Consultations continue on Jamaica’s Draft National Spatial Plan – Climate change underpins spatial plan development
Kingston, Jamaica February 12, 2020. A series of six islandwide consultations have been held on Jamaica’s Draft National Spatial Plan (NSP) and key stakeholders have been providing input on the draft document over the past six weeks. The plan – which mainstreams climate change – is scheduled for finalisations by March 2020.

The consultations which started in early January have been organised by the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism (AP&FM) for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR). They have been targeting key stakeholders at the local government level including the Municipal Corporations of all the parishes. The consultations were scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, January 15 – the Spanish Court hotel in Kingston which included participants from the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, the Portmore Municipal Corporation and the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation.
• Friday, January 17 – the Knutsford Court hotel in Kingston which included participants from the municipal corporations in Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary.
• Tuesday, January 21 – Villa Sonate in St. Ann which included participants from the municipal corporations in St. Ann and Trelawny.
• Friday, January 24 – Knutsford Court hotel in Kingston which included participants from the municipal corporations in Clarendon and St. Elizabeth.
• Tuesday, January 28 – Oasis hotel in Negril included participants from the municipal corporations in Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny
• Friday, January 31 – Deja hotel in St James included participants from the municipal corporations in St. James and Manchester

“The input that has been provided by the stakeholders so far has been very valuable. Participants were able to articulate their visions for improved spatial development during the period 2020 to 2040. It is good that some of the Municipal Corporations have begun to think about how they will help implement the National Spatial Plan and how it will relate to their Parish Development Plans.

They also showed enthusiasm in outlining broad strategic actions for their visions to be achieved. We will include as much of the feedback as possible into the final draft.” said Dr Winsome Townsend, Project Manager for the AP&FM Project, which focuses on integrating climate change issues into development planning. The AP&FM project is being implemented by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation through funding from the Inter-American Development Bank. The Project has also provided funds
for climate change adaptation work in small and medium businesses as well as communities.

The draft NSP was compiled from research and consultations that started in April 2018. The most recent draft of the document covers:
The consultations included the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the Housing Agency of Jamaica, the Urban Development Corporation as well as other entities.

A National Spatial plan is important to the sustainable development of and, use of a country’s natural resources and its built environment.

For further information contact:
Indi Mclymont-Lafayette, Communications Specialist
Adaptation Programme & Financing Mechanism (AP&FM)
for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) Jamaica
Min. of Economic Growth and Job Creation
16a Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 5
Tel: 6337529 or 294-3608.

Persons with disabilities in St Elizabeth to access health services and climate info through Nathan Ebanks debut fair

Kingston, Jamaica, November 16, 2019. The disabled population in St. Elizabeth will have increased access to vision and hearing screening among other health services as well as climate change information when the Nathan Ebanks hosts its first Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair, on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at the Alpart Sports Club, Nain, Elizabeth.

“We are excited to be able to take this initiative outside of Kingston,” said Christine Staple Ebanks, founder of the Nathan Ebanks Foundation and event chair. “We know that disability is not a one-size-fits-all, but that the needs of persons even with the same disability in one community/part of the island can be quite different from someone with that same disability elsewhere.”

“For instance, we have been getting a number of reports of children who are both deaf and blind in St. Elizabeth in higher numbers than we find in Kingston. Autism also seems more prevalent than say Cerebral palsy in that community,” said Ebanks.

The Fair is timed to observe National Disabilities Awareness Week and U.N. International Day for Persons with Disabilities. It will form a major part of the National Disabilities Week Calendar and will offer a range of services including climate change and disaster resilience information and talks for persons with disabilities, free registration of Persons with Disabilities with the National Disabilities Registration Database, free birth certificate registration for the 200 persons with disabilities. Other free
services will include vision and hearing screening, academic screening (reading and math), dental services, health checks and medical check-up, presentations and demos to support the lives of persons with disabilities.

“We met with the main community stakeholders to get their input which was used to design the event. We asked them “what breaks your back and hurt your heart concerning your child’s daily living right now.’ We used this information to create the list of services that we will offer at the event. We are grateful for all of the organizations which have come on board to support,” explained Ebanks.

A number of agencies and organizations will participate in the event, including Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPSFA), the Ministry of Health, the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism (AP&FM) of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), the Ministry of Education, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), Jamaica Library Services, the National Health Fund, Jamaica Fire Brigade, St. Elizabeth South Lions Club, Community Based Rehabilitation Jamaica (CBRJ), Registrar General Department, among others.

“We are also pleased to announce that the JCPD will be accepting registration from persons with disabilities for the national data bank at the event. We know that many persons with disabilities are unable to register with us because they do not have a birth certificate. So we have joined with the Registrar General Department (RGD) and will be offering free birth certificate registration for the first 100 persons with disabilities (children, or adults) at the event,” said Dr. Christine Hendricks, executive director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities. Persons would need to come to the event on December 3, 2019 to register.

The Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair is a flagship initiative of the Nathan Ebanks Foundation and is designed to work in partnership with other organizations to advance the mission of inclusion, participation, and empowerment of children (and adults) with disabilities and special needs in Jamaica.

“For the AP&FM – it is very important for persons with disabilities to be aware of climate change and be able to respond. So the Fair gives us a very good opportunity to engage the community,” said Dr. Winsome Townsend, Project Manager of the AP&FM.
The Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair, St. Elizabeth is sponsored by the Supreme Ventures Foundation, AP&FM/Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Office of Disaster and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), ChrisMix Radio, JISCO-Alpart, Kirk Distributors/Colgate, NHF, Ministry of Health, and Party Plus Entertainment.

“We once again have partners such as the AP&FM, ODPEM and the Jamaica Fire Brigade to share important information and resources on climate change adaptation, and disaster mitigation with persons with disabilities”, said Staple Ebanks.

“Our vision is to see all children of varied abilities, grow and uncover their unique gifts in a way that respects their diversity and celebrate potential. We were very pleased to see the easy way the St. Elizabeth community has embraced us and this initiative,” she said.

Contact: Christine Staple Ebanks. Telephone: 876 857 4425 or Michelle Douglas Campbell 876-509-0080

About the Nathan Ebanks Foundation

The Nathan Ebanks Foundation® (The NEF) is a registered Jamaican non-profit organization that works for the inclusion, participation, and empowerment of children with disabilities and special education in Jamaica. Established in 2007 by the parents of a child with disabilities in Jamaica, the NEF is committed to ensuring that all children with disabilities and special needs in Jamaica receive equal access, necessary resources, and the opportunity to realize their full potential. (www.nefjamaica.org)

Since our inception the NEF has developed a strong advocacy platform representing the voices of children of disabilities and their families, who have been excluded and marginalized across systems in Jamaica. Our programs have sought to open avenues to ensure equality of access through Advocacy, Access (public education campaigns), and learning (disability education and capacity building, conferences and workshops) and other direct intervention initiatives.

“We want to raise awareness and understanding of how to care for the environment, practice sustainable development and provide for positive environmental action,” said Dr. Susan Otoukon, Executive Director at the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT), the organisation that hosts the event.

Green Expo 2019 will be held at the National Arena and will showcase booths, displays and exhibitions from over thirty-five companies and government agencies. The Expo, first conceptualised in the 1990s, seeks to address the need for practical environmental education for sustainable development for the public.  It aims to answer the questions: “What can I do for a better life (better environment)”and “Where can I get what I need to do it?”Booths number about 50 with some companies taking more than one. Exhibitions will open from 10. a.m to 10 p.m on Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday

Partners of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust Conservation Trust for the staging of Green Expo include:

1. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) which will be providing information on pollution and protected areas among other topics.
2. The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, which is piloting a number of civil society projects with economic benefits.
3. The Climate Change Data Management Project
4. Jamaica Energy Partners.
5. The Spanish Jamaican Foundation
6. The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation

Exhibitors include the National Housing Trust which has projects in energy efficiency, and the National Water Commission. InstaSave, a water conservation company, and other entities in the renewable energy and organic agriculture space will also be exhibiting. The Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience will also be displaying some some of its climate adaptation projects.

“Aside from our usual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as International Coastal Clean-Up Day, tree planting projects, supporting preservation of marine life, and sponsoring environmental campaigns and programmes, our company strives to operate in an environmentally sustainable ways,” said Melissa Newman, Communication Specialist  with Jamaica Energy Partners. She added that the company takes pride in its role as ambassador for environmental care.

According to Newman, operationally, the company only utilizes low sulphur content fuel (Heavy Fuel Oil).  Additionally, it conducts annual stack emission monitoring, continuous ambient air quality monitoring, annual noise surveys and participates in mangrove reforestation.

 At the Green Expo, Friday June 7 will be specially dedicated to children and will feature a Kiddies Pavilion with Hope Zoo, craft, quizzes and a career day for which registration is required because of limited space.

Careers highlighted will include wildlife conservation, pollution control, information technology and geographic information systems.

Students in uniform and children aged under 12 will pay $200 to attend Green Expo.

“We also have something for the teachers as there is a session on conservation education,” said Dr. Otuokon while adding that Green Expo 2019 will serve as a reminder that environmental care is everybody’s business.

“Think about yourself. Everybody wants a better life. The way to do that is to care for our environment,” she stated.

The event has been steadily attracting partners and for 2019 is partnering with the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism (AP&FM), the Supreme Ventures Limited as well as affiliates from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, National Parenting Support Commission, Jamaica Fire Brigade, National Child Month Committee, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

“We are happy to be taking the event out of Kingston and to another area as we realise that sometimes persons with disabilities and their families are not able to access this kind of information as easily outside of the urban areas,” said Christine Staple-Ebanks, Founder and President of the NEF.

“Through the Family Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair, we continue to give children with disabilities and their families a platform to reach a broader audience and let their voices be heard, and to connect them to resources and support in the community,” she said.

At the launch on April 10, Ebanks and her team announced the dates of the two events – the Kingston Family Fair and Expo to be held at the Hope Gardens on May 25, 2019 and the newly added second Fair and Expo will be on July 4, 2019 at the Alpart Sports Club, Naine, St. Elizabeth.

These events are designed to support NEF’s quest for the inclusion, participation and empowerment of children with disabilities and special needs.

“Our vision of the future is to see all children of varied abilities and talent, grow, thrive, learn and uncover their own unique gifts in a way that respects their diversity and celebrate potential,” said Staple-Ebanks.

At the same time partners such as the AP&FM supported the expansion and welcomed the opportunity to share information on climate change adaptation with persons with disabilities.

“We are aware that it can be a challenge for persons with disabilities and their families to access information and resources needed to best plan for themselves and their loved ones. And so we were very happy to get the opportunity to share information on climate change and how we can reduce the vulnerability of persons with disabilities,” said Dr. Winsome Townsend, Project Manager for the AP&FM.

There are an estimated 200,000 children living with disabilities in Jamaica and inadequate systems in place to effectively include them into society. Since 2007, the Nathan Ebanks Foundation has been on a mission to advocate for, and strengthen capacities to promote the best interests, rights, safety, education and inclusion of children with disabilities and special education needs in Jamaica. The Fairs will feature an emergency Preparedness Resource Booth, academic screening, mental Health Checks, Health Checks, Dental Services, Vision Screening, Developmental Screening, Information Booths, Adaptive Sports Games and Demonstration, Disability/Special Needs Resource Booths as well as fun games and a gospel concert.

Staple-Ebanks started the NEF in honour of her son Nathan who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2005 at the age of nine months, the foundation was set up to serve children with disabilities through the:

• Training of policy-makers, teachers, parents, and administrators  
• Advocating at the highest level of the society – government, media, civil society and private sector so as to broaden the base of support for children living with disabilities.
• Partnering with individuals, key local institutions such as the Ministry of Education, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities and Child Development Agency (CDA), and international organisations such as Full Circle Systems Inc., Multiagency International Training and Support (MAITS UK), Rangoonwala Foundation (UK) Organization of American States (OAS)/Organization of Women of the Americas (OWA) to deliver developmental programmes to the children and families.
• Researching key sector issues to inform policy makers and local practitioners.
• Providing resource and support for the nation’s educational institutions and agencies creating and integrating study plans for children with disabilities.

So far, achievements include over 5,000 persons reaching Awareness & Capacity-building, 2 Nation-wide Disability Awareness Public Education Campaigns, Multiple Advocacy Platforms and have had over 20,000 books donated to 50 schools and institutions island wide through partnership with St. Bernard’s School in New York, USA.

The Nathan Ebanks Foundation Family Fair and Expo is also supported by its sponsors Party Plus, Chrismixradio.com, e-Learning Jamaica, Lasco Financial Services Limited, JISCO and Alpart Jamaica.

Kindly contact  Angela Thame at 876 999-7907 for further details.

The National Spatial Plan, which was conceptualised in 2009, will ensure the optimal use of the nation’s land and marine resources and outline the framework for their effective use and management, along with addressing issues regarding climate change.

Speaking at the launch, which took place at Jamaica House today, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Audrey Sewell, said according to the 2012 State of the Climate Report, Jamaica has experienced several storms and hurricanes in the past decade with severe flooding, which has resulted in loss of lives and the destruction of goods amounting to approximately US$129 billion.

She said this is one of the reasons why the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has a keen interest in the development of the National Spatial Plan, as it will address Jamaica’s issues regarding climate change and help stakeholders to better prepare for unprecedented weather events.

“The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has placed a major focus on climate change and its impact, since the phenomenon poses a threat to economic growth and development,” Sewell said.

“We would be negligent if we did not prepare for unprecedented weather events. The National Spatial Plan will address the major challenges of climate and disaster risks, while protecting the environment, improving natural resources management and enhancing the quality of the built environment,” she added.

The project has been established through a Grant Agreement signed between the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/National_Spatial_Plan_to_be_developed?profile=1228