A five-year project to arrest and reverse the degradation of Jamaica’s watersheds and ensure the sustainable management of the natural resources in upland areas is now underway.

The Ridge to Reef Watershed Management Project which commenced in July 2000 involves the comprehensive management and rehabilitation of two of the island’s largest watersheds — the Great River (St James/Hanover) and Rio Grande (Portland) watersheds.

The project is being undertaken by the government of Jamaica and the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID), at a cost of US$8 million.

Representatives from USAID, the Associates in Rural Development (ARD) — the technical assistance team responsible for the implementation of the project — and officials from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), recently met with deputy prime minister and minister of land and environment, Seymour Mullings, to outline plans to address the degradation of Jamaica’s watersheds through the Ridge to Reef Project and to brief him on its status.

Scott McCormick, ARD’s environment and natural resource specialist, explained that the objective of the project is to promote environmentally-sound practices and the adoption of policies for improved environmental management of watersheds. The project, he said, will include the introduction of innovative and sustainable agricultural practices in the watershed areas, improving enforcement and the capacity of institutions to effectively manage the island’s watersheds.

He added that initiatives will be directed at reducing soil erosion and pollution improving land management practices, providing clear and consistent environmental awareness and creating a viable market network with the potential to increase alternative income-generating activities in the watersheds.

The project will also involve increasing awareness of the importance of enforcing environmental regulations for the preservation of the watersheds and exploring options and viability for involving government and civil society in community-based enforcement.

Assistant mission director of USAID, Alex Dickie, said USAID was particularly concerned with working in partnership with Jamaica to solve environmental problems and to facilitate sustainable economic growth and development.

He noted that there was a need for a long-term sustainable environmental management policy to address these issues and that the ongoing Coastal Water Improvement Project (CWIP), and the Ridge to Reef Project were positive contributions.

He said a major feature of the project was the institutional strengthening of local government and non-governmental organisations as well as community-based organisations to manage watersheds on a sustainable basis when the Ridge to Reef Project ended.

Mullings in welcoming the initiative stated that the preservation of the island’s watersheds was of critical importance both economically and environmentally.

“It is for this reason that I am delighted that this project is now underway and I am optimistic that it will result in lasting improvements in the management and preservation of our watersheds,” the minister said.

The Ridge to Reef Project is being implemented by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), along with a team from the ARD, a Vermont-based firm with extensive experience in rural development.