Dear Editor,

As a nation, we do not have a tradition of environmental support, and we often ridicule the work of Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) and that of Peter Espeut.

It was always difficult, even at our local municipalities, to get the authorities to not approve building plans that would compromise the natural environment.

If assessments were done in most flooded towns and communities it would be shocking to know the number of sinkholes that have been intentionally blocked or destroyed to accommodate new buildings.

Our governments have allowed bauxite mining to destroy hundreds of caves and sinkholes across communities that provided run-off’s for excessive water. This, along with poor road construction, that doesn’t bear any credible engineering support, has led us to our present predicament in reaping floods each year.

It’s the 21st century and we cannot continue with the wanton waste of taxpayers’ money on overpriced, mediocre work.

Before the next local government elections, the Government should make it so as to allow direct election of all mayors in all 14 municipalities.

It is also time the National Works Agency (NWA) be decentralised, and be held accountable to our mayors at local municipalities. This, I believe, would be one way to return credibility to local development and the participatory process of our people.

Dudley C McLean II

Mandeville, Manchester

dm15094@gmail.com