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JAMAICA TO RECEIVE STATE OF THE ART COSTAL EROSION MONITORING TOWER

Date: 
Wednesday, 15 August 2018

 

Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST  are working with Jamaica for the second phase of evaluation for the implementation of the “Impact Assessment of Climate Change on the Sandy Shorelines of the Caribbean Project”.)

 

The  project was discussed during  the visit of  a  joint delegation of the three entities from 7th to 10th August 2018, The project, which is an initiative of the ACS, is valued at US$4 million and is being funded by the Republic of Korea, through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), with specialized technical assistance from the Government of Cuba.

 

The objective is to establish a regional network for coastal erosion monitoring, geared towards understandinghow climate change affects our region’s beaches.Detailed erosion monitoring is particularlyimportant to climate change adaptation, and is necessary forsustainable long termcostalprotection solutions. Without such data, proposed engineering solutions sometimes exacerbate existing erosion problems.The data and models produced by this project will also help to build the case for provision of climate finance to SIDS such as Jamaica.

 

The project will, among other things, see the erection of a erosion monitoring tower forthe Hellshire Beach in Portmore, given the dire state of coastal erosion in that area. This is historic, as Jamaica will be the first in the region to receive such a monitoring tower.

Other countries receiving support include Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. 

 

The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the High Commission of Jamaica in Port of Spain accredited to the ACS, has expressed full commitment to this project which is expected to provide significant capacity building support in terms of shoreline monitoring. It will also complement the Government’s ongoing efforts tomonitor and rehabilitate the Helshire Community, and other parts of the island in need of shoreline replenishment. 

 

The Sandy Shorelines project will be implemented through the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEG-JC), the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), and the Urban Development Commission (UDC).