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'Environment deserves more'
Lobbyists thumb noses at $13-m allocation for conservation activitiesBY PETRE WILLIAMS Observer senior reporter williamsp@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL lobbyists have scoffed at the Government's $13.32-million allocation to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for conservation activities, insisting that it is woefully inadequate.
"To me that is a laugh," said Barrington Nesbeth, president of the WARSA-Green and Wild Environmental Protection Society. "I didn't see any money put away in the budget for global warming, the preservation of green space or for the protection of coastal zones. The 13-plus million to me is a slap in the face for Jamaica. That does not send any significant message pertaining to (addressing) global warming or protecting our infrastructure. It should be $13 billion, if anything."
The allocation, according to the 2008/09 Estimates of Expenditure, has been divided among a range of areas, including:
. coastal zone management;
. pollution control and waste management;
. parks and protected areas species habitat monitoring;
. public education and communication; and
. watershed management and protection.
"That's really, really low," Diana McCaulay, managing director of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) told the Observer.
As for the one million that has been allocated to increase awareness of the environment and how to preserve it, the JET boss said that was woefully inadequate.
"I don't know what a reasonable budget would be," she said. "But I know to spend a million dollars on environmental education is way too low. That is less than what JET spends on environmental education.
The Schools Environmental Programme (SEP) budget is $12 million."
The more than 10-year-old SEP is operated by JET.
The one million for education aside:
. $2.823 million is for coastal zone management;
. $2.5 million for the implementation of national programmes for pollution control and waste management;
. $5 million for the establishment and management of a system for protected areas; and
. $2 million for the protection and management of the watersheds and natural resources.
"It seems a very small amount, indeed," said Wendy Lee, president of the Northern Jamaica Conservation Association (NJCA).
"I have no idea how those small amounts are actually going to be spent. Is it for advice? Is it for oversight? What is it for? because it certainly could not be for the substantive work that needs to be done in all those areas," she said.
Journalist and long-time environment lobbyist John Maxwell was of a similar mind. He noted that it has become necessary to have a meeting of the stakeholders to decide on the areas of priority for Jamaica's environment.
"That ($13 million) is a joke," Maxwell told the Observer. "If we don't protect the ecology, then we don't have an economy. You will get floods like Ocho Rios. It would have cost a lot less had we done what ought to have been done."
He was referring to the recent flood rains in Ocho Rios, which triggered mudslides from the hills overlooking the resort town and which affected numerous families and businesses in St Ann.
Neither Prime Minister Bruce Golding nor Health and Environment Minister Rudyard Spencer could be reached for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the conservationists said it was more important than ever to have clarity on specifically how the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is to function now that it has been relocated to the OPM.
"We still want to hear how the permit approval process will work with NEPA's [move] to the OPM," said McCaulay.
According to the JET boss, they had two matters to be heard at appeal but which had to be postponed because "no one was sure who should hear the appeal".
Marolyn Lucy Gentles, chair of the National Environmental Education Committee (NEEC), also noted the need for clarity on the issue.
"At NEEC we need to understand because we need to know who to talk to," she said. "The truth is that not even the people at NEPA know what is happening. When you ask questions, they are not sure."
Lobbyists thumb noses at $13-m allocation for conservation activitiesBY PETRE WILLIAMS Observer senior reporter williamsp@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL lobbyists have scoffed at the Government's $13.32-million allocation to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for conservation activities, insisting that it is woefully inadequate.
"To me that is a laugh," said Barrington Nesbeth, president of the WARSA-Green and Wild Environmental Protection Society. "I didn't see any money put away in the budget for global warming, the preservation of green space or for the protection of coastal zones. The 13-plus million to me is a slap in the face for Jamaica. That does not send any significant message pertaining to (addressing) global warming or protecting our infrastructure. It should be $13 billion, if anything."
The allocation, according to the 2008/09 Estimates of Expenditure, has been divided among a range of areas, including:
. coastal zone management;
. pollution control and waste management;
. parks and protected areas species habitat monitoring;
. public education and communication; and
. watershed management and protection.
"That's really, really low," Diana McCaulay, managing director of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) told the Observer.
As for the one million that has been allocated to increase awareness of the environment and how to preserve it, the JET boss said that was woefully inadequate.
"I don't know what a reasonable budget would be," she said. "But I know to spend a million dollars on environmental education is way too low. That is less than what JET spends on environmental education.
The Schools Environmental Programme (SEP) budget is $12 million."
The more than 10-year-old SEP is operated by JET.
The one million for education aside:
. $2.823 million is for coastal zone management;
. $2.5 million for the implementation of national programmes for pollution control and waste management;
. $5 million for the establishment and management of a system for protected areas; and
. $2 million for the protection and management of the watersheds and natural resources.
"It seems a very small amount, indeed," said Wendy Lee, president of the Northern Jamaica Conservation Association (NJCA).
"I have no idea how those small amounts are actually going to be spent. Is it for advice? Is it for oversight? What is it for? because it certainly could not be for the substantive work that needs to be done in all those areas," she said.
Journalist and long-time environment lobbyist John Maxwell was of a similar mind. He noted that it has become necessary to have a meeting of the stakeholders to decide on the areas of priority for Jamaica's environment.
"That ($13 million) is a joke," Maxwell told the Observer. "If we don't protect the ecology, then we don't have an economy. You will get floods like Ocho Rios. It would have cost a lot less had we done what ought to have been done."
He was referring to the recent flood rains in Ocho Rios, which triggered mudslides from the hills overlooking the resort town and which affected numerous families and businesses in St Ann.
Neither Prime Minister Bruce Golding nor Health and Environment Minister Rudyard Spencer could be reached for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the conservationists said it was more important than ever to have clarity on specifically how the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is to function now that it has been relocated to the OPM.
"We still want to hear how the permit approval process will work with NEPA's [move] to the OPM," said McCaulay.
According to the JET boss, they had two matters to be heard at appeal but which had to be postponed because "no one was sure who should hear the appeal".
Marolyn Lucy Gentles, chair of the National Environmental Education Committee (NEEC), also noted the need for clarity on the issue.
"At NEEC we need to understand because we need to know who to talk to," she said. "The truth is that not even the people at NEPA know what is happening. When you ask questions, they are not sure."