NWA Partners with UWI to Replant Mangroves along Palisadoes Road

The National Works Agency (NWA) has partnered with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to undertake a mangrove replanting project along the Palisadoes Road shoreline, in Kingston, at a cost of over $8 million.

This five-year engagement entails the planting of approximately 6,000 mangrove saplings within a 3,000 square metre area, on the Kingston Harbour side of the roadway.

The saplings are being provided by the UWI’s Marine Laboratory and Biodiversity Centre nursery, in Port Royal, to replace the plants that were removed or damaged during implementation of the US$65 million Palisadoes shoreline protection and rehabilitation works project.

Planting is being done along the seashore in the vicinity of the widened section of the corridor, between the Harbour View and Norman Manley International Airport round-a-bouts.

Nearly 4,000 saplings have already been planted, with the exercise expected to be completed shortly.

The UWI’s biodiversity centre will monitor and maintain the plants over five years, and will undertake the necessary corrective measures in the event that the mangroves are damaged or destroyed.

Replenishment of the mangroves is in keeping with the NWA’s undertaking to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), under an environmental permit issued in conjunction with the road expansion project.

It is also consistent with the Government’s Job Creation and Economic Growth Strategic Priority, focusing on facilitating protection of the natural environment.

State Minister for Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan, toured the project site on July 28, along with representatives of the NWA and UWI, to view the progress of the work, as well as activities at the biodiversity centre’s mangrove nursery.

Speaking with JIS News, Mr. Azan expressed satisfaction with the extent of work undertaken to date.

The NWA’s Chief Executive Officer, E.G. Hunter, indicated that “our objective is to have a much more ‘robust’ mangrove (colony) at the end of our exercise, than what was there previously. We are optimistic about the success of that.”

Director of Major Projects at the NWA, O’Reilly Henry, who has direct responsibility for the project’s implementation, also expressed satisfaction with the progress of the work.

Meanwhile, Mr. Azan voiced concern that the Kingston Harbour continues to be polluted by garbage deposits, which also affects the Palisadoes Road shoreline.

“Persons continue to dump garbage in the drains, and it is ending up in the harbour and creating problems there. We appeal to persons to dispose of their garbage in the proper way (to prevent this from occurring),” he said.

For his part, Mr. Hunter pointed out that persons traversing the boardwalk, adjacent to the Palisadoes Road, have been seen tossing garbage into the sea, and urged them to refrain from doing so.

Mr. Azan proposed that this could be addressed by strategically placing trash baskets along the boardwalk.