The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) and the JPS Foundation plan to spend $7 million towards the conservation and restoration of the Sturridge Park plot mangrove in the Palisadoes-Port Royal Protected Area is now official with the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday.

With the signing the two entities became the first official adopters under the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) ‘Adopt-A-Mangrove’ programme launched in February.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, chief executive officer of NEPA Peter Knight explained that the Adopt-A-Mangrove programme, which is the brainchild of NEPA’s Protected Areas Branch, will support the ecosystem conservation and restoration programmes that are already embedded within its programmes which aim to protect and restore wetlands.

“Through the programme our objective is to promote blended finance for management of protected areas by leveraging private finance, and encouraging the private sector to invest in biodiversity as a part of their corporate responsibility,” said Knight.

He declared that NEPA is committed to investing in initiatives that will strengthen the protection and restoration of this vital ecosystem and, by extension, the nation’s resilience to natural hazards and risks of climate change.

Knight said the Adopt-A-Mangrove programme supports this commitment as it involves targeting restoration efforts within the protected area and other locations around the island; increasing public awareness about the importance of mangroves; and engaging stakeholders in the replanting and maintenance of mangroves in an effort to contribute to their protection.

Lauding JPS and the foundation for their partnership, Knight encouraged other corporate entities to join with NEPA to expand the initiative.

In his address, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Senator Matthew Samuda said the Government appreciates willing partners like the JPS to tackle environmental issues.

He noted that while Jamaica’s National Strategy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus assessment show that the country has made some strides in its land use management, there have been marginal declines in its mangrove cover and dry harbour forests.

According to Samuda, he was happy to see the JPS and its foundation putting their money where their mouth is in their commitment to the restoration of the mangrove.

“I thank the JPS/[foundation] for putting in the investment necessary for NEPA and the team that we partner with at The UWI [University of the West Indies] to do the necessary work to restore critical mangrove forests,” said Samuda.

In the meantime, deputy chairman of the JPS Foundation Ramsay McDonald said the entity has long recognised the importance of environmentally sustainable practices as one of the keys to ensure development and general well-being.

“The awareness has manifested in environmental protection being one of the main pillars of the foundation,” said McDonald.

He added that the Adopt-A-Mangrove Programme is perfectly aligned to the foundation’s goals, and expressed excitement about what will be achieved in this area of environmental protection.