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The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is reporting that its separation of plastic containers pilot project has been successful, with over 2,700 pounds of plastic containers collected. The initiative got underway on May 1 in Havendale, Karachi and Whitfield Town in Kingston where residents are being encouraged to separate plastic containers from their regular household waste. "Overall, the project...

The Government is crafting a hillside development manual, which will provide guidelines and set standards for the use of hillside lands for housing and other construction. The aim is to significantly reduce the incidence of geo-hazards, improve the safety of developments as well as provide better environment/land management of hillsides. Already, a draft manual has been prepared based on global...

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, says the development of a comprehensive national risk reduction strategy to build resilience to disasters, is vital to the country’s sustained economic and social growth. He argued that unless the impacts of hazards are minimised, they will continue to affect Jamaica’s social, economic and environmental development....

Garbage and other debris will be removed from several beaches across the island on September 15, as Jamaica joins the rest of the world in observing International Coastal Cleanup Day. Programme Director at the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), which is organising the day’s activity, Suzanne Stanley, told JIS News that a number of sites have been confirmed for cleaning. These...

Residents of Sligoville, in St. Catherine, will soon benefit from improved water supply and road conditions, as a $45 million contract has been signed to effect the improvements. The project, which is expected to commence in October, is slated to end in April 2013 and is being financed by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The contract was...

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Resident Representative and UN Resident Co-ordinator, Dr. Arun Kashyap, says Disaster Risk Reduction is an integral component of equitable and inclusive development for all nation states. "It is clear from a development perspective, that disaster risk reduction is vital for building a more equitable and sustainable future,” he added. Dr. Kashyap pointed out that this...

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, has stated the agency’s commitment to strengthening the country’s resilience to disasters, which have cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars. Mr. Jackson was speaking during a Country Risk Management stakeholders’ consultation workshop Wednesday August 29th at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston. He pointed...

At 4:00 a.m. Thursday August 30, 2012 the centre of Tropical Storm Kirk was located near Latitude 26.5 degrees north and Longitude 49.0 degrees west. This is about 1715 kilometres northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Kirk is moving towards the northwest near at 17 km/h. A turn to the north-northwest and north is expected through Friday followed by acceleration...

At 4:00 a.m. the centre of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near Latitude 30.9 degrees north and Longitude 91.6 degrees west. This is about 85 kilometres southeast Alexandria Louisiana. Isaac is moving towards the northwest near at 13 km/h. A turn to the north-northwest is expected later today, followed by a turn to the north on Friday. On the forecast...

At 4:00 a.m. the centre of Hurricane Isaac was located near Latitude 29.2 degrees North and Longitude 90.5 degrees West or about 95 kilometres south-southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana. Isaac is moving towards the west northwest at 13 km/h. A general northwestward motion at a slower forward speed is expected today and tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest...

At 4:00 a.m. the centre of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near Latitude 27.5 degrees north and Longitude 88.1 degrees west. This is about 205 kilometres south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Isaac is moving towards the northwest near at 19 km/h and this general motion is expected to continue today, with a gradual decrease in forward speed....

Jamaica, like the rest of the Caribbean, is now at the mid-point of the hurricane season, a time when high winds and sustained rainfall can cause severe damage to communities, and negatively impact the economies of affected countries. In many cases, hillside communities suffer from landslides which, aside from dislocating residents, sometimes lead to death, and the recovery period always...