Another 3 Million Trees to Be Planted

Another three million trees will be planted across the island over the next five years, says Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to mitigate climate change, increase forest cover, and improve the overall environment.

Dr. Holness said the Administration has taken steps to preserve the island’s tree cover, noting that over the last five years, three million trees have been planted.

“When you go on the East-West Highway (Highway 2000) and you look on the right side when you’re coming in all of those trees that you see there, we planted them and we have now given a directive to plant another three million trees,” he said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the recent handover of the $326-million Myton Gully Drainage Improvement Project in Old Harbour, St. Catherine.

The multimillion-dollar project was undertaken to address flooding in Myton Gully and other surrounding areas, improving the lives of more than 38,000 residents.

It was facilitated by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), under its Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), in keeping with efforts by the Government to strengthen Jamaica’s ability to mitigate and manage climate-related disasters.

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of environmental stewardship as communities undergo development.

He urged citizens, as they carry out their building activities, to consider the protection of the environment “not just for our personal convenience or for the benefit of the community but, more than that, for the benefit of generations yet to come”.

“It is a duty that each and every one of us here has; we have to start to think in this way. We all need somewhere to live but, increasingly, we are seeing that our private decisions about where we choose to live and how we choose to live is having serious national and global consequences, which comes back to threaten our own shelters,” he pointed out.