$25 Million for Land Management Project

The country’s capacity to effect sustainable land management (SLM) has been strengthened by the provision of $25 million in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, currently being reviewed by the Standing Finance Committee of the House.

The project, which falls under the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change and is being implemented by the Forestry Department, aims to build sustainable land management (SLM) capacities in appropriate government and civil society institutions and user groups, with a view to mainstreaming SLM into government planning and strategy development.

Envisaged targets for the four-year project, which commenced in April 2010, include: incorporating SLM into national institutions, policies, strategies and plans; enhancing management capacity in the application and adaptation of SLM; and achieving effective management and adaptive learning.

Activities undertaken up to March 2012, include: reviews of policies, laws and development and strategic plans relevant to SLM; stakeholder interviews, consultations and workshops; preparation of consultation workshop reports; preparation of draft policy review and institutional assessment reports, and SLM document; preparation of SLM training needs and programme report; completion of a draft demonstration project design; institutional audits by land management consultants; and finalisation of an evaluation and monitoring plan.

Anticipated targets for the 2012/13 period include: implementing the demonstration project and evaluating demonstration sites; stakeholder workshops to finalise project concepts; and a survey on public awareness.

Funding is being jointly provided by the Government of Jamaica and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  

By Douglas McIntosh, JIS Reporter