A $95 million investment has been earmarked for the Integrating Water, Land, and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (IWEco) project in the upcoming fiscal year. This allocation is outlined in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, recently tabled by Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, before the House of Representatives.
The IWEco project, which commenced in 2016, aims to achieve several objectives, including restoring key hydrological and physical processes in the Negril Great Morass, rehabilitating native vegetation to support wetland wildlife, addressing ecosystem degradation issues, and creating institutional frameworks to ensure the long-term health of wetland biological resources.
As of December 2023, the project has made significant progress, completing 11 consultancies. These include initial and follow-up Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Behaviour studies, the development of the Negril Environmental Protected Area Management Plan, and an assessment of the West Indian Whistling Duck population.
Through its small grants program, the IWEco project has also constructed a 1,500-square-foot greenhouse and hydroponics unit and trained 162 farmers in climate-smart agriculture, budgeting, personal finance, and integrated pest management.
Looking forward, the focus for 2024/25 will be on implementing hydrological solutions in the Negril Great Morass, conducting a second round of the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Behaviour study, updating the Negril Environmental Protected Area Management Plan, and carrying out a final evaluation and audit.
Managed by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) with support from the Government of Jamaica and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the IWEco initiative is slated to conclude in September 2024.
