrove Management Plan”, Minister Vaz said.

He also commended and congratulated all the stakeholders involved in the project.

“I believe in partnerships, particularly since we are all in this together.  Natural hazards and climate change do not discriminate between rich or poor, man or woman, public sector or private.  Prince or pauper, we are all going to be affected. I am particularly pleased that 62-Jamaicans comprising 75 percent of the total project workforce, were involved in this project because it will translate to meaningful action at the local level” Minister Vaz said.

He further added that the insightful and comprehensive research that went into this study will inform our policies, programmes, and plans in regard to disaster mitigation and recovery and in particular the conservation and restoration of our mangroves as we seek to ensure a sustainable future for Jamaica.

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Students Appointed Water Monitors Under the new Water IQ Initiative

Posted on by Stephon.johnson@megjc.gov.jm

Twelve students from the Enid Bennett High School in Bog Walk, St Catherine have been appointed Water Monitors as part of the recently established Water IQ initiative (WIQI).

The initiative seeks to ensure that students develop proper water conservation strategies while simultaneously developing initiatives to raise awareness within the school.

In his remarks at the Rainwater Harvesting Commissioning ceremony at the Enid Bennet High School on Tuesday (October 8), Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr, said the students now have a huge responsibility, not just for their schools, but for their homes and for the future of our country.

“If change is to come, it must be preceded by a change in our outlook and in the way we treat our resources”, Minister Charles Jr. said.

Principal of the Enid Bennett High School Patrick Phillips said the school gladly welcomes the rainwater harvesting infrastructure as well as the appointment of the 12 students as Water Monitors.

“The school system is to socialize students to learn to solve problems and so having the Water Monitors and Rainwater Harvesting System is addressing some of the issues we have with water conservation”, Mr. Phillips said.

Mr. Phillips added that having students as part of the process will enable them to influence their peers as well as relatives at home to conserve water.

The appointment of these high school students come on the heels of a similar appointment of 12 students at the Rock Hall All-Age School in Red Hills, St Andrew, last week, where a similar rainwater harvesting infrastructure was commissioned to the tune of $9 million.

WIQI is a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), the National Water Commission (NWC), Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) and the Water Resources Authority (WRA).

The initiative is being carried in conjunction with the RWSL Rainwater Harvesting School programme and targets schools as one of the critical institutions in our society that has the responsibility of moulding the mindset and the direction of our future by promoting behavioural change.

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