KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government has obtained US$6 million through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a project, titled, ‘Conserving biodiversity and reducing land degradation in the Cockpit Country’.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2019/20 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, July 16.

Vaz informed the Lower House that a number of demonstration investment projects in sustainable land management, sustainable forest management and agricultural development practices will be undertaken in selected areas within the Cockpit Country.

“These include small business enterprises that are economically viable and culturally acceptable; a grant facility to incentivise the uptake of best practices; biodiversity and climate-resilient agriculture; sustainable ecotourism initiatives; and sustainable forest management approaches for rehabilitation and restoration,” Vaz said.

He said that Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and himself visited Tyre in the Cockpit Country forest reserve recently, where the prime minister placed the first permanent monument on the boundary.