Assessments and Hazard Maps Completed for Eight Priority Coastal Areas

Assessments and hazard maps have been completed for eight priority coastal areas.

Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 21).

“We have already successfully implemented the $1.3-billion Port Royal Street Revetment that protects one kilometre of shoreline and the adjacent economic assets, transport routes and communities in downtown Kingston. In the coming year, the Budget includes funding for a revetment at Buff Bay in Portland, and shoreline protection at Annotto Bay in St. Mary,” Mr. Holness stated.

“We are building financial buffers to strengthen our resilience to climate-related shocks. This is why Jamaica has engaged the IMF with the Resilience and Sustainability Fund in addition to an emergency line of credit for climatic shocks. We will also renew the Catastrophe Bond to guard against catastrophic weather events,” he added.

The Prime Minister also informed that the Development Bank of Jamaica has been accredited by the Green Climate Fund as a National Direct Access Entity that facilitates application and implementation of large climate projects costing more than US$250 million.

He said this accreditation is the largest received for a national entity within the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, Jamaica is well poised to complete declarations facilitating legal protection of more than 30 per cent of its landmass by 2025, as the country is currently at approximately 25 per cent.

This has been made possible by declarations last year of the Black River and Pedro Cays Protected Areas (both declared under the NRCA Act).

The Prime Minister also tabled Jamaica’s Omnibus Protected Areas Policy Green Paper.

“In the coming fiscal year, we will complete declarations of protection under the NRCA Act for the following five areas: Canoe Valley, which borders Manchester and Clarendon; Montpelier, St. James; Long Mountain, St. Andrew; Industry Cove, Hanover and Bengal, St. Ann,” Mr. Holness informed.

He noted that all of the areas identified were designated as Ecologically Sensitive Areas during his presentation in the last Budget Debate.

“Additionally, your Government will declare 23 parcels of Crown lands as forest reserves or forest management areas under the Forest Act in 2024/25. It is also to be noted that we completed our ‘Protected Areas Regulations’ in this fiscal year, solidifying the framework to be used for management of these areas,” Mr. Holness said.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will also collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining to increase the island’s network of fish sanctuaries, by expanding existing ones and establishing others under the Fisheries Act.

“We will also pursue amendment of the Marine Park Regulations to simplify the administration of user fees. In response to the increasing challenges posed to the island’s natural waterways, the Government will commence work on the development of a National Wetlands and Freshwater Policy for Jamaica,” Prime Minister Holness said.