KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica is creating a Watershed Classification Tool to manage environmental issues in watersheds and coastal areas.

This tool is designed to evaluate the condition, health and functionality of watersheds. It will assist in the effective management and prioritisation of restoration initiatives.

This undertaking is part of the $1.1 billion “A Jamaican Path from Hills to Ocean” (Hills2OceanJA) Project, which is jointly funded by the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance Plus and the Government of Jamaica. It is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) with support from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA)

The watershed management tool will equip Jamaica with essential resources and expertise to effectively manage its watersheds amidst climate change challenges. The tool aims to ensure environmental sustainability by safeguarding water resources, facilitating biodiversity conservation, supporting sustainable livelihood initiatives, and enhancing resilience against the impacts of climate change.

The development of the Watershed Classification Tool is being undertaken by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), in collaboration with Global Geo-intelligence Solutions Limited (GGIS).

A sensitisation workshop was held recently with stakeholders during which geo-spatial scientist Dr Ropo Ogundipe from GGIS, outlined how the tool will benefit stakeholders, as well as shared how it has been implemented in other regions.

The project aims to develop a comprehensive watershed classification model by integrating spatial datasets from sources like the Coastal Risk Atlas, the National Risk Information Platform, the Water Resources Authority, the National Environmental Planning Agency GIS Platform, and other relevant entities. It will also create a GIS-based open-source tool for data visualisation and analysis to support data-driven decision-making.