PRESS RELEASE - June 28, 2004
Official Launch of NEPA’s National Capacity Self-Assessment Project
Minister of Land and Environment, the Hon. Dean Peart will on Wednesday, June 30, launch National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental Management Project, aimed at boosting Jamaica’s efficiency in environmental management at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.
Valued at US230, 000.00, the project aims to improve the pace at which Jamaica implement the United Nations (UN) Conventions on Climate Change, Biological Diversity and the Convention on Combating Desertification and meet its global commitments under these agreements. The project will provide opportunities for self-assessment, analysis of national capacity needs and help to identify priorities and constraints. Under the Desertification Convention, Jamaica’s will place special emphasis on land degradation.
NSCA is a partnership between Government of Jamaica and and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP will serve as the Global Environment Fund (GEF) Implementing Agency. Under the project efforts to meet global environmental management objectives will be facilitated. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is the executing agency.
The project seeks to develop a national strategy for sustainable development and a national plan of action aimed at executing specific outputs to be achieved under the project. Follow-up strategies will be identified and recommended.
NCSA will also integrate environmental, economic and social elements involved in key decision-making processes and seek to maximize stakeholder consultation through stocktaking, sequencing, identifying and prioritizing capacity needs. Under the project additional synergies will be built between various ministries and government agencies to facilitate more in-depth collaboration and cooperation.
NCSA is expected to build national capacity and to bring into the mainstream issues related to the three conventions. These will be incorporated into general planning and strategy formulation. Plans are also afoot to coordinate and harmonise solutions aimed at eliminating overlaps, which will ensure efficiency in implementing national strategies designed to protect the global environment.
Other objectives of the project are: to provide support for and to facilitate Jamaica’s transition to implementation stage some identified areas under the conventions. These include addressing losses in biodiversity, soil fertility and the effects of climate change. There are also plans for public education campaign to increase knowledge of the conventions.
Jamaica is still in the initial stages of conducting a comprehensive examination of its capacity to execute actions under the conventions. Developing a coordinated and cross-sectional approach to effective environmental management is of paramount importance. This will ensure success of the outputs of various initiatives and achieve maximum results.
|
