The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) on Tuesday, August 20, launched Phase 2 of the National Spatial Plan (NSP), which is aimed at ensuring the optimal use of the nation’s land and marine resources and outlining the framework for their effective use and management.
The plan will also provide a strategic spatial framework to guide national development and investment decision making.
Speaking at the launch held at the Spanish Court Hotel, Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry, Hon. Daryl Vaz said the Ministry has placed a major focus on Climate Change and its impacts which pose a serious threat to economic development and growth.
“It is clear therefore why the preparation of this National Spatial Plan is being done within the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation”, Vaz said, adding that it will address the major challenges of disaster risk reduction and climate change response, while protecting the environment, improving natural resources management and enhancing the quality of the built environment.
The Minister further noted that the Plan will also identify priorities for the spatial planning and development of human settlements, commercial and industrial developments, and improvement of infrastructure for public utilities and social amenities.
Minister Vaz, who has responsibility for Land, Environment, Climate Change and Investment, added that the NSP will greatly improve the development application and review process.
“We are in the age of information technology; and in this regard, this NSP is intended to go beyond being a paper document, and will be supported by a National Spatial Planning Information Technology (NSPIT) Platform”, he said.
The development of the NSPIT is funded by the World Bank and is currently being implemented under the National Competitiveness Project by JAMPRO.
The NSPIT Platform will be accessible to the general public and aims to ultimately provide all the spatial planning database and information to support online application and processing of development applications.
Minister Vaz added that all the ministries, agencies and departments involved in the development processes will, therefore, benefit from a state-of-the-art and dynamic IT-supported spatial plan.
The Minister commended the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (AP&FM-PPCR), through which the NSP Technical Working Group formulated the terms of reference for the NSPIT.
The AP&FM is a US$19.8 million five year project which focuses on climate adaptation at the national, sectoral and community levels. It is responsible for the development and alignment of the National Spatial Plan, along with Vision 2030.
The Minister further thanked the Climate Investment Fund, and international donor partner, the Inter-American Development Bank for accommodating the preparation of the NSP; and the AP&FM-PPCR for conceptualizing and using a “sustainable, IT-based and climate-smart approach to developing the NSP”.