KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaican government has earmarked $95 million in the upcoming fiscal year to further the Integrating Water, Land, and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (IWEco) project. This funding is outlined in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, recently presented to the House of Representatives by Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and the Public Service.
Launched in 2016, the IWEco project aims to address several critical environmental goals. These include restoring vital hydrological and physical processes in the Negril Great Morass, rejuvenating native vegetation to support wetland wildlife, resolving ecosystem degradation conflicts, and establishing frameworks to ensure the long-term health of wetland biological resources.
As of December 2023, the project has successfully completed 11 consultancies. These include the initial and follow-up Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Behaviour studies, the development of the Negril Environmental Protected Area Management Plan, and an assessment of the West Indian Whistling Duck population.
Through its small grants program, the project has also constructed a 1,500-square-foot greenhouse and hydroponics unit, while training 162 farmers in climate-smart agriculture, budgeting, personal finance, and integrated pest management.
For the 2024/25 fiscal year, the project will prioritize the implementation of hydrological solutions in the Negril Great Morass, conduct a second round of the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Behaviour study, update the Negril Environmental Protected Area management plan, and carry out a final evaluation and audit.
Managed by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), with support from the Government of Jamaica and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the IWEco initiative is set to conclude in September 2024.
