$95 Million Allocated for Continued IWEco Project Efforts

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The upcoming fiscal year will see a significant investment of $95 million allocated to advance the Integrating Water, Land, and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (IWEco) project.

This funding allocation is detailed in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, recently presented to the House of Representatives by Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and the Public Service.

Launched in 2016, the IWEco project aims to achieve several key goals. These include restoring crucial hydrological and physical processes in the Negril Great Morass, revitalizing native vegetation to support wetland wildlife, resolving ecosystem degradation conflicts, and establishing institutional frameworks to ensure the long-term health of wetland biological resources.

As of December 2023, the project has completed 11 consultancies, such as the initial and follow-up Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Behaviour studies, the creation of the Negril Environmental Protected Area Management Plan, and an assessment of the West Indian Whistling Duck population.

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Additionally, through its small grants program, the project has constructed a 1,500-square-foot greenhouse and hydroponics unit and provided training for 162 farmers in climate-smart agriculture, budgeting, personal finance, and integrated pest management.

Looking ahead to 2024/25, the project will focus 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 performing a final evaluation and audit.

The IWEco initiative, managed by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) with support from the Government of Jamaica and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), is scheduled to conclude in September 2024.ht thinking and application, it can definitely be a good beginning to start tackling them.