KINGSTON, Jamaica – The group of trees and shrubs often found in the coastal intertidal zones, known as mangroves, are being replenished and protected to strengthen its core function of absorbing Jamaica’s storm surge impacts and preventing soil erosion.

This action is being facilitated under the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Adopt-A-Mangrove Programme.

Replanting of 50 red mangrove saplings took place on Thursday, February 2, by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and the JPS Foundation, which is the first corporate entity to adopt the Sturridge Park (Palisadoes-Port Royal) Protected Area in Kingston.

This is the first of four protected sites located along the Palisadoes-Port Royal strip to be adopted and coincides with the celebration of World Wetlands Day, under the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands. The Convention provides the framework for the conservation and use of wetlands and their resources.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is expected to be signed by JPS, JPS Foundation and NEPA soon.

Under the agreement, JPS and the JPS Foundation have jointly agreed to provide approximately $7 million over five years, to support the maintenance of the mangroves. The entities will also offer assistance through its Volunteers on Location to Serve (VOLTS) initiative.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEPA, Peter Knight, while on site during the replanting activity, pointed out that the protected area was designated in 1998 and remains part of the Agency’s strategic plan.

“We need to find partnerships to have this as a functional protected area [but] the challenge that we face is to find the support and sponsorship to develop this protected area,” he said.

For his part, Director of Environmental Management and Conservation at NEPA, Anthony McKenzie, said maintenance of the site, which is almost the size of .4 hectare (one acre), is the most crucial yet challenging aspect.

“This particular site is challenging because of the solid waste that comes across [the harbour] and so we have to maintain a barrier and do regular cleaning of the area. Some plants will die… [and] you will have to replant,” he explained.

McKenzie pointed out that NEPA has estimated that for one-tenth of a hectare, it costs approximately $4 million to maintain the mangroves over five years.

He said the mangroves will take several years to mature, but with the proper support in place to maintain the area, NEPA “expects that over the next few years when you drive along the road, you’ll see the plants tall and providing the function that they naturally provide”.

Meanwhile, President and CEO of JPS, Michel Gantois, who also participated in the replanting exercise, said the company chose to support the programme as it seeks to “enhance our roles as a good corporate citizen”.

“We realised that there are a number of [ways] to do that, mostly through the JPS Foundation and we’re looking at two main angles. One of them is education and the other is the environment, and [we] realised that collectively, not just JPS but I think a lot of entities, we haven’t done enough in terms of tackling the environment,” he said.

The CEO added that the company wants to ensure they set a long-lasting example of corporate sustainability.

“It’s not just a one-day effort. We want to make sure that over the course of months and even years, we [can] look at the progress of what we’re doing,” Gantois noted.

Chief Operating Officer of JPS, Gary Barrow, said the company is also focused on “tackling the systemic issues”, by engaging the public through educational activities about the importance of nature and sustainability.

“It is done through seminars and speaking with the youth [and] their parents, and that is a part of our programme. That is part of the responsibility that we’re going to be taking on board to go upstream, to ensure that it becomes a part of our culture,” he added.

The Adopt-A-Mangrove programme is tiered and allows corporate entities to choose a preferred contribution method, depending on their capacity. NEPA will assist with out-planting and monitoring activities such as removing solid waste from the area and erecting barriers to safeguard Mangrove saplings.