OVERVIEW

Strengthening the Operational and Financial Sustainability of the National Protected Area

System

Background

The first Forest Reserves (Blue Mountains, Clydesdale and Hardware Gap) were declared in 1950.

Jamaica's first Marine Park (Montego Bay Marine Park) was established in 1991.

The first National Park (Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park) was established 1993.

Background

Over eighty locations are currently conserved under approximately seventeen different land use categories.

Jamaica generally recognizes only thirty-two distinct protected areas as members of the National System of Protected Areas (NSPA)

Background Terrestrial protected areas within the NSPA

currently cover over 200,000 hectares or approximately 18% of Jamaica’s lands.

The NSPA covers approximately 180,000 hectares or 15% of the archipelagic waters

Four organizations are principally responsible for Jamaica's NSPA: the Forestry Department, the Fisheries Division, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, and NRCA/NEPA.

Background

Protected areas provide important ecosystem functions and services

Tourism depends directly on the quality of protected areas not only for ecosystem services (e.g. good coastal water quality provided by healthy forests and wetlands), but also as a tourism product

Background

Every dollar invested in the protected area system would generate $100 additional dollars to the Jamaican economy (PASMP).

And yet, tourism invests very little in protected area management

The Problem

Jamaica's biodiversity is threatened on a variety of fronts.

The cumulative impacts include the accelerated loss of vulnerable habitats and associated species, the reduction of ecological functionality and the growing insecurity of ecosystem services.

The Solution

Consolidated NSPA supported by a unified institutional framework equipped with the legislative mandate, management capacity and financial support required to ensure protected area conservation

Purpose of Project Build upon and facilitate the implementation of the

PASMP

The PASMP is intended to serve as a road map to

improve management effectiveness, support sustainable financing, and increase protected area system coverage

The Project also represents a significant advancement towards fulfilling the agreements made at the 7th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD

Project Preparation

The preparatory phase of the project placed strong emphasis on stakeholder participation.

In depth discussions were held with a host of stakeholders, including national and regional government agencies, NGOs, donors and, most importantly, local stakeholders in the pilot areas

Project Preparation

Activities included: Holding several workshops with stakeholders

(innovative participatory METT scoring exercise)

Facilitating logical framework workshop to generate in-depth discussions and agreement regarding project strategy

Project Preparation

PAC was heavily involved in the process

Final project document was designed with stakeholders' full involvement and thorough vetting by representatives of key organizations

(PIOJ, IOJ, Forestry etc.)

PROJECT GOAL & OBJECTIVE

Goal Safeguard Jamaica's globally significant

biodiversity

Objective Consolidate the operational and financial

sustainability of Jamaica’s national system of protected areas

Duration – 6 years (2010-2016)

COMPONENTS

Strengthening of financial planning and revenue generation

Rationalizing and integrating the national system of protected areas

Increasing the effectiveness of protected area management

Strengthening of Financial Planning and Revenue Generation

Establish Protected Area Trust Fund (PATF) and Revolving Fund

Develop model site-level business plans

Develop revenue generation mechanism in five (5) key PAs

Create operational plan for PA system financial strategy

Rationalizing and Integrating the National System of PAs

National Protected Areas Legislation and supporting Legal Framework

New and expanded PA network

Increasing the Effectiveness of PA Management

New and updated PA management plans

Monitoring and evaluation system for PA management

Conservation-based economic development established in or near 5 PAs

Communication strategy to raise key stakeholder awareness and build national constituency

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

harmonize management practices to secure cost-effective conservation

build capacity for strategic conservation and financial planning

create new protected areas to serve as replicable models for improved practices

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

establish additional income sources for protected area management

PROJECT BUDGET

Total budget - US$ 7,820,585

PROJECT BUDGET

PROGRESS

2010 – 2011

- Setting up of the Project Management Unit

- Engagement of Project Manager

- Preparation & submission of reports

- Expenditure - J$945,484

PROGRESS

2010 – 2011- Project initiation meeting with UNDP- Caribbean Challenge Initiative & Proposed

Caribbean Biodiversity Fund meeting- Plan and implement Project Inception

Workshop- Presentation of project to PIOJ- Plan first PSC meeting

The Way Forward