KINGSTON, Jamaica—The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Forestry Department (FD) to strengthen the conservation, propagation, and restoration of Jamaica’s endemic and threatened plant species.

According to NEPA, in a press release, the agreements formalise collaboration among the three agencies to support research, propagation, restoration, and public awareness initiatives aimed at safeguarding Jamaica’s native flora and strengthening national biodiversity conservation efforts. Priority plant species for propagation and conservation will be jointly identified by the three bodies based on conservation priorities, technical feasibility, and national biodiversity objectives.

Expressing concern for the sustainable future of Jamaica’s biodiversity, NEPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Leonard Francis, expressed a desire to see more plant species propagated, especially as the Jamaican landscape transforms due to increasing development.

He emphasised that plants deliver vital ecological, cultural, and economic benefits and warned that the loss of any plant species — each a crucial component of our biodiversity — means losing a vital part of Jamaica’s natural heritage, valued at billions of dollars.

Noting that Jamaica ranks fifth among islands globally in terms of plant endemism, NEPA’s Deputy CEO with responsibility for Environmental Management and Sustainability, Anthony McKenzie, agreed that the island’s biodiversity is “threatened”, and added that the signing of the MOUs was timely.

He named climate change and pollution as the main threats to Jamaica’s biodiversity while asserting that every effort must be made to retain the island’s current standing.

Executive Director for the Scientific Research Council, Dr Charah Watson, highlighted the importance of scientific collaboration, noting that research and innovative propagation techniques, including tissue culture, will play a critical role in supporting conservation efforts.

She added that it was important that “Jamaica’s natural resources are properly protected, appropriately conserved as well as leveraged” so that “those who come after us can benefit from it”.

Sharing an anecdote from his childhood, Forestry Department’s CEO Ainsley Henry highlighted the medicinal potential of the island’s plants, noting that “many of the medicines we enjoy today have their genesis in plants.” He appealed for better care of the environment, even as he underscored the Forestry Department’s commitment to “ensure that Jamaica has a healthy and prosperous environment”.

He also emphasised the importance of strengthening conservation and restoration efforts in support of Jamaica’s national biodiversity priorities and broader global efforts to halt biodiversity loss and build resilience to climate change.

NEPA’s CEO asserted that, “Everyone has a role to play. We have a sacred duty to ensure that every single species, every single plant, survives in perpetuity’.

The CEO then urged schools that are interested in participating in the Lignum vitae in Schools programme to contact the Agency at (876) 754-7540 or via email: pubed@nepa.gov.jm.

The MOUs allow the entities to formalise their partnership – sharing expertise, resources, and facilities – to better protect Jamaica’s native and endemic species. The initiative is deemed necessary amid a growing concern about the decline of several native plant species.

Early focus areas include the conservation and propagation of the endangered Lignum vitae, Jamaica’s national flower. User-based surveys conducted by NEPA between 2007 and 2024 indicate a continued decline in the Lignum vitae population across the island, highlighting the need for urgent intervention.

The Lignum Vitae is currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and is also included under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The species continues to face threats from land clearing, development, illegal harvest, hurricanes, droughts and other climate-related impacts. Initiatives like the ‘Lignum Vitae In Schools Campaign’, which got underway in January this year, are being implemented to stem the decline.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving Jamaica’s national flower and to support the planting of Lignum vitae across schools and communities. Three schools have already been visited under the campaign, which include Sheffield Primary and Negril Primary, both in Westmoreland and St Hugh’s Preparatory in Kingston.