CSO coalition calls for prioritisation of forests
WITH THE realities of a changing climate, local civil society actors from the forest sector have called on local government representatives to give forest conservation the priority it deserves.
“Jamaica’s Coalition for Forests is calling on … councillors and mayors … to champion and deliver forest conservation and management as key to supporting strong, sustainable and resilient communities in Jamaica, and to partner with civil society to deliver local socio-economic development,” the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) said in a recent news release.
CANARI, in partnership with the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, is implementing the project, ‘Building civil society awareness and capacity to engage in participatory budgeting and financial management for the forest sector in Jamaica’, with support from the European Union.
The coalition is comprised of 27 civil society organisations (CSOs) which are engaged from the national to local levels in forest conservation, management and restoration in Jamaica.
“We all depend on forests, it only makes sense that we all come together to make the best decisions for their preservation. This is not an issue of environment versus development; rather, it is an existential issue,” noted David Walters, executive director of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust and convenor of the coalition.
The coalition wants councillors, mayors, and entire municipal corporations and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to increase support for forests as a critical resource across the 228 electoral districts in Jamaica.
Improved forest conservation and management is part of sustainable land use for key economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries. Forested watersheds are important to ensure the sustainable supply of potable water to all, including urban centres and tourist destinations such as Kingston, Falmouth, Montego Bay and St Andrew.
KEY ROLES
Forests also play a key role in resilience to natural disasters, including hurricanes and other extreme weather, for example, through preventing landslides and soil erosion and protecting coastlines from storm surges. Forests deliver climate change mitigation for Jamaica through the removal and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Forests also support nature-based jobs and provide increased earning opportunities for constituents.
According to the coalition, local government should partner with CSOs as a costeffective way to deliver results for their municipalities and the communities they serve.
“A recent study by the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA) showed that in 2022, $1.23 million of grant funding was provided to STEA and local forest management committees (LFMCs) for reforestation, awareness raising and sustainable livelihoods in the Cockpit Country. The volunteer in-kind contribution by STEA and the LFMCs was valued at $8.86 million,” said the CANARI release.
“What this confirms is that for every dollar invested in supporting local organisations’ work on forest conservation and management, several times this amount is contributed by CSOs and the community.
“Investing more in the work of local organisations makes financial sense to get the most impact for local socio-economic development.
“Coalition members will continue to engage with councillors, mayors, municipal corporations and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to discuss priorities outlined in their newly published Briefing Book for Local Government,” the release said.
The coalition’s work is being supported under the project, ‘Building civil society awareness and capacity to engage in participatory budgeting and financial management for the forest sector in Jamaica’.