Jamaica’s mangrove ecosystem is being strengthened below a mission being carried out by the Forestry Division over a four-year interval.
The Jamaica Mangroves Plus Venture, which started in late 2023 and can run till 2027, is funded by a grant from the International Setting Facility (GEF) via the Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Chief Govt Officer of the Forestry Division and Conservator of Forests, Ainsley Henry, mentioned the initiative is a “groundbreaking exercise,” that’s aimed toward selling biodiversity and optimistic approaches to the sustainable administration of Jamaica’s wetland forest habitats.
“At this time, for the primary time within the historical past of our nation, now we have taken deliberate and concrete steps to codify methods and actions geared at guiding our efforts to sustainably handle and defend the wetland forests,” he famous.
Henry, who was addressing final Friday’s official launch of the mission on the AC Lodge Kingston, identified that mangroves play a pivotal position in preserving the well being of the island’s coastlines.
The CEO knowledgeable that the mission is devoted to restoring, rehabilitating, defending and conserving the wetland forests as a lot as doable.
This will probably be achieved by making the required modifications to insurance policies; making a extra conducive setting for mangrove sustainability; elevating consciousness amongst related stakeholders in regards to the significance of mangroves; creating and popularising maps for example wetland forests; proposing zones and areas into consideration for preservation and restoration; growing a devoted web site to supply actual time updates on the standing and administration of wetland forests; designating areas for defense; and rehabilitating and restoring degraded areas.
Henry mentioned the mission, which was developed via a collaborative course of with all wetland forests stakeholders, is strategically aligned with the Nationwide Mangrove and Swamp Administration Plan (NMSMP), which additionally started in 2023.
For her half, Venture Supervisor, Nicolene Whitely, pointed to the need and urgency of the mission.
Citing a internet lack of 16.9 hectares of mangroves between 2017 and 2021, Whitely mentioned, “think about if we proceed on this damaging path for the subsequent 10 or 15 years. You may perceive what’s going to occur to our society and our coastlines.”
She emphasised the mission’s goal of contributing to the NMSMP, which goals to preserve a minimal of 60 per cent or 7,600 hectares of Jamaica’s government-owned forested wetlands and 20 per cent of privately-owned forested wetlands by 2062.
The Jamaica Mangroves Plus mission is in search of to influence 400 direct beneficiaries and 18,194 oblique beneficiaries.
The mission has three parts – nationwide mangrove coverage strengthening; mangrove ecosystem restoration; information administration; and mission monitoring and analysis.
Co-financiers of the mission embrace Caribbean Coastal Space Administration (C-CAM) Basis, Nationwide Fisheries Authority, and The Nature Conservancy.
-JIS
Donate At Caribbean Information Service, we don’t cost for our content material and we wish to maintain it that manner. We’re in search of help from people and organisations so we are able to
proceed our work & develop CNS additional.
