BACKGROUND
USAID/Jamaica has a long history of providing assistance to the
Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA). They are currently
working together to improve the quality of key natural resources
in selected areas that are both environmentally and economically
significant, by increasing the adoption of environmentally sound
practices and policies, improving effectiveness of wastewater management,
and increasing the capacity of key agencies in the Government of
Jamaica.
Two important projects: The Coastal Water Improvement Project (CWIP)
executed by ARD, and the Environmental Audits for Sustainable Tourism
Project have served to achieve these objectives. R2RW is designed
to build upon these achievements, particularly those of CWIP, in
terms of both establishing strong community partners to improve
environmental management and expanding the coastal mandate of CWIP
into upland areas.
TECHNICAL SERVICES
R2RW is a five-year initiative between the Government of Jamaica's
National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and USAID, addressing
the degradation of watersheds on the island. R2RW comprises three
interrelated components or Contract Results, reflecting the overall
objectives of the initiative:
working with local-level organizations to promote sustainable environmental
management practices for resource users;
identifying and supporting solutions that encourage better enforcement
of existing environmental regulations and policy; and
enhancing the capacity of Jamaican government agencies and private-sector
and civil society organizations to implement effective watershed
management programs in Jamaica.
ARD and its subcontractor, Cargill Technical Services, Inc. (CTS)
have been contracted to implement this activity. ARD provides a
Chief of Party and a Watershed Specialist as long-term team members,
as well as key short-term technical advisors to address each of
the three components above. ARD will work in close collaboration
with the NEPA/NRCA and relevant nongovernmental organizations. The
focus will be on involving local communities in each of the targeted
watersheds through a participatory process of problem identification
and action planning.
R2RW initially will target the Great River and Rio Grande watersheds,
which differ considerably in their characteristics and offer unique
challenges. The Great River watershed includes Montego Bay and impacts
mainly on the parishes of St. James and Hanover. The watershed faces
numerous environmental threats caused by agriculture and urban development.
The Rio Grande watershed, in the parish of Portland, is extremely
mountainous and heavily dependent on agriculture and tourism. An
area of significant biodiversity, the Rio Grande watershed is threatened
by deforestation, soil erosion, inappropriate land use, and mining.
For more information about this project, click on the following
link: Ridge to Reef Watershed Project,
a brochure in PDF format.
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