In delivering an update to the nation at a Post-Cabinet Press Briefing today at the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda said that the Government has activated a national emergency response to address the drought conditions.

“The Government did not allow the drought to creep up on us. The Government through the IWRMC (Integrated Water Resources Management Council) meets and has a Drought Management Committee that meets in and out of the drought season to fine-tune its emergency response when we know this (drought season) comes”, Minister Samuda said.

Minister Samuda reiterated the Prime Minister’s declaration of allocating $150 million to support water trucking and the acquisition and distribution of water tanks to regions facing water shortages caused by ongoing drought conditions. He also outlined some of the additional measures that will be taken this year.

“We will break ground later this year for the Forest Hills line and communities surrounding Red Hills and Cooper’s Hill, which have always had a lack of water, will benefit from the improved water supply. So, we are building in resilience, and we will continue to cut NRW (Non-Revenue Water),” he said.

Minister Samuda said in 2015 there was a need for 55 million gallons of water for the corporate area daily, but with all the development and investments that the Government has in place, there is now a need for 38 million gallons of water daily in the Corporate Area.

For this year, the Government has $5 billion of capital works programmed for potable water, $2.5 billion of infrastructure works for sewage, and $1.6 billion spent through Rural Water.

Minister Samuda highlighted two main projects that are on stream for this year. He said the pilot Non-Revenue water projects in Kingston and St. Andrew and Portmore “gave us the route and transaction design to go to tender for a national NRW programme, which we expect to last some 10 years. Ten years because that is the volume of construction that will be required to change out, in some cases, pipes that are 70 and 80 years old, most cases 40 years. So, we accept that we have a major distribution challenge, but we are facing it, and this partnership is an investment of US$300 million”.

“Another major project is dubbed the Western Water Resilience Strategy. It has several components, and we expect to require some US$209 million to handle developments from Trelawny around to Savanna la Mar in Westmoreland. But two elements this year that we will be moving on are the replacement of the mains that go in St. James and that goes into Negril”, Minister Samuda said.

Minister Samuda said these pipes have passed their useful life and will be replaced at US$70 million.

“These two major pipelines will significantly add to the resilience in the western end of the island that will be aligned from the Martha Brae into St. James specifically Montego Bay and aligned from Ruseas into Negril. These lines will both increase capacity and increase resilience, we expect to execute this over two years because of the volume of construction that is required”, Minister Samuda said.
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Twelve (12) students from several school regions across Jamaica, were recently awarded scholarships valued at $25,000 towards their educational development, courtesy of the Youth Environmental Advocacy Programme (YEAP) of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The students were winners of an essay competition, which was part of the 11th staging of the YEAP, launched in February 2024 under the theme, “Wata Brings Life”.   The topic for the essay competition was “Discuss the effects of climate change on Jamaica’s water resources and food security”.

The winners were Suhari Kumar of Campion College; T-Shannae Minott of Holy Childhood High; Kyla Nightingale of Immaculate Conception High; Rashida Nelson of Browns’ Town High; Tomaya Martin of Westwood High; and Mia Vaughn, the sole eleven-year-old winner from Somerset Primary and Infant School.

Other winners included Kemar Duhaney and Sheldon Hayes from Herbert Morrison Technical; Shenae Turner of Manchester High; Akeeliah Wiggins of Glenmuir; Jadvia Grant of Bridgeport High and Ohemma Blake of Old Harbour High.

Addressing the winners, Director General in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Dr. Sharon Morrison noted that the YEAP is necessary as youth are fundamental to the process of achieving a healthier and more sustainable environment.  She added that their advocacy is becoming increasingly important in a world where climate change-induced challenges as well as environmental risks are increasingly becoming the norm.

“Because they represent the future of our country, and as such, will disproportionately bear the consequences of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, the views and indeed the voices of our youths, are an important part of the discourse on how to treat with these issues, in order to ensure better, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable actions that will have long-term impacts on lives and livelihoods”, she stated.

The Youth Environmental Advocacy Programme (YEAP) which was conceptualized and spearheaded by the Environmental and Risk Management Branch (ERMB) of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, is one of the ways in which Jamaica’s youth is engaged in addressing environmental and climatic challenges.

The YEAP was officially launched on June 30, 2016, with the objectives of increasing the capacity of youth to become advocates for the environment; promoting environmental stewardship; fostering constructive dialogue and proactive engagement of the youth in the development of environment-related policies /plans and programmes and sharing strategies and best practices.

The programme is open to all young persons between the ages of 11 and 19.
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The Government will be upgrading several beaches across the island for public access.

This was announced on Thursday, March 24, 2024, by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during his 2024-2025 Budget Presentation in the House of Representatives.

According to Prime Minister Holness, the existing Fantasy Beach Park in Priory St Ann will be developed into a Parish Beach Park, similar to Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay.

“Beyond the 2024/2025 budget year, we will be developing the Boston Beach Park in Portland and we will do a major beach park in Negril”, he added.

Other beaches slated for upgrading include the Watson Taylor Park in Hanover; Success Beach in St. James; Priory in St. Ann; Rio Nuevo and Murdock Beaches in St. Mary; Winnifred Beach in Portland, Rocky Point in St. Thomas; Guts River in Manchester as well as Crane Road and Alligator Pond in St. Elizabeth.

The Prime Minister also reported that the Beach Access and Management Policy is complete and would be tabled at the next sitting of the House.

The Policy seeks to ensure Jamaica’s beaches are preserved and sustainably managed for present and future generations, and provision is made for access of Jamaicans and visitors alike.

“I’ve listened very carefully to the debates around beach access.  I had to do it because the Policy falls under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and we have spent a lot of time going through the Policy because the issues are fundamental.  We are dealing with the rights of the people. We are dealing with people’s prescriptive rights. We are dealing with property rights. We are dealing with people’s right to enjoy their environment and we have to go through all of them carefully, but one thing must be sure, Jamaicans are entitled to access their beaches” the Prime Minister explained.
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Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has tabled Jamaica’s Omnibus Protected Areas Policy Green Paper and announced that five areas will be declared as protected under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act.

“Canoe Valley, which borders Manchester and Clarendon; Montpelier, St. James; Long Mountain, St. Andrew;  Industry Cove, Hanover and  Bengal, St. Ann. Madam Speaker, all of the areas identified were designated as Ecologically Sensitive Areas during my last presentation in the budget debate”, the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Holness added that the Government will declare twenty-three (23) parcels of Crown lands as forest reserves or forest management areas under the Forest Act in the 2024/25 Financial Year, and added that the Protected Areas Regulations had also been completed in this fiscal year.  This, he said, would solidify the framework to be used for the management of these areas.

Turning to Marine Protected Areas, the Prime Minister announced that the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation will collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining to increase the island’s network of fish sanctuaries, by expanding existing ones and establishing new sanctuaries under the Fisheries Act.

“We will also pursue amendments to the Marine Park Regulations to simplify the administration of user fees. In response to the increasing challenges posed to the island’s natural waterways, the Government will commence work on the development of a National Wetlands and Freshwater Policy for Jamaica”, the Prime Minister stated.

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Ground was broken yesterday ( March 14, 2024) for construction to commence on the much-anticipated Rio Cobre Content Water Treatment Plant Project at Content in St. Catherine.

The US$77 million, or JM$12 billion project, is being hailed as a significant development in the effort to boost the water security of several communities within St. Catherine as well as Kingston and St. Andrew (KSA), particularly during times of drought.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness described the project as a “win-win” for the National Water Commission (NWC), its customers, and all of Jamaica, adding that the demand for potable water had increased, as a result of the growth being experienced in the country.

“Within the last 5 decades,  the growth of residential, business, and industrial users has resulted in the establishment of several new commercial entities and residential communities in various sections of the KMA which has resulted in a significant increase in the demand for potable water.  As the economy continues to grow and with increased climate variability and change,  the situation will get worse.  A solution therefore had to be found.  This project is therefore one of many solutions being implemented across our island”, he explained.

The Prime Minister added that the system will provide an additional 15 million gallons per day (MiGD) to some 150,000 customers or 600,000 residents of Spanish Town and its environs, Old Harbour Road, and Portmore as well as Kingston and St. Andrew, including communities in Western Kingston.

The project involved a Water Purchase Agreement that was signed in November 2022, between the National Water Commission and a Special Purpose Vehicle to be incorporated by, or on behalf of Vinci Construction Grands Projets (VCGP), Eppley Limited, and PanJam Group Limited.

It involves the design, build, finance, operate, maintain, and transfer of a 15 Million Imperial Gallon a day Water Treatment Plant, and will constitute two years to build the plant plus a further 23-year arrangement for the Project team to operate and maintain the system.

Prime Minister Holness outlined the scope of work on the project.

“The Scope of Works entails the construction of an intake system inclusive of lift pumps (duty and back up pumps);  the construction of a conveyance pipeline from the river (Rio Cobre) to the Treatment Plant; the construction of the 15 MGD capacity treatment plant,  and the interconnection to the NWC’s distribution network”.

Upon completion, the project will also result in better resilience in the water sector during periods of drought and will reduce the need for the trucking of water, as well as the need for water restrictions to affected areas during periods of drought.

Meanwhile, Minister without Portfolio Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda in his remarks, stated that the project is a critical one, in the face of the impacts of climate change including drought, as well as shifting weather patterns.

“From October 2022 to March 2023, Jamaica experienced its worst drought ever.  In the heights of that drought in February  KSA received 8 percent of its 30-year average of rainfall…During that drought, KSA was short 12.5 million gallons daily… therefore the Government is investing at an unprecedented rate in the country’s water infrastructure.”

He noted that the Content Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant is a major milestone in the history and development of Jamaica and there are many more projects to come on stream, which will show that it is possible to make Jamaica water resilient.

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Over the next two budget cycles, several communities in Western Hanover will benefit from water infrastructure projects totalling some $720 million.

This disclosure was made by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, during a tour of both Western and Eastern Hanover today (January 31, 2024).

Minister Samuda explained that this investment includes the $700 million pipeline from Ruseas to Negril.

“We will start work on that pipeline in the coming fiscal year. That will be a two to three-year project because it involves tanks and additional pumps. But the piping work will start in the new fiscal year which commences in April, when the tendering process begins”, the Minister noted.

Also included in the projects slated for Western Hanover, is the upgrading of the 75-horsepower pump at Kew, to a 150-horsepower pump by the National Water Commission at a cost of J$20 million, to serve the increased population in the area.

“In essence, this $20 million investment will benefit in excess of 4000 households. We are very happy about that, as obviously it will significantly increase the reliability and the capacity of the system to ensure that our citizens in and around this area benefit and get the water that they desperately need and deserve”, the Minister explained.

Minister Samuda pointed out that the pump upgrade was necessary, as the parish of Hanover is now experiencing drought conditions, with very low inflows into the NWC’s facilities.

“Now when you see these low inflows and get back into the cyclical drought that Jamaica faces, one understands why the government is investing at an unprecedented level to ensure that we upgrade the infrastructure that we have”, he stated.

Minister Samuda added that under the Integrated Water Development Strategy outlined by both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, the Government will invest in excess of US$210 million between Martha Brae and Savanna La Mar, over the next five years. This is to ensure that there is reliability and predictability in the water supply.

Minister Samuda was joined on the tour by the Member of Parliament for Western Hanover, Tamika Davis, and the Member of Parliament for Eastern Hanover, Dave Brown, as well as senior representatives of the National Water Commission, and the Rural Water Supply Ltd.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Clifford Warmington, broke ground on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, for the rehabilitation of the road from Browns Town to Runaway Bay in North West St. Ann.

This is the first time that comprehensive rehabilitation is being undertaken on the roadway.

According to Minister Warmington, the Government decided to address more than just the surface of the roadway.

“This J$204 million road rehabilitation project, reinforces our commitment to sustainable development and our unwavering dedication to improving the lives of our citizens.  We understand the frustration caused by dilapidated roads and the traffic congestion, but also the hindrance they pose to economic development.  Therefore, we have formulated an inclusive and ambitious plan to address these challenges”, the Minister stated.

The overall scope of work on the project will include the cleaning of existing drains, the construction of new drains, the installation of stormwater culverts, the construction of retaining walls, as well as the reshaping and asphalting of the road surface.

Meanwhile, Minister Warmington says focus would be placed on identifying community roads, that need attention. As such, he encouraged the Members of Parliament to conduct consultations with the communities in their constituency, to identify the roads in need of repair.

“I intend for the next couple of months and years, to go from constituency to constituency not only to announce but to break ground and cut ribbons” the Minister stated.

Minister Warmington added that the groundbreaking ceremony signifies more than just the physical act of construction.

“As we break ground today, let us remember that this ceremony signifies more than just the physical act of construction.  It symbolizes a collective determination to build a better future,  where roads are the pathways to progress, connecting people, bridging gaps, and propelling Jamaica towards a new horizon”.

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The National Mangrove and Swamp Forest Management Plan has been completed.

The announcement was made on Friday (January 19, 2024) by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, during his State of the Nation Debate in the Senate.

“In recognition of the importance of mangrove forests in sequestering carbon and by extension increasing the country’s resilience to climate change, providing habitat for several coastal species, including fish and birds, shoreline protection, and a key source of livelihood for several Jamaicans, particularly those in the fishery sector, the National Mangrove and Swamp Forest Management Plan is now complete”.

Minister Samuda said the Forestry Department in collaboration with key stakeholders, would ensure that the plan is implemented, adding that it would require several non-governmental organizations, and community groups, to make the document a reality.

The National Mangrove and Swamp Management Plan, which was created by the Forestry Department with funding from the European Union, is the first of its kind for mangrove management in Jamaica.

Jamaica Secures Prestigious Forestry Certification

In the meantime, Minister Samuda advised the Senate that the country has joined the ranks of a few emerging economies to secure standards backed by the International Forest Stewardship Council.

“I am proud to announce that our Forestry Department working in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards and with funding from the EU Budget Support program has secured for Jamaica a prestigious marker of sustainability. Jamaica now joins the ranks, of very few emerging economies to have standards backed by the International Forest Stewardship Council which will allow greater access and increased prices for all forest products bearing this certification”, announced Minister Samuda.

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Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government will be taking several steps to further reduce pollution from plastics and microplastics.

Making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday, (January 19, 2024), Minister Samuda highlighted that the steps would include the development of a National Policy on the Environmentally Sound Management of Single-Use Plastic products to be done this coming fiscal year.

“The Most Hon Prime Minister has announced, ahead of his Budget Debate, that he has directed that a programme aimed at the separation of plastics and other recyclables in all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, commence this fiscal year.    We have also previously announced that we will be banning plastic lunch boxes and indeed Personal Care Products with microplastic beads and the target date for this ban is June 1, 2024. We have taken the lesson from the first round of the plastic ban as it relates to public education and need to give sufficient lead time”, he explained.

Minister Samuda noted that Jamaica currently collects over 30% of the plastic bottles produced monthly.

“We commend the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and Recycling Partners of Jamaica who have achieved this, up from 8 percent, three (3) years ago. But we are ambitious with our environmental targets. We are in a race against time to ensure we improve our waste management and one of the ways is to ensure we extract plastic waste from the waste stream.  We will continue to work with stakeholders to determine the appropriate legislation necessary to achieve our goal”.

The goal, the Minister said, is not less than 70 percent of all plastic being produced monthly to be collected and recycled. He also noted that Jamaica is actively participating in negotiations towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

In the meantime, Minister Samuda stated that the government has been channeling its efforts to reduce pollution in other key areas.

He explained that the Government is currently pursuing amendments to several pieces of subsidiary legislation under the NRCA Act.  They include the Air Quality Regulations and the Wastewater and Sludge Regulations.

Minister Samuda added that the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will be working with its agencies, including NEPA, in the promulgation of the long-outstanding Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations under the NRCA Act in the Fiscal year.

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The Negril Great Morass and Royal Palm Reserve in Negril, Westmoreland, are to be restored under a Government of Jamaica/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project titled ‘Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States’ (IWECO).

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda made the announcement in his State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday (January 19, 2024).

“The importance of the Negril Great Morass cannot be overemphasized.  Indeed, the Morass is one of the largest natural coastland ecosystems in the Caribbean region and is the habitat for several internationally significant species and has a high level of endemism”, Minister Samuda explained.

Meanwhile, the Minister stated that the Royal Palm Reserve which is home to several endemic species of palms and birds would also be restored under the IWECO Project.   He added that the government intends to rebuild the viewing station on the Reserve.

“Thankfully because of the funding of the GEF and through this UNEP Project we’ve been able to do the design work and the preparatory work, so we’ll go through the investment process to bring this project back to reality”.

Minister Samuda expressed the hope that access to the new facility will prompt interest in the environment, particularly among students who will visit the location for field trips.

He added that the Reserve would also be opened up as a critical green space, for families in the Negril area, as well as visitors to the island.

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