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A two-day exposition will highlight activities marking World Water Day and World Meteorological Day in Jamaica, on March 22 and 23 respectively. Organised by the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, the exposition will be staged on the south lawns of Devon House, St. Andrew, under the theme: “Partnering for Sustainable Development”. The work of the Ministry and...

The Government is moving to expand the National School Garden Programme, with plans to establish a garden in every public school over the next five years. Currently, 352 schools in Jamaica have gardens under the programme. The announcement was made by Director of Field Services and Economic Development of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Ron Blake, as he addressed the St....

The National Water Commission (NWC) is moving aggressively to implement measures to alleviate drought conditions, which are expected to continue to affect the island over the next two months. President of the NWC, Albert Gordon, said the company has been working to implement a number of long and short-term measures in an effort to minimise the impact of drought conditions...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will be doing further tests to determine the source of the chemical pollutant, which affected scores of persons near the vicinity of the Central Sorting Office on February 28. The agency, after rigorous analysis, has identified the chemical as methylene chloride. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, told...

A mangrove replanting project is currently underway at Portland Cottage, in Clarendon. A delegation from the European Union (EU), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will conduct a site visit and tour under Component 2 of the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CCADRRP), on March 14. The project, valued...

The Jubilee Market in downtown Kingston is scheduled to be renovated next month, Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Angela Brown Burke, has announced. The Mayor made the disclosure during the monthly meeting of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), at its Church Street chambers in downtown Kingston, on March 12. [RELATED: New Vendor Registration Begins April] Mrs. Brown Burke informed...

Over 29,000 residents of eastern St. Mary are to benefit from improvements to the water system serving their communities, through $800 million in investment by the National Water Commission (NWC) and Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL). Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, who made the announcement in Port Maria, St. Mary, on Friday, March 8, informed...

A total of 1,000 residents of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland are to receive titles to the properties they occupy. The provision is being made under the Cadastral Mapping and Land Registration project, which involves collaboration between the Government and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The first nine residents from communities in the three parishes, were on Friday...

Activities under the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) have been boosted, with the provision of motor vehicles and equipment by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The donation, inclusive of three utility vehicles and several pieces of land surveying and mapping equipment, with accompanying computers and software, form part of allocations under the Cadastral Mapping and Land Registration in...

Two publications by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), which address the issue of climate change, are to be tabled in Parliament shortly by Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Hon. Robert Pickersgill. The two documents - ‘2012 State of the Jamaican Climate, Information for Resilience Building’ and ‘2012 State of the Jamaican Climate, Information for Resilience Building, Summary...

Plans are far advanced for the merger of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) with the Forest Conservation Fund (FCF)/Jamaica Protected Areas Trust (JPAT). The amalgamation of the agencies is expected to take effect on April 1. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, said that the Attorney General’s Chambers has commented on the legal documents...

Legislation to facilitate the withdrawal of $11.4 billion annually from the National Housing Trust (NHT), to provide budgetary support over the next four years, was passed on Tuesday, March 5, in the House of Representatives. The Bill, entitled the National Housing Trust (Special Provisions) Act 2013, was piloted by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips. The...