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Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (centre), engages in light discussion with General Manager, National Commercial Bank (NCB) Corporate Banking Division, Brian Boothe (left); and Acting President, National Water Commission (NWC), Mark Barnett. Occasion was the signing ceremony for a US$12 million loan agreement to finance the rehabilitation or replacement of wastewater management facilities, held on August 12, at the NCB's Wellness and Recreation Centre in Kingston.

NWC and NCB Sign US$12 Million Loan Facility for Sewage Upgrading

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (left), hands over a cheque to Director of SEAL Sprayed Solutions Limited, Vaughn Morris (right) at a ceremony at the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) head office in Kingston on August 12. They money represents final payment made to the company, as support in the phasing out of the use of the ozone-depleting substance, Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), in its manufacturing process. Others sharing the moment are: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Dr. Arun Kashyap; and Project Manager of the HCFC Phase Out Management Plan Implementation Project at NEPA, Nicol Walker.

Jamaica Phases Out Use Of Ozone-Depleting Substance

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NWC Institutes New Restrictions on Hope and Mona Systems

Water, Land, Environment, and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (second right), is updated on the progress of the National Water Commission’s (NWC) artificial groundwater system project, at Innswood, South Central St. Catherine, by Senior Engineer at Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL), which is supervising its implementation, Peter Clarke (2nd left), during a tour of the development, on Friday, July 30. Looking on, from left, are: South Central St. Catherine Member of Parliament, Dr. Andrew Wheatley; and Managing Director, Water Resources Authority (WRA), Basil Fernandez. The 15-month project, which commenced in August 2014, is being funded at a cost of just over $1 billion, by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

$1B Innswood Groundwater System on Course for November Completion

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (second right) and contractor, Courtney Laing (right), examine activities of workmen as he toured sections of improvement works which are underway to improve water supply in sections of Cascade, Hanover, on July 24. At second left is member of Parliament for eastern Hanover, D. K.
Duncan. — Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (second right) and contractor, Courtney Laing (right), examine activities of workmen as he toured sections of improvement works which are underway to improve water supply in sections of Cascade, Hanover, on July 24. At second left is member of Parliament for eastern Hanover, D. K. Duncan.

More Than 8,000 Hanover Residents To Benefit From Improved Water Supply

11 years ago Environment

NWC and NCB Sign Us$12 Million Loan Facility for Sewage Upgrading

The National Water Commission (NWC) and the National Commercial Bank have signed a US $12 million loan agreement to finance the rebuilding, rehabilitation or replacement of several waste water treatment facilities across the island. The financing facility is being supported under the Caribbean Regional Fund for Waste Water Management (CReW) Project, which involves the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Inter-American Development Bank...

11 years ago Environment

New Water Restriction

As of Wednesday (August 12), the National Water Commission (NWC) will be restricting the supply of water to every two days for customers served by the Mona and Hope systems. Making the announcement, Acting President of the NWC, Mark Barnett, said the new restriction results from low inflows of water into the two systems. “For those customers who will receive...

11 years ago Environment

Gov’t Taking Action to Reduce Emissions from Transport Sector

The Government is taking action to improve fuel economy and efficiency in the transportation sector and reduce vehicle emissions, which contribute to global warming. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, made the declaration as he addressed the Regional Global Fuel Efficiency Workshop at the Terra Hotel and in St. Andrew on July 28. The workshop...

Senior Director, Forest Signs and Technical Services, at the Forestry Department, Miss Donna Lowe, speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’.

11 years ago Environment

More Forest Cover Recorded

Jamaica has recorded an afforestation rate of 0.41 per cent, a turn-around in the pattern of forestation since it was first checked in 1998. At that time it was revealed that the country was being impacted by a deforestation rate of 0.1 per cent, losing some 336 hectares of forests annually. The revelation is contained in the recently completed Land...

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (left), congratulates Director of the Culture in Education Programme in the Ministry of Education, Amina Blackwood Meeks (right), while presenting her with a certificate for successfully completing a three-day climate change workshop. Occasion was the closing ceremony for the training workshop for educators, held on July 22, at the Grand Port Royal Hotel in Port Royal.

11 years ago Environment

Teachers Benefit from Climate Change Training

Thirty eight teachers have benefitted from climate change awareness training as part of preparation for the incorporation of the subject in the school curriculum come September. The teachers, from the island’s six education regions, were introduced to basic climate change science, and explored culturally relevant climate change principles to be incorporated into curriculum and teaching approaches across a variety of...

Water, Land, Environment, and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill (2nd left), signs a copy of the $278.8 million (US$2.37 million) Enterprise License Agreement (ELA), reached with American technology firm, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices today (July 22). Other signatories (from left) are: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Alwyn Hales; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ESRI’s local agent, Spatial Innovisions, Silburn Clarke; and Chair, Land Information Council of Jamaica (LICJ), Jacqueline daCosta.

11 years ago Environment

Gov’t Entities to Have Unlimited Access to GIS Software

The Government has signed a $278.8 million (US$2.37 million) deal with American technology firm, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) that will provide Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with unlimited access to the entity’s suite of technology software. Under the four-year Enterprise Licence Agreement (ELA) the 83 MDAs already using the system will have greater access to ESRI’s Geographic Information Systems...

General Manager for Engineering at Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL), Douglas Wilson, emphasizes a point during his addresses at a JIS Think Tank on July 21.

11 years ago Environment

112 Catchment Tanks Rehabilitated By Rural Water Limited

A total of 112 catchment tanks have been rehabilitated by the Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) over the past two years at a cost of over $100 million. The catchment tanks are benefitting some 35,000 people in several communities across the island. For the 2014/15 financial year alone, a total of $41 million was expended to rehabilitate 35 catchment systems...