Communities are being reminded of the important role they play in protecting Jamaica’s ecosystems and supporting the efforts of environmentalists in this regard.
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the point on Friday (September 9) during a visit and tour of the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) in Clarendon, where the ‘Enhancing the Capacity for Management of Dry Forests in the PBPA’ Project is being implemented with European Union (EU) funding.
“The connectivity between protection of these areas and protection of your own life must be made, because we live in one large ecosystem which requires balance,” Mr Charles pointed out.
The multiagency effort, involving communities, the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Urban Development Corporation, the Forestry Department, the National
Fisheries Authority, and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, is being implemented by the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM).
“These partnerships are critical. If we do not have groups like C-CAM, or partners like the EU and friends, or community leaders who push the kind of projects that respect and embrace environmental protection and [who] understand how threatened these ecosystems are, then we will be heading down the wrong road eternally,” the Minister added.
As the Member of Parliament for Southeast Clarendon, in which the area falls, Mr Charles committed his support to raising awareness in the communities on the conservation, restoration and protection of the forests.
He further highlighted that residents and community leaders must be given the tools, strength, encouragement, and capacity to understand what role they can play in protecting the ecosystems and to enable them to sustainably leverage their engagement and interaction with the environment.
“You have [that] responsibility, as a resident here, [as] part of your neighborhood is that ecosystem… so that the generations coming up will have a completely different mindset towards protection of the environment,” Mr. Charles stated.
The PBPA Key Biodiversity Area is among the top 10 in the Caribbean. The forests support a rich diversity of plants and animals. These include 271 species of plants, of which 53 are found only in Jamaica.
The area is also home to species of globally threatened animals, which are found nowhere else in the world.
The EU-funded project runs from December 2021 to November 2023 and involves community monitors who will collect data on threatened species to inform the planning process.
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