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The JLP will promote sustainable development and protection of the environment to develop and preserve the country for future generations.
CURRENT SITUATION: INADEQUATE FUNDING
Budgetary allocations for environmental protection has decreased by over 30% .
Natural Resource Conservation has suffered also . . .
Current Situation in
the Environment
- High levels of dumping of household solid waste in open areas, not collected by municipal authorities.
- Extensive illegal dumping in gullies, rivers and open lots (which blocks drains and results in flooding).
- Poor sanitary practices at water disposal sites.
- Sewage facilities that treat less than half of the sewage produced in the country.
- Ad hoc treatment of hazardous, liquid, and plastic waste (including PVC), negatively affecting the quality of the environment.
- High levels of littering by both companies and individuals in public areas.
- Inadequate and ad hoc enforcement of existing regulations against environmental abuse.
- Over-intensive cultivation, illegal settlements, abuse of forest lands, and misuse of steep slopes have resulted in serious soil erosion and deforestation.
- Misuse of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides.
- Approximately 15 animal species and over 200 plant endemic species are classified as critically imperiled or especially vulnerable to extinction.
- Water quality threatened by seawater intrusion of coastal aquifers, wastewater contamination and poor protection of watershed areas.
- Jamaica’s beaches are suffering from beach erosion, coral reef degradation, and illegal sand mining.
- Wetland areas such as mangrove forests and salt marshes (important to animal and plant species) are decreasing.
- Jamaican waters have been declared the most over fished in CARICOM.
- The atmosphere is negatively affected by industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, and burning of waste (including ozone depleting substances).
- Expanding urbanization of reclaimed land on steep slopes and on the coast increases risks from natural disasters.
Environment Enhancement Plan
#1 Ensure the updating and completion of the National Physical Development Plan and the National Environment and Planning Strategy.
#2 Integrate sustainable parish development plans (with appropriate parish development orders) into the National Physical Development Plan.
#3 Strengthen and implement the National Integrated Watershed Management Programme and National Forestry Management and Conservation Plan.
#4 Strengthen and implement the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan including conservation and awareness plans and campaigns for endangered animals and plants.
#5 Strengthen and implement the National Policy on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management in order to protect our coastline and shores.
#6 Establish a watershed protection programme by a “million tree” replanting using quick-growing economic plants (e.g., lucaena) to prevent deforestation and erosion.
#7 Offer economic incentives for proper waste management, particularly in the conversion of garbage to paper or electricity.
#8 Establish a joint venture to build a garbage-to-energy plant based on burning garbage from the KMR to reduce the environmental damage to KingstonHarbour caused by run off from the garbage in dumps and gullies.
#9 Provide incentives and use public education to encourage the use and development of renewable energy sources, such as solar and biomass. Lucaena and stalks of the banana are excellent sources.
#10 Upgrade existing sewage facilities and build new sewage systems in select urban towns.
#11 Extend the powers of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to establish a public facility to handle the treatment and disposal of industrial, hazardous or toxic waste.
#12 Identify marine parks and wetlands under threat. Declare them as protected areas. Increase user fees in these areas to provide adequate funding to adequately patrol and enforce marine park regulations in order to prevent over fishing and coral reef deterioration.
#13 Introduce legislation to address (a) the increase in air pollutants and emissions and (b) the increasing threat to water quality posed by caustic soda contamination “red mud” from alumina plants and organic and bacteriological contamination from agro-industrial waste.
#14 Strengthen the data gathering, analysis, and enforcement functions of NEPA in order to improve its effectiveness.
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