Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, announced that this 28th staging of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will provide a platform for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to continue lobbying for decarbonisation of carbon emitters.

Minister Samuda is leading the delegation at COP 28, which is being hosted in Expo City, Dubai by the United Arab Emirates, from November 30 – December 12, 2023.

COP 28 will be held under the theme ‘Unite. Act. Deliver’ and is being labelled the Investment COP. It is aimed at uniting the world towards agreement on bold, practical, and ambitious solutions to the most pressing global challenge of our time, climate change.

“We are currently seeing grave effects of climate change on our lives and livelihood. The negotiation of our future is critical to our existence on this planet, and with the scientists informing us that our collective actions are severely impacting global temperatures, we must do our best to ensure that we lobby those who continue to use fossil fuels in their operations,” Minister Samuda said.

Minister Samuda also noted that this is a good opportunity for the Loss and Damage Fund to be operationalised as a commitment was made at COP 27 last year, for the establishment of the Fund.

The COP 28, along with related sessions, is an opportunity to continue calling for the urgent actions needed by the global community. This includes but is not limited to mitigation action; trading in carbon emissions; building resilience; addressing loss and damage associated with climate change; and increasing climate finance opportunities.

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Prime Minister Andrew Holness says formalizing land ownership for all Jamaicans is a high priority.

In this regard, the government will allocate an additional one billion dollars to the Systematic Land Registration Programme, to increase the distribution of land titles to citizens who occupy unregistered lands.

The Prime Minister said: “Out of the central government budget, we will allocate another one billion dollars towards land titling to make sure this process continues. Land titling is absolutely important for the development of the country. The ambition of this government is to have every Jamaican who owns or occupies a piece of land now, to go through the formal process to determine whether they can be legally ascribed a title of ownership; that is what we are committing to do.”

Prime Minister Holness made the announcement on Tuesday (November 21, 2023) at the National Land Agency’s (NLA) fourth Titling Ceremony in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.

It is estimated that there are approximately 300,000 unregistered lands in Jamaica. As such, the NLA is developing the technical and administrative expertise to manage the extensive programme.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister called on citizens to continue to empower legislators who have a track record of implementing policies and procedures for the betterment of the country.

“Your government is not just talking about these issues. I’m sure you would have heard many speeches before on a populist platform [saying] We’re going to give everyone land. We’re going to give everyone a title, and it didn’t happen. We are a government that gets things done. I want you, today, to empower the doers. Empower the people who get things done. I’m confident that I’m not coming here to make a promise to you. What I’m doing here today is giving you a report on how things are getting done,” said Prime Minister Holness.

Since the launch of the Systematic Land Registration Programme in 2021, the NLA has distributed over 8,700 of the targeted 12,000 land titles to be delivered in the first phase which is to end by 2025.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, has stated that a healthy ocean is critical to Jamaica’s economy.
 
Minister Samuda, who was speaking recently at the Regional Launch of the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub in Kingston, noted that the ocean is an integral part of Jamaica’s cultural identity, and is critical to economic growth and development and the well-being of Jamaicans.
 
“Jamaica has long said that ocean health will lead to ocean wealth. This is why Jamaica is a member of the high-level panel for a sustainable ocean economy. Indeed, the country’s key economic drivers are dependent on a healthy ocean. These include tourism, fisheries, shipping, and logistics services. This has been so through two colonial powers and certainly post-independence. This awesome EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) that we enjoy, I would posit, potentially represents greater economic value than the activity we have on land”, the Minister stated. 
 
As such, Minister Samuda added that Jamaica, which is often listed as a Small Island Developing State, needs to shift its mindset to think of itself as a large and powerful ocean state.
 
“I believe initiatives such as this (the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub), backed with the appropriate investments into the capacity of the National Fisheries Authority, into the JDF (Jamaica Defence Force)  through its maritime operations and of course, into the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) through its maritime operations, strengthen the potential and the trajectory for Jamaica to truly establish itself, not just as a country with an EEZ twenty-four times its size, but as that powerful ocean state”, the Minister noted. 
 
Minister Samuda commended the conceptualizers of the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, which is a regional hub to strengthen cooperation and coordination in the use of innovation and digital technology to fight fisheries crimes, adding that it is initiatives such as this that will make a sustainable ocean economy possible.
 
He added his voice in calling for persons to use this platform to ensure that the JDF and the JCF can properly use the limited resources they have to provide the security that we need for Jamaica’s EEZ.
 
Minister Samuda said that Jamaica is a member of the High Ambition Coalition.
 
He said “Even before the Global Biodiversity Framework was signed last year, Jamaica had committed that it would protect 30 percent of its land mass, and 30 percent of its EEZ by 2030. We have some work to do because we are over 25 percent of our land mass, and we will get to 40 percent by 2030. But we are lagging with some of the protected areas that we need to look at in our EEZ…we are at about 15 percent”.
 
In closing, Minister Samuda made a call for citizens to join the move in protecting our EEZ. “It will require resources. But it also requires the commitment of everyone in this room to help us carry the message so that the public understands that this ocean, which surrounds us, provides amazing opportunities through the right mix of protection, the right policies, the right oversight, and the right enforcement to yield significant economic gain”.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, who has portfolio responsibility for Water, says an all-of-government approach is being taken to effect major improvements to the water supply in Old Harbour and surrounding communities in South West St. Catherine.

Minister Samuda made the comment yesterday (November 16, 2023), during a tour of several water supply systems in South West St. Catherine. He was joined on the tour by Member of Parliament for the constituency Hon. Clifford Warmington.

The tour included the Colbeck Treatment Plant that serves the Bois Content and Planters Hall Areas, the Russell Graham Well, Davis Primary where a rainwater Harvesting System was installed by Rural Water Supply Limited, as well as Bartons.

“What the public should be aware of today is that it is an all-of-government approach that has taken place, with the assessment being done in the areas around Old Harbour. We have with us, the NWC and its senior team led by Acting President Kevin Kerr, we have Mr. Audley Thompson from Rural Water and we are in close contact with the teams from the Water Resources Authority and at the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), to ensure that a cohesive position is arrived at”, the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda noted that the constituency is one of the more unique areas, in that it includes a heavily urbanized town centre, as well as deep rural communities. He added that if the country is to achieve the Vision 2030 target of ensuring that all Jamaicans have access to potable water and sanitation, a constituency such as South West St. Catherine has to receive major focus.

“The significant housing developments that have come into this constituency and those that are to come require us to upgrade the infrastructure significantly. We also do not want to lose the connection with the rural roots that surround the town of Old Harbour. We want to ensure that people aren’t forced necessarily to move from the communities that they are in, to get access to the amenities” the Minister stated.

Noting that some of the upgrades to the water systems in the constituency have been on the books since 2008, Minister Samuda said the water agencies will be working very closely with the Ministry of Finance over the next 18 months, to ensure that the provision of resources, matches the urgent need for upgrades.

“We expect to be able to start some minor works in January. Come the new budget in April, we will definitely include some of the distribution issues that the constituency is having. We will be working to upgrade the wells that need to be upgraded, and we will be working with the NIC to ensure that we get access to new wells for the community” Minister Samuda explained.

The comprehensive programme of works at an estimated cost of J$965 million, include a Non-Revenue Water Reduction and Control Programme, well rehabilitation and upgrading, leak detection and pipe repair, the supply and installation of electro-mechanical pumping equipment, the installation of interconnecting, transmission and secondary pipelines, as well as storage tanks.

Meanwhile, Minister Warmington noted that discussions were also held regarding Terminal Street and the extension of the NWC network into the Old Harbour fishing village.

“I mentioned also, we didn’t get a chance to go there, is Terminal Street where the water supply service ends at Burkefield Meadows but the others go all the way down to JPS and to the beach. They don’t get any service from the Water Commission. They get service from the Jamaica Public Service well supply which is untreated. So, I’m hoping and asking that we see if we can extend the supply from Burkefield to go down there”, Minister Warmington Said.

Minister Warmington thanked Minister Samuda and the teams from the NWC and RWSL for visiting the constituency to assess the water systems.

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The National Water Commission (NWC) has acquired 30 new Isuzu pick-up trucks at a cost of J$200 million, in a move to enhance its operations and increase service delivery.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda who viewed the new vehicles at the NWC’s Marescaux Road compound yesterday (November 8, 2023), said the acquisition forms part of the planned phasing out of the Commission’s aging fleet.

Minister Samuda said this would ensure that the NWC’s maintenance department as well as its activities in the field are supported by the necessary transportation.

“We have committed to ensuring that the National Water Commission has the equipment it needs and has the skill sets that it needs. But we know that with skills sets, you (also) require the appropriate tools. The NWC does have an aging fleet, so this is a step in modernizing that fleet”, he stated.

The procurement of the vehicles is a welcomed move, as on a daily basis, various teams from the NWC are dispatched to operate and monitor more than one thousand (1000) water supply facilities islandwide, as well as 350 storage tank facilities, many of which are situated in remote locations.

In addition, the NWC monitors some 12,000 kilometers of pipeline that are installed across the island and carries out other functions including meter reading, as well as the collection and distribution of material for its daily operations.

Meanwhile, Minister Samuda also noted that the NWC would be moving to procure an additional six (6) water trucks.

“We know that the emergency service requires the NWC to be able to respond to drought when it does come…we are investing in serving you at the level that you deserve to be served”, the Minister stated.

Last year September, the NWC acquired eight (8) water trucks at a cost of over J$114.8 million, as part of the drought alleviation measures which effectively increased its fleet to over 400 vehicles.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says that Jamaica continues to invest in technology and develop mechanisms that enable the country to mitigate the risks associated with climate change.
 
He says the country has a long way to go but there is political commitment and technical expertise to implement the required systems.
 
“Jamaica is no less vulnerable…we have a long way to go if we are to bring political commitment to meet with investment to meet with implementation. But we certainly can acknowledge that there is political will, there is technical expertise to ensure that we complete these early warning systems,” stated Minister Samuda.
 
Minister Samuda was addressing a session, yesterday (October 24, 2023), organized by the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) at Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week being held in Panama City.  
 
“Through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, which falls under the Prime Minister, we have launched a few mechanisms that force agencies and MDAs  (Ministries, Agencies and Departments)generally to work together.  One is the Integrated Water Resource Management Council (IWRMC) which brings all things water, all things weather together into regular quarterly meetings” the Minister noted.
 
He noted however that the drought conditions over the last three years have impacted the country’s mitigation efforts.
 
“Through the cooperation with the Meteorological Service and the Water Resources Authority (WRA), the government is moving to develop early warning systems and long-term measuring metrics to ensure that we know where we are. The issue Jamaica has had over the last three years is chronic droughts. So the need for coordination and using the systems is important but after going through an extended drought period an afternoon shower can set off an alarm for the Met Service because unexpected rainfall can become a flood.”
 
He explained that “what we now have is the skewing of norms. The statistical norms no longer allow you to predict how your systems will react to normal weather events, and that is why coordination is so particularly important. It is through this cooperation that we are looking to develop early warning systems and long-term measurable metrics to make sure we are sharing these”.

Other mechanisms cited by the Minister include the launch of the Building Resilience Through Climate Adaptation Technologies (BReTCAT) project, the launch of the Met Service’s weather app, the Bush Fire Warning Index, as well as the Jamaica Systemic Risk Assessment Tool, as important mechanisms in increasing the island’s response to risk and building its resilience to climactic impacts.
 
He pointed to the country’s intention to digitize its networks over the next three years, including rain gauges as well as hydrological meters, and added that the new S-Band Doppler Radar was nearing completion.  
 
The session by the CMO coincided with its 50^th anniversary celebrations. Jamaica is one of the founding members of the CMO.
 
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The recent increase in rainfall has resulted in increased inflows to many National Water Commission (NWC) sources across the island, but the island is not yet out of the woods in terms of the drought.
 
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator, the Hon. Matthew Samuda, in updating Friday’s (October 13) sitting of the Senate on the drought situation, noted that the figures as of Thursday, October 12, 2023, indicated that the recent rainfall had resulted in increased inflows to some systems
 
“We have seen some turnaround because of increased rainfall in St. Thomas and certainly in the Blue Mountains. The Mona Reservoir is back at 78.5 percent. The Hermitage Dam is now operating at 100 percent. So we are starting to see a reduction in pressure on the NWC and its varying systems. As a result of that, and because the inflows in many cases are now exceeding the outflows,  the NWC as at last week Friday was able to remove the prohibition orders”.
 
Minister Samuda added that although the prohibition orders are lifted,  restrictions will remain in place, particularly for the Mona Reservoir which will need to reach 80 percent of storage capacity before restrictions can be lifted.
 
Despite the “light at the end of the tunnel” for Kingston and St. Andrew, Minister Samuda pointed out that other systems are still experiencing inflows that are significantly below their normal levels, particularly in the Eastern Parishes of St. Mary and Portland.
 
As such, the Minister noted that the Government, through the NWC, continues to closely monitor and manage the water supply situation across the island.
 
The Minister added that measures were being put in place to mitigate the effects of drought in the future. 
 
“There are many steps that we will take in coming years, to ensure that this discussion is not the same discussion happening in 2030.  I’ve outlined some of the major investments that will deal with the eastern end of the island that is the Content Water System for 15 million gallons a day.  Now I could get into more specific smaller ones, but to note even with the current drought which has been the worst Kingston and St. Andrew has ever experienced, the shortfall was less than 12 million gallons a day”.
 
Minister Samuda said although the island was experiencing some rainfall, the sporadic nature of the rainfall meant that even when restrictions are lifted, citizens should make efforts to conserve their use of water.

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Jamaica, through the National Spatial Data Management Branch (NSDMB) of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, yesterday (October 12, 2023) participated in the launch of the regional GeoStats Awareness Programme.

The Programme, which was launched virtually under the theme “Caribbean Together-Everyone Counts”, is aimed at fostering interest, understanding and engagement among youths in the Caribbean about the use and benefits of Geographic Information Science, geospatial technologies and statistics.

According Ms. Simone Lloyd, Acting Principal Director of the NSDMB, the overarching goal of the event was to increase awareness among young people, about the role of geospatial statistics in understanding the relationships between the economy, the society and the environment towards the decision-making process.

“Jamaica acknowledges the vast benefits to be derived from the integration of geospatial and statistical information through collaborations forged by the geospatial and statistical communities throughout our region. Where better to start than to target educators and students of Social Studies, Geography and Information Technology, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, across the Caribbean so that they are inspired to pursue geospatial and statistics driven career paths”, she noted.

Ms. Lloyd further noted that the NSDMB will be promoting the programme locally during Geography Awareness Week and at the 21st staging of GIS Day at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus on November 15.

She added that there will also be a GeoStats Competition, and the NSDMB would provide mentors to support the interested schools and students as well as in other training and educational activities.

“We will be supporting the webinars and training sessions that will target the students, helping them to develop the related knowledge and skills competencies”, she stated.

Participants in the launch came from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

The main partnering organizations in the GeoStats Programme include the UN-GGIM Americas, the Caribbean Geospatial Development Initiative (CARIGEO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

 

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The Sandy Ground, Connors, and Ginger Ridge communities in West Central St. Catherine, are now receiving piped water formally for the first time from the National Water Commission (NWC).

This follows yesterday’s (October 11) official commissioning of the Connors-Ginger Ridge pipeline project by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda.

The project, that was implemented at a cost of $94 million, involved the construction of a 13,000-gallon sump and elevated pumping station and other pipelines of various lengths from Connors to Ginger Ridge to serve approximately 1,450 residents of the communities.

The project, which was constructed by Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL), in partnership with the NWC, also involved the construction of a 10,000-gallon Concrete Tank at Ginger Ridge, and the rehabilitation of a 5,000-gallon Steel Tank at Sandy Ground.

Minister Samuda noted that the investment is one that the Government is proud of, as it seeks to meet its 2030 goals of increasing access to potable water for all Jamaicans.

“This is a step into the 21st century.  This is new pipelines, this is new storage capacity, this is new processing capacity. The government is committed to an all-island overhaul of our water systems to significantly increase the capacity of these systems, and to ensure that all of our citizens are able to look past the basic standard of living”, the Minister stated.

Some sections of the area benefitted from a parochial piped water system for decades, but the residents will now receive a 7-day water supply through the 9km of transmission and distribution line.

Water will be sourced from the spring source into the pumping network which has a design capacity of 50,000 gallons of water per day. Treated water will be pumped to the Sandy Ground tank and the Ginger Ridge tank facilities for distribution and connections were installed at homes in Connors and Ginger Ridge.

Under the RWSL and the NWC partnership, the rainwater harvesting system at the Ginger Ridge Primary School will also be upgraded to facilitate access to the NWC’s potable water network.

Minister Samuda pointed to the need for “hundreds more” of these systems, especially given the impacts of climate change, noting that over the last year, Jamaica experienced one of the worst droughts in its history.

“The concept of climate change is not a foreign concept, it’s not a future concept, it’s one that we’re living. Our adaptation cost for water is in excess of US$3 billion so when you hear the NWC ask that you formalize your connections and pay your water bill, it is in recognition that we are in a race against time to achieve our development goals, but we’re also in a race against time to make sure that we build in the resilience to not just connect everybody but to make sure our water sources are protected”, the Minister explained.

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A 5-year partnership to plant 20,000 trees between the Forestry Department and the Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) Limited was launched during this year’s National Tree Planting Day ceremony at the JBM’s Protocol House in Lydford, St. Ann.

Following the announcement, guests planted 1,000 trees signaling a strong start to this partnership. Mr. Ainsley Henry, CEO and Conservator of Forests, who is pleased with the partnership, said, “Large-scale planting of trees signals good things for expanding our tree cover and what with the recent lengthy and record-breaking period of heat and drought experienced across Jamaica, we certainly need it”.

This partnership is part of a strategically aligned effort by JBM, over the next 3-5 years, as part of its reclamation and sustainable restoration of mined-out lands efforts. Mrs. Donna Howe, Managing Director of JBM, said National Tree Planting Day “aligns and identifies with our environmental social governance objectives, and “JBM is getting behind a number of these types of environmental and socially impactful projects”.

Mrs. Howe added that its tree planting goals support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of sequential land development as custodian owners of lands in St. Ann. The bauxite company planted 1,000 trees at the National Labour Day Project in May of this year and will plant an additional 2,000 trees by the end of the 2023/2024 financial year.

National Tree Planting Day was celebrated under the theme, “Keep the Heat Away… Plant a Tree Today!”

More than 100 volunteers including JBM staff, political representatives, schools in St. Ann and other partners, joined efforts to plant 1,000 trees on the Beulah Park property. This was among several tree-planting projects supported by the Forestry Department today. Tree planting was also done at the Frome Technical High School in Westmoreland, Kingston High and McNie All Age in Clarendon. We also partnered with the Northern Rio Minho Local Forest Management Committee to plant 500 trees at the Bull Head Forest Reserve and with Total Energies to reforest two hectares in New Danks Clarendon. Entities such as Jamaica Red Cross, DiCawna Library, Cemex and Caribbean Tree Planting Project also led tree planting activities, which will all count towards the 300,000 trees targeted for planting under the National Tree Planting Initiative by year-end.

The Agency aims to complete the #3milliontrees target by December 31, 2023, and appeals to the public for its support – not just to meet the target but to help build a climate-resilient Jamaica, increase forest cover, and establish high-value green spaces for its citizens.

National Tree Planting Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October annually. Through the annual National Tree Planting Day seedling distribution, the Agency makes tree planting an accessible activity in which anyone can participate. The seedling distribution, which started on September 25 and ends on October 13, offers free seedlings to the public to plant trees on National Tree Planting Day or within the distribution period. Individuals can visit any of the Agency’s nurseries in Constant Spring, Moneague and Williamsfield to collect up to 10 free ornamental and timber seedlings. Coordinators of larger projects who require more than 10 seedlings, can email fdinfo@forestry.gov.jm to make their request.

Contributed by the Forestry Department – https://www.forestry.gov.jm/newsDetails?newsID=104#

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