KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Adaptation measures aimed at building the country’s resilience to climate change are to be implemented in the Upper Rio Minho Sub-Watershed in Clarendon during the next fiscal year.

These measures include the establishment of an agro-forestry programme, a community reforestation programme, establishment of a grass nursery, designing a crop suitability model and conducting testing of climate-resilient crop varieties, and conducting farmer field school (FFS) programmes.

A sum of $573.2 million has been provided in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure to carry out these and other activities under the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience II (PPCRII), which seeks to increase Jamaica’s resilience to climate change through enhancing adaptive capacity across priority sectors.

The money will also go towards financing mechanisms to facilitate the operation, administration and promotion of the Adaptation Line of Credit and the Special Climate Change Adaptation Fund, developing a communications strategy and maintaining the PPCR website, conducting monitoring and evaluation activities, preparing an external financial audit; and conducting vulnerability assessments in communities and climate change governance workshops.

So far under the project, three project staff and a communications specialist have been recruited; the Climate Change Adaptation Line of Credit and the Special Climate Change Adaptation Fund have been established; a sensitisation session was held with JN Small Business Loans Ltd and Environmental Foundation of Jamaica; and a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation on behalf of the project.

The project, which is being funded by the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is scheduled to end in March 2019.