PART 2 Our Natural Resources: Where are we now?

Natural resources have always played an important role in economic development. Though attention has been paid to the role of non-renewable resources (minerals and fossil fuels), Jamaicans are now recognizing the wider contribution of the natural environment. This includes the role of non-renewable resources, such as minerals; the use of renewable resources, including forests, soils, rivers and the sea; and the use of lands and waters for waste disposal. Also included are the essential life support functions of ecosystems, a wide range of valuable biological resources, and recreational opportunities for both Jamaicans and visitors. Therefore, development planning must involve comprehensive knowledge of our natural resource base, the functioning of the natural systems, and the social, cultural, and economic factors which influence the use of these resources. The sectors/resource areas highlighted below are selected because of their importance to Jamaica's development.

2.1 Population

There is a clear relationship between population and the environment. As jobs become scarcer, people turn to the natural resource base for their livelihood. The more people there are, the less land there is to support their needs. This places severe stresses on the country's land, water, and energy resources. As a result, the environment is less able to support life and restore itself.

Trends and indicators

Issues

2.2 Shelter

The gap between housing demand and supply is great. According to the 1987 National Shelter Strategy Report, to satisfy housing needs, Jamaica needed to build 15,500 new units and upgrade 9,700 units each year to 1990 to eliminate over crowding, and to build an average of 4,009 new units and upgrade 2,580 units annually to the year 2006. These targets are not being met.

A number of actions have been taken to address this problem. The Government has developed a Land Policy, a draft settlement policy, and a Programme for Re-settlement and Integrated Development Enterprise (Operation PRIDE).

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.3 The Economy

The transformation of the Jamaican economy from its dependence on sugar and bananas began in the 1950s, with the establishment and growth of the bauxite/alumina sector, manufacturing, and the emergence of tourism. These three sectors still earn the most foreign exchange for the country. Tourism is the principal earner of foreign exchange, with eco-tourism a growing marketing approach. Clearly Jamaica's economy depends on its environment and natural resources.

FIGURE: Sector Contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.4 Tourism and Recreational Resources

Jamaica's economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism. As an industry, tourism represents great growth potential since it increases foreign exchange earnings and expands employment opportunities. While tourism brings visitors to Jamaica in search of natural beauty and cultural attractions, the dramatic growth of the industry poses special problems to the nation's environment and culture. Tourism underscores the need for environmental and economic planning to be harmonized.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.5 Cultural and Historic Resources

Jamaica is rich in historic buildings and monuments, and attracts the attention of archeologists and historians from all over the world. These sites reflect the various colonial and native interactions of our history, and are found in all parishes. Heritage tourism is a relatively new area of interest to Jamaica, and has great potential for diversifying the tourism product, for revenues, and for supporting restoration of historic sites.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.6 Mineral Resources

Jamaica's mineral resources include metallic ores such as bauxite, copper and nickel; industrial minerals such as limestone, gypsum, silica sand, marble, sand and gravel deposits; some precious and semi-precious stones such as gold, silver, and platinum. Traditionally, bauxite/alumina has been Jamaica's most important export mineral, though it has been subject to major cyclical fluctuations. Gold and silver occur in association with copper, but not in significant enough amounts to warrant exploitation. Platinum has been found in alluvium deposits in eastern Jamaica, but no intense surveys have been conducted. Mineral resources therefore have the potential for greater contribution to economic development, but require careful environmental assessments.

FIGURE: -

Energy Use by Sector

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.7 Energy Resources

In recent years, Jamaica's energy consumption has increased significantly. Energy is needed for essential services such as power for manufacturing and other industrial activity, and fuel for transportation and cooking. The use of oil and coal carries with it a number of environmental problems, such as water and air pollution and contamination of soils.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.8 Agriculture

Jamaica is primarily an agricultural country. The sector (including fisheries, forestry and pasture) occupies over half of the country's land area (602,674 hectares of the island's 1,100,784 hectares). Agriculture presently contributes greatly to environmental degradation. This results from the clearing of unstable slopes for cultivation, slash and burn methods often causing forest fires, and poor farming and forestry practices leading to soil erosion and loss of productivity.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.9 Forest Resources

Jamaica's 300,000 to 500,000 hectares of forests play a critical role in the country's development. They provide lumber, posts, yam sticks, fuelwood, charcoal, fruits, medicinal plants, rope, drinks, and other consumables. They protect watersheds and therefore water supply, provide habitats for many wildlife species, maintain soil productivity and environmental integrity. They are critical to Jamaica's scenic beauty. Less than 6% (77,000 ha.) is relatively undisturbed. The remainder is listed as badly disturbed (ruinate) secondary forest (169,000 ha.) and plantations (21,000 ha.). Commercial forests are estimated at 267,000 hectares, (44%/state-owned, 56%/private). In 1994 the Government drafted a Green Paper on Forestry, and drafted a bill to update the Forestry Act.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.10 Coastal and Marine Resources

Jamaica's coastline is 885 kilometers (550 miles) long and is highly irregular, with diverse ecosystems, including bays, beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, wetlands, cays and coral reefs. These ecosystems are home to a variety of living creatures, and support numerous economic activities. Coastal ecosystems also protect land-based communities from natural disasters. They are a significant base for the island's economy, mainly in fisheries and tourism. The ocean has an even greater range of ecosystems. Marine ecosystems also act as stabilizers of global systems. We continue to undervalue the marine environment and its contribution to national development, although our marine territory is 24 times our land area.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.11 Wildlife and Biological Resources

Jamaica boasts a rich natural heritage arising from the diverse range of ecosystems created by the country's varied topography, geology, and drainage. These ecosystems include wet and dry forests, rivers, caves, mineral springs, sandy beaches, rocky shores, herbaceous swamps, mangrove swamps, swamp forests, and salinas. This has resulted in an unusually high level of endemism, (organisms being native to a particular location), placing Jamaica fifth in islands of the world in terms of endemic plant species. This rich natural heritage also creates a scenic beauty which both visitors and locals seek out and enjoy. Natural ecosystems and biological resources contribute to national development through economic inputs (local sales and export of plants, animals, skins, and shells), consumables (fish, meat, etc.), living resources (forest resources, fisheries, etc.), reducing the threat from natural hazards, and maintaining natural processes which support human life.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.12 Water Resources

Jamaica's freshwater resources come from surface sources (rivers and streams), underground sources (wells and springs), and rainwater harvesting (community catchments). Reliable safe yields are estimated at 4,084 million cubic metres per year, with ground water accounting for 81%. Approximately 96% of all available groundwater is associated with limestone aquifers, and the remaining 4% with alluvium aquifers.

FIGURE: Pie Chart - Demand for Water

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.13 Air and Water Quality

Air quality has been affected by increased emissions from industrial sources, vehicular traffic, and open burning of household and commercial wastes . The major industries contributing to air emissions include oil refining, bauxite-alumina processing, mining and quarrying, cement manufacturing , sugar processing and power plants. Ground water becomes polluted by infiltration from sewage, saline intrusion and the leakage of caustic residues from red mud disposal sites. In Kingston and St. Andrew, aquifers have been extensively contaminated by sewage, while saline intrusion on the south coast results primarily from over-abstraction of ground water. Pollution of surface waters is much more significant, with many more pollutants contributing to the problem.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

2.14 Waste Management

Solid, liquid, and hazardous wastes pose serious environmental problems and risks, including increasing pollution of groundwater, rivers, the marine environment, and the atmosphere. They create unsightly areas, breeding of pests, and other noxious conditions. Human  health may be threatened directly through poisoning, respiratory problems, and even birth defects.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

     

2.15 Natural Disasters and Environmental Accidents

Jamaica is susceptible to natural hazards, due to its physiography, geological history, and geographical location. These include earthquakes, hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, and landslides, which usually result in loss and damage to human life, crops, ecosystems, and property. Some hazards are man-made; including oil and chemical spills, and fires. While natural disasters cannot be controlled, man's use of the environment can reduce or increase the level of impact experienced. As such, land-use planning must incorporate accurate information on areas of high risk, and activities and management practices in these areas have to be carefully designed and implemented.

Trends and Indicators

Issues

What Can We Do?


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