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Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, says there is need for a strong regional mechanism geared towards facilitating co-operation and collaboration among Small Island Developing States (SIDS), especially on issues surrounding climate change. Addressing the National Consultations on the United Nations (UN) Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) at the Wyndham Hotel in Kingston on May...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has been integral  in  developing a number of programmes to strengthen the island's capacity to effectively deal with climate change. One such project is the Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR),  which seeks to address vulnerable areas across Jamaica. There are several components to the programme - improving climate change information and data management;...

Jamaica, over the years, has experienced a number of natural disasters, which have resulted in significant social dislocation and economic loss. The Government is making strides in reducing the island’s vulnerability to disaster through a number of projects and initiatives including the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project. The project, which is being implemented by the Planning Institute...

A recently published study on the environment has found that over the last three years, there has been an increased focus on improving environmental management in Jamaica. The report suggests that this has been achieved through activities such as creating new standards, policies and regulations (and enforcing existing ones); increased environmental monitoring; and raising greater awareness among citizens and stakeholders....

Managing Director of Smith Warner International Limited, Dr. David Smith, has stressed the importance of countries in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, effectively managing and mitigating the impact of coastal-related hazards, in order to conserve resources. “The Government of Jamaica has to recognise that in order to get to its Vision 2030, one of the things we have to do is...

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, has said that Caribbean nations must become more proactive in addressing climate change, given the region's vulnerability to natural disasters. "As planners we can no longer sit by and wait to carry out post assessments of hazards impact. We have to become more proactive, we have to anticipate...

Senior Director in the Environmental Management Division of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Leonie Barnaby, is urging greater private sector participation in environmental matters of national importance, through collaborations with public sector stakeholders. This, she contends, is necessary in order to ensure the continued improvement of Jamaica's environment, and by extension, the quality of life experienced by the...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to stage a two-day National Workshop on Disaster Risk Indicators for Jamaica, from Monday, August 23, to Tuesday, August 24, at its head office in Kingston. According to the Director of Sustainable Development & Regional Planning at the PIOJ, Claire Bernard, the workshop is geared to...

The issue of how well Jamaica will adapt to climate change is being vigorously pursued by the Government, its agencies, and partners, said Senior Director with responsibility for Environment in the Office of the Prime Minister, Leonie Barnaby. Speaking at a recent Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals (JIEP) public lecture and panel discussion at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston...