DESPITE Jamaica’s strong performances in areas such as climate change, forestry protection, and the protection of marine key biodiversity areas (KBA), Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda is admitting that significantly more work needs to be done to improve the country’s overall ranking on the Environmental Protection Index (EPI).

Jamaica was given a 68th-place ranking and a score of 48.5 among 180 countries by Yale University in its 2024 EPI assessment. According to Samuda, while this is good, “It is important for us to confront the areas in which Jamaica is not assessed to be progressing positively.”

He made the remark on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

Based on the EPI, a score closer to 100 represents the best possible environmental performance, while a score closer to zero represents the worst outcome. It states that a high score of 80-100 indicates that a country exhibits a strong performance in environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change mitigation. It indicates strong, long-standing policies protecting natural resources.

A moderate score is 60-79, where Jamaica falls, and generally indicates functioning, though not optimal, environmental management with clear room for improvement. A low score is below 30 and points to critical environmental challenges, such as poor air/water quality, weak pollution controls, and urgent need for policy action.

Noting that Jamaica’s standing in the EPI in 2024 provides a useful benchmark, Samuda conceded that there is room for improvement.

“While we have made gains in areas such as protected area coverage and certain health-linked indicators, performance gaps persist in air quality, waste management, and ecosystem vitality,” he said.

Jamaica ranks best in four areas: climate change, 30; marine key biodiversity areas, 27; forests, 28; and fisheries, 30. which puts among the best performers in the world.

However, the country comes up short in several other areas where the rankings include, biodiversity and habit, 126; environmental health, 106; species protection, 127; protected human land, 147; air pollution, 69; and waste management, 133.

Samuda, in his prepared text, noted that the EPI underscores a central truth.

“Incrementalism will not suffice. We require systemic interventions, better enforcement, stronger data systems, and targeted capital investments,” it read.

Declaring that policy without data is conjecture and that enforcement without data is inconsistent, Samuda told the Parliament, “That’s why I am happy today to have tabled in this honourable House the Overarching Protected Areas Policy (White Paper) and the draft Cays Management Policy (Green Paper).”

The White Paper will replace the 1997 Protected Areas Policy and will provide the policy direction for the effective management of the country’s Protected Areas System. The minister pointed out that Jamaica has more than 350 protected areas, including national parks, marine parks, fish sanctuaries, forest reserves, and forest management areas, which have been declared under various pieces of legislation, including the Forest Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act.

He told the House that in further bolstering the country’s environmental legislative framework, the ministry, in collaboration with the Forestry Department, was advancing the repeal and replacement of the Forest Act.

“This new piece of legislation will include provisions that specify the transfer of land, inventory, and classification of forests and forest land, and declaration of a no-burn season,” said Samuda.

He shared that the draft Forest Bill has already been prepared and submitted to the Legislative Committee of the Cabinet for its review. It should be ready for tabling in Parliament before the end of May.