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The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has signed contracts totalling approximately $90 million for drainage works, which will benefit Plantain River Valley in St. Thomas, the area where one of the proposed agro parks is to be sited. The works, which have been awarded to Pavement and Structure Limited, are to be carried out over two months, and will begin...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has given his commitment that changes to the law governing the fisheries sector will be brought to the House of Representatives during this Parliamentary year. The fisheries bill will make the necessary legal provisions for the sustainable management of the sector, which engages some 30,000 Jamaicans. Minister Clarke, who was making his...

Government has signed an agreement with representatives from the United Nations, cementing Jamaica’s participation in the ‘Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready!’ global campaign. The programme, which has been launched in 1,300 cities worldwide, aims to strengthen Jamaica’s disaster risk reduction and disaster resilience capabilities, through the development of relevant policies, tools and mechanisms. The campaign also encourages...

Work on the $1.83 billion Port Antonio Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Project, is slated to get underway in July. Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, yesterday (May 2) broke ground for the development, which will involve major rehabilitation and construction of water distribution, sewerage, and drainage systems serving the Portland capital and its environs. The...

As the Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the local authorities, are putting measures in place to ensure that the country is ready for any of the 18 systems, which have so far been forecasted. Acting Director General of the ODPEM, Richard Thompson, said the measures include ongoing interventions in a number...

Jamaicans are being urged to plan ahead for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is expected to see the Caribbean facing at least one major hurricane. Acting Director of the National Meteorological Service, Jeffrey Spooner, said this is based on projections of Colorado State University, which has, for the first time over a long period, indicated that the Caribbean is...

Approximately 9,000 residents of communities in Western Westmoreland are to benefit from improved access to potable water under the Nonpareil Water Supply Mains Replacement and Upgrading Project. The project, which is slated to cost $445 million, will be undertaken over 18 months from May 2013 to November 2014. The beneficiary communities include: Nonpariel, Sheffield, Negril Spots, Hopewell, Retirement, Orange Hill,...

Corporate Public Relations Manager at the National Water Commission (NWC), Charles Buchanan, is urging citizens to continue practising water conservation measures. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Buchannan said recent rainfalls are not enough to break the drought conditions being experienced across the island. “The limited rainfall that we have received over the past few days is certainly...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will launch Hurricane Preparedness Month in May, which will seek to heighten the country’s readiness for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season. Acting Director of Corporate Communication at ODPEM, Soroya Julian, told JIS News that during the month “ODPEM will advise the nation on how to prepare by conducting the necessary assessments...

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, is encouraging young persons to play a greater role in protecting the environment. He emphasized that it is imperative that citizens, particularly the youth, take the necessary steps to safeguard the environment, specifically as it relates to the impact of climate change. “I really want to acquaint our populace...

A $73 million project to improve the sewerage system in the Liguanea area of St. Andrew is currently underway, which should significantly protect the aquifers. Three works are included in the project - the $33.7 million Hope Road (side roads) project; the $15 million Swallowfield Road sewerage expansion project; and the $24 million upgrading of the sewerage system serving Seymour...

The Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing has been allocated $181 million in the 2013/14 Estimates of Expenditure, to commence implementation of a disaster management programme, this year. The programme aims to develop a comprehensive system for dealing with natural or man-made disasters, through the implementation of preventive measures, public education and planned emergency operations, in an effort to mitigate...