People have taken action to protect the environment in a number of ways; engaging in advocacy and militant action against pollution, carrying out research and training, and becoming involved in community development planning efforts. Such initiatives have served to halt destructive action either directly, or through the invocation of community, national, or international action. In recognition and support of individual initiative, this State of the Environment Report highlights the contribution of the people who have pioneered actions to protect Jamaica's environment and promote sustainable use of our natural resources.
Harold Cahusac
Mr. Cahusac was one of the first advocates for protection of Jamaica's watersheds. He became the first Chairman of the Watershed Protection Commission after its formation in 1963. He was responsible for a major reafforestation programme in Westmoreland. A sugar-cane planter, he served in various local and national capacities, including chairman of the National Water Authority.
Lisa Salmon
A founding member of the Gosse Bird Club, Lisa Salmon is widely known for establishing the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary in St James. Her work as an advocate for bird protection started in 1952 when she began writing articles against the practice of bird shooting. In 1959, mainly as a consequence of her writings, the bird shooting season was reduced from six months to six weeks. She started the bird sanctuary in 1959, with funding from the British Air Force. Since then, she has worked to build the sanctuary, to support local forestry conservation and environmental education, and to develop an attraction for visitors and locals alike.
Thomas & Nora Goreau
Thomas Goreau is credited with the establishment of the aqualung as a marine biological research tool. Beginning in 1951 as a lecturer at the University of the West Indies Medical School, he used home-made equipment in his dives to photograph coral reef species and conditions in Jamaica. He and Dr. Nora Goreau continued their pioneering research in coral reef ecology over the following 20 years, making Jamaican reefs some of the best and longest studied in the world. During this time, the two marine biologists also founded the marine laboratories at Port Royal and Discovery Bay. The Goreaus prepared proposals for establishing marine parks in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
Jacob Taylor
Mr. Taylor entered the Civil Service in 1938, and joined the Beach Control Authority as its assistant secretary and accountant 1956. He became secretary to the Authority in 1963. Since then, he has given unbroken service in the development of Jamaica's coastal lands, becoming a director in the Natural Resources Conservation Department when that agency assumed responsibility for the Beach Control Authority in 1975, and later as a consultant to the Natural Resources Conservation Authority. Mr. Taylor was awarded the honour of Officer of the Order of Distinction (O.D.) in 1977.
Jamaica, like countries all over the world, has seen the emergence of a growing and strong community NGO movement to resolve local problems. Some groups have a main focus on the environment, otehrs on development. all share in the establishment of a social partnership in support of sustainable development. A few of these NGOs are highlighted here.
Bluefields People's Community Association (BPCA)
The Association consists of 7,000 residents of five communities in Westmoreland. Established in 1989, its objective is community development, achieved through linking the environment and economic sustainability. BPCA develops its activities under four programme areas; small business, agricultural and fisheries, education, and institutional strengthening. To date, the organisation has established a resource and training center and has carried out a number of development activities, including training for 20 local farmers in management of permanent crops, establishing a tools bank for members, training 30 single mothers in dressmaking, providing a child care course for parents and teachers, and establishing a horticulture nursery and environmental education center.
National Environmental Societies Trust (NEST)
NEST was formed in 1989 as an umbrella organization for NGOs in Jamaica. This mission is being achieved by coordinating NGO efforts related to the environment, providing a forum to deliberate environmental issues, providing a central lobby to influence Government decision making on environment and development and liaising with Government to ensure participation of NGOs in the development process.A central focus is building capacity in NGOs, primarily through training and providing a communication network and central secretariat for NGOs.
Portland Environmental Protection Association (PEPA)
PEPA was founded in 1988. Its objective is the preservation of the environment. PEPA works through the voluntary contribution of its 41 civic and citizens groups to protect the natural resources of Portland, and to promote sustainable development. PEPA is both an advocacy and an implementing organisation. It has undertaken numerous activities, including water quality monitoring, conducting environmental awareness forums, monitoring bird shooting activities, and participating in developmental activities. PEPA is also well known for the establishment of 14 PEP clubs in schools throughout Portland.
South Coast Conservation Foundation (SCCF)
This group began in 1992, and is dedicated to the effective management and sustainable use of the natural resources of the Portland Bight/Hellshire Hills area. The SCCF aims to have delegated management responsibility for the area, and has developed a comprehensive programme to address the question of sustainable management of the Portland Bight ecosystem. The programme is intended to; establish a benchmark against which to judge management effectiveness; identify resource users; recommend legislative and policy changes for effective management of the area; strengthen community groups; establish partnerships between the government and community groups; and provide a forum for community empowerment. The SCCF aims to achieve these objectives through projects presently underway, including biosphere baseline surveys, organization of resource user groups, community education, and review of environmental legislation.
Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew
The North St. Andrew chapter, chartered in 1974, carries out a wide variety of community services, aimed primarily at young people and the less fortunate. Their programmes also include a number of environmental activities, such as tree planting at schools in St. Andrew, site clean-up and maintenance at Kintyre and Scouts Headquarters, pesticide abuse education and training, building of sanitary conveniences in the Riverton City Community, and training boys in places of safety in general hygiene and animal care.
ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Kingston & St. Andrew
St. Catherine
Clarendon
Manchester
St. Elizabeth
Westmoreland & Hanover
St. James
Trelawny
St. Ann
St. Mary
Portland
St. Thomas
(This is not an exhaustive listing. If your organization is active in the environment but is not listed, let the NRCA know so that it can be included in the 1996 SOE report.)
The Natural Resources Conservation Department (NRCD) was established in 1976 when Jamaica, on returning from the first United Nations Conference on the Environment (Stockholm 1972), attempted to address the need for an umbrella environmental management agency. The NRCD was formed by merging a number of Commissions existing at the time; namely the Watershed Protection Commission, the Wildlife Protection Committee, the Beach Control Authority, the Natural Resources Planning Unit, the Marine Advisory Committee, and the Kingston Harbour Quality Monitoring Committee. In addition to the responsibilities contained within the three related Acts, the NRCD was mandated by Parliament to protect general environmental quality, and as such was organized and given additional technical capability in the areas of aquatic resources management (water quality, wetlands, and oceanography) and wildlife management.
The NRCD, while attempting to manage Jamaica's environment effectively, was limited by the absence of certain fundamental powers, thereby making it essentially an advisory body. This need for more legislative authority, as well as the need for a more comprehensive environmental management framework, led to the NRCD being transformed into the NRCA in 1991. The expanded authority of the NRCA include the power to request environmental impact assessments for projects, licence discharges of trade effluent to the environment, require performance evaluation of pollution control facilities, and declare and manage national parks and environmental protection areas. Additionally, the NRCA Acts upercedes all other legislation in matters concerning management of natural resources and general environmental quality. The NRCA's functions can best be understood by reviewing the mission statements of the various programme divisions within it.
Pollution Control and Waste Management Division
The goal of this Division is to maintain an effective pollution control and waste management programme to protect human health and the environment. This goal is to be achieved through establishing environmental standards, and ensuring compliance with these standards. This often requires collaboration with a number of government and private sector organizations.
The Laboratory Services Unit
The Laboratory aims to support the pollution control programme of the NRCA, to improve air qualit monitoring, and to encourage and support water quality monitoring among government and non-government organization.
Environmental Management Division
The environmental Management Division integrates the NRCA's natural resource planning and management functions. Within it, the Environmental Data Management Branch is the information and data clearinghouse, linked to other government and non-government information systems. It supports the work of the other three branches described below.
Coastal Zone Management Division
The Coastal Zone Management Division's mission is to protect Jamaica's coastal and related marine systems. It aims to achieve this through developing a policy and regulatory framework for coastal zone management, participatory approaches to management of coastal resources, and through training of user groups and individuals.
Watershed Protection Division
The Watershed Protection Branch is responsible for protecting Jamaica's watersheds, and ensuring that they are used in an environmentally sound manner. It pursues this mandate by developing watershed management policies, monitoring and enforcement, forging partnerships for project implementation and management, and public education.
National Parks, Protected Areas and Wildlife Division
This Branch's role is to protect the diversity of living creatures and plants for sustainable use. This will be achieved primarily through formulating policies and strategies to guide the development and management of protected areas, and general exploitation of wildlife.
Public Education, Information and Outreach Division
The goal of this Division is to increase the levels of public knowledge and awareness of the need to conserve and protect Jamaica's natural resources. The Branch achieves this goal through integrating environmental awareness programmes into the technical programmes of the NRCA, promoting a coordinated approach to environmental education among the public and private sectors, and undertaking awareness programmes aimed at the general public.
Regulation and Compliance Division
The Regulation and Compliance Division seeks to encourage voluntary compliance with the NRCA Act, and is required to enforce the provisions of the Act where violations occur.
Policy, Corporate Planning and Projects Division
This aims to improve the institutional capacity of the NRCA through strengthening the leadership of the organization, maximizing the effectiveness of donor funding, facilitating information flows within the organization, and ensuring the progress of projects.
Environmental Policy
The environmental Policy of Jamaica is emboided in a statement of objectives enunciated in the Jamaica National Environmental Action Plan of 1995. These objective include
The JANEAP Status Report (1996) adds the following new sectors for national action:
Almost every developmental activity in one way or another affects the natural environment. Thus, Jamaica, like many other countries, has a number of institutions which are responsible for managing various aspects of the environment. All these agencies need to work together in a coordinated effort. The Inter-agency Technical Advisory Committee on the Environment has over 40 representatives, illustrating the challenges of collaboration and coordination. The following are several of the key government agencies with which the NRCA collaborates in the protection of the Jamaican environment.
The ECD is responsible for developing policies, criteria, and guidelines for the control of air and water pollution, abatement of environmental health hazards, and control of aspects of occupational health. The ECD enforces its mandate through the Public Health Act, 1974. As a development review body, the ECD uses a systematic appraisal method to approve all engineering plans and specifications for water and waste-water treatment and disposal facilities for subdivisions and development projects.
The Town and Country Planning Authority is the main planning agency regulating land use in Jamaica. It is responsible for preparing national, regional, urban, and local plans, and development orders. The Town Planning Department is the implementing arm of the Authority. In addition to plan preparation, the TPD advises the local authorities on applications for subdivisions, change of use, and building activities. The TPD also provides advice to the public, developers, and other government agencies on matters relating to the use of land.
This body is responsible for the management of Jamaican fisheries. Its programmes are geared towards promoting the use of fisheries resources (including aquaculture) in a manner which will provide economic benefits to the people in the industry and the country in general.
This is the main agency responsible for the management of forestry resources. It carries out its mandate through developing and implementing a number of programme areas. These include forest development and management, watershed management, soil conservation, forest recreation development, and forest research and extension.
This is the primary agency responsible for regulating ground water extraction. The UWA gathers data on stream flow, surface water quality, and other hydrologic features. The agency advises developers and other government agencies on matters related to water supply and protection. The UWA also has the primary responsibility for ground water quality assessment and risk mapping, and plays a key role in flood-plain mapping and hazards determination and management.
This statutory body falls within the Ministry of Youth and Culture. Its main function is to identify and preserve Jamaica's heritage resources, including physical structures and objects, underground, above ground and beneath the sea. These include buildings, churches, statues,cemeteries, clock towers, bridges, caves and other landmarks, artifacts, and archaeologically important sites (such as sunken cities and Arawak Indian sites).The JNHT is also responsible for declaring national monuments.
Planning Institute of Jamaica
The PIOJ was set up to strengthen the planning capability of the Government of Jamaica. It initiates and coordinates planning for the economic, financial, social, cultural, and physical development of Jamaica. In addition to collecting, analyzing, and reporting on economic performance data, the PIOJ advises the Government on major issues related to economic and social policy. The agency is also responsible for representing the Government in negotiations with bi-lateral and multi-lateral organizations such as the IMF, and for managing technical cooperation agreements and programmes with these organizations.
Interagency Environmental Standards Technical Committee Members
Local government's involvement in environmental management takes place primarily through the operations of the Parish Councils. Parish Councils have two broad areas that carry with them environmental responsibilities. They function as the local health boards and as the local planning authorities. The Ministry of Local Government acts mainly to set policy, provide funding, and monitor activities, and becomes involved in implementation only where policy changes are required. Environmentally related programmes of the Parish Councils include public cleansing and management of dump sites, land use planning and development control, maintaining public bathing beaches and monitoring bathing water quality, protection of watershed areas around local water supply sources, and assisting central government agencies in general environmental monitoring.
Other Institutions Involved in Environmental Management
Resources to support environmental action take the form of people, community groups, businesses, and funding institutions. At one end of the spectrum, people give of their time and use their personal equipment to support particular activities. Financial support is given as cash, equipment and materials, prizes in fund raising efforts, and discounts on purchases of goods and services. A number of local and international financial institutions also fund projects on a regular basis.
Environmental Foundation of Jamaica
This organization was created in 1991 under the Enterprise for Americas Initiative Debt Reduction Agreement between the Governments of Jamaica and the United States of America. The mandate of the EFJ is "the promotion and implementation of activities designed to conserve and manage the natural resources and environment of Jamaica, in the interest of sustainable development". The EFJ achieves this mission primarily through providing funds to NGOs and community organizations for implementing strategic environmental initiatives. Since the EFJ began operating two years ago, it has approved 74 projects, with a value of J$42.39 million.
CIDA Green Fund
The Green Fund was set up in 1993 by the Canadian International Development Agency. The objective of the Fund is to contribute to the process of sustainable development of Jamaica, through the provision of support to community-based initiatives in the management of Jamaica's natural resources. In its two years of operation, the Green Fund has approved 55 projects, with a value of J$16.07 million.
3.7 Participation and Assistance from the International Donor Community
Assistance to the NRCA during the 1994/95 year included the following projects:
1. USAID - Development of Environmental Management Organizations (DEMO).
2. IDB - Institutional Strengthening Project.
3. CIDA - Environmental Assistance (ENACT) Programme.
4. OAS - Multinational Project on the Environment.
5. Jamaica/Sweden Cooperation - Comprehensive Coastal Zone Planning Project.
The institutions listed above, along with other donor organizations, assisted a wide range of government and non-government organizations with the development and implementation of environmental projects. Areas of focus included the following:
1. Institutional Strengthening.
[USAID, CIDA, UNDP, IDB, UNEP]
2. Sewerage/Solid Waste Management
[USAID, IDB, OECF, European Union]
3. Watershed/Forestry/Agro-forestry/Hillside Agriculture/Fisheries
[USAID, CIDA, UNDP, FAO, OECF, CARICOM Secretariat, Netherlands Government, European Union]
4. Development Planning
[UNDP, IDB]
5. Community Development/Community Resource Management
[OAS, CIDA]
6. Environmental Monitoring/ Research/ Information Systems
[CIDA, FAO, IDB]
7. Storm Water Drainage/Food Control
[UNDP, OECF]
8. Typhoid Control and Prevention
[USAID]
9. Environmental Policy/Regulations
[USAID]
10. National Parks and Protected Areas
[USAID, European Union]
11. Shelter/Urban Infrastructure
[USAID, UNDP, OECF]
12. Public Education/Awareness
[All Institutions]
Other international organizations outside the main donor community have assisted Jamaica in its environmental work. These have included regional and international non-governmental organizations and private institutions.
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