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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ReleaseWATERSHED GREEN
PAPER PRESENTED IN ST. ELIZABETH
November 4, 1999 The
Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) recently presented its
Green Paper # 2/99, “Towards a Watershed Policy For Jamaica”
to residents and representatives of the St. Elizabeth community.
The meeting held at the Bethlehem Teacher’s College was hosted
by officers from the NRCA”s Watershed Management Unit.
In attendance were, representatives from environmental organisations,
the private sector, the church, government agencies and academic institutions.
Watershed
degradation is an important concern in Jamaica as it has adverse effects
on the environment. Some
of these are; reduced tree and vegetative cover, reduced water availability
and quality, increased flooding resulting in loss of human life, property,
roads and agricultural crops and increased marine and coastal contamination
which will ultimately affect the tourism industry.
The
active management of our watersheds to ensure sustainability is a national
priority as water is an important natural resource. Its availability and quality depends on the state of our watersheds.
With this as a challenge, the Green Paper states the essential elements
of a national watershed management initiative.
It seeks to define opportunities for the people, government and
non-government organisations along with the international community to
participate in the sustainable management and conservation of Jamaica’s
watersheds in the interest of water supply and biodiversity.
The policy also seeks to foster the integrated protection, conservation
and development of land and water resources along with addressing the
constraints to proper watershed management. The
presentation of the Green Paper generated discussion from an audience
that forwarded comments and observations along with voicing various concerns
about the implications of the Green Paper for the parish of St. Elizabeth.
The
presentation of the Green Paper in St. Elizabeth is a part of an islandwide
effort to sensitise and include members of the public in the policy’s
formulation. The Green Paper
has already been presented to the parishes of St. Catherine, St. Thomas,
Clarendon, Hanover and Westmoreland.
The next meeting in the series will be held at the Manchester Parish
Library Cultural Centre (Cecille Charlton Hall) on the 9th
November 1999. Copies of
the Green Paper are available for review and comments at Parish Libraries,
The Parish Council Offices, Post Offices island wide, the Ministry of
Housing and the NRCA. It
can also be accessed from the NRCA’s web page
www.nepa.gov.jm.
Written comments can be addressed to Mr. Franklin McDonald, NRCA,
10 Caledonia Avenue, Kingston 10 or Ms. Leonie Barnaby, Ministry of Environment
and Housing, 2 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10. For More Information Contact: |