THE National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has launched a cutting-edge initiative that fuses geospatial technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and mobile digital tools into its enforcement operations. The project, spearheaded by NEPA’s Enforcement Branch, works toward a smarter, faster, and more transparent environmental governance framework.

Giving details, NEPA’s acting manager for the Enforcement Branch, Eromonsele Akhidenor, said the programme integrates a suite of advanced technologies — including drones, remote sensing, GIS applications, and AI algorithms — into its surveillance and enforcement processes. He said by harnessing these tools, “NEPA aims to increase the speed, accuracy, and transparency of detecting, investigating, and addressing environmental breaches across Jamaica”.

The range of digital tools that’s used is expected to help NEPA’s enforcement officers to collect detailed field data in real time, including GPS locations, photos, and time of inspection. The system allows for actual recording of violations and can boost the agency’s enforcement function as the team is able to track happenings across the island.

The game-changing technology has already demonstrated its potential during the testing phase, which was conducted in Portland, St Catherine and St Mary. Drone footage was used to determine the extent and magnitude of unauthorised mining operations and enabled swift intervention.

“Additionally, trade effluent discharges were monitored for investigation while a combination of drone imagery and mobile app reporting were effective in supporting in-field surveillance,” NEPA said.

It said the results of these assessments were useful in addressing kinks and making adjustments prior to the commencement of the pilot phase in St Elizabeth in April of this year. Akhidenor said a full roll-out of the technology is expected in all parishes by the end of the second quarter in September 2025.

He said NEPA aims to stay current and up to date with the technology, and as such, is exploring partnerships with international organisations, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United Nations Environment Programme, Wuhan University in China and regional data science institutions. Such partnerships will allow NEPA to scale its technological capabilities and to adopt best practices from global environmental governance systems.

“This technology, when fully deployed, can deliver rapid, data-rich insights for better enforcement decisions and outcomes,” he said. “Overall, it supports NEPA’s goal of establishing a responsive and proactive enforcement framework and will enhance the agency’s role in safeguarding Jamaica’s natural heritage for generations to come”.