Environmental policy and administrative management

Globally there has been focus on the correlation between natural disasters and poverty and during the past 18 months Jamaica has experienced three major hurricanes; two tropical storm and several tropical depressions that have impacted poor communities adversely. It is estimated that the damage caused by flooding in recent times has never been experienced by island since the recording of natural disasters began. Poor land management practices have been blamed for a significant amount of the flooding that occurred. Each year during the hurricane season, the Hope River overflows its banks flooding the communities of Tavern, Kintyre and other communities in and around its environs. This has resulted in loss of lives and livelihoods and the destruction of property. Communities are finding it harder to maintain a decent standard of living as for most they have lost everything. Management of the lands close to the River is assumed to be contributing to this scenario and the Small Grants Project emphasis on land degradation will begin to explore how this problem can be addressed. The School of Hope in Papine, St. Andrew, is part of 5.67 hectares of land being managed by the Jamaica Association on Mental Retardation (JAMR). The School is in close proximity to the Hope River and while it does not experience flooding, it is cognisant that the soil erosion problems that it faces contribute to this problem. The School is concerned that its land management practice, not only adds to silting in the Hope River, which aids the flooding, but it is contributing to the loss of arable land which is vital to support the sustainable agricultural programme being implemented. The purpose of this project is aimed at capacity building of the four schools within the island wide network of 28 schools, and to explore ways of improving the environment by reducing the exposure of the School of Hope and other Schools including those operated by the Jamaica Association on Mental Retardation (JAMR), but, not limited to those schools providing education and training for students with intellectual disabilities, as well as the surrounding communities to the threat of flooding caused by soil erosion. The project will aim to provide adequate land coverage and improve the farming techniques currently being used to improve the project s sustainability over the long term. Main Goal The main goal of this project is to develop appropriate land management systems to reduce the loss of arable lands.

Jamaica