JAMAICA has been given high marks for its awareness and action on climate change issues by the deputy manager of a worldwide programme that funds projects to mitigate against climate change.

Fumiko Fukuoka, deputy global manager of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), says the Jamaican people are very aware of the effects of climate change and has one of the leading projects under SGP to combat the problem.

“Jamaica is one of the countries which are very vulnerable because of climate change and I understand that people are very aware of these risks. The policy and decision makers are very active in participating in different activities to deliver information (about changes in the environment),” Fukuoka told Environment Watch.

She was in Jamaica for a three-day inter-agency workshop, entitled “International Waters in the Wider Caribbean Region Addressing the Issues Live”, that ended last Friday.

The workshop, which was held at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston, brought together representatives of public sector entities, the private sector and non-governmental organisations to discuss and learn about tangible actions that can be taken to tackle critical environmental problems.

With presence in 122 countries and more than 11,000 grants awarded worldwide, SGP supports projects of non-governmental and community-based organisations in developing countries.

The main focal areas of the programme are climate change abatement and adaptation, conservation of biodiversity, protection of international waters, reduction of the impact of persistent organic pollutants and prevention of land degradation.

Jamaica is one of 10 participating counties in the United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) Community-based Adaptation (to climate change) project, and is a model for other countries in the world, according to Fukuoka.

“Jamaica is doing very well because of the local leadership and people’s interest and enthusiasm in participating. Jamaica is one of the first countries to come up with projects for adaptation. We are looking forward to working with Jamaica to produce something on the ground so that other countries in the world can learn from Jamaica,” she added.

The five-year (2007-2012) initiative has a potential allocation of US$400,000 per country.

GEF SGP national co-ordinator Dale Rankine said the workshop represented a genuine attempt at inter-agency collaboration, and was one of the few opportunities that brought all representatives together to mainstream environmental activities. He said a programme of action will be developed from the workshop which would go to United Nations country team or approval.

“We recognise that it is people on the ground that will make the difference. If we do not engage the local people and come with a top-down approach, then Copenhagen (the United Nations Climate Change Conference next month) will fail,” Rankine said.