World Water Day will be observed on March 22, 2010. This year’s theme is "Clean Water for a Healthy World". The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will coordinate several activities across the island to mark the occasion. In Kingston, the Agency will host a workshop at the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel and Marina in Port Royal. The workshop will focus on the development of a water quality monitoring programme and an emergency warning and early response system for the Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area. It will also serve to improve key partnerships with community stakeholder groups. The programmes are intended to enhance the protection of the environmental resources of the Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area, which is also a Ramsar Site and includes sections of the Kingston Harbour.
The successful implementation of these programmes and the follow up actions will ensure the sustainable use of the Harbour, protection of the ecologically sensitive Palisadoes/Port Royal Protected Area and a reduction in public health risks.
Under NEPA’s Global Environment Facility, Integrating Watershed Coastal Areas Management (GEF-IWCAM) Project a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by government agencies, Non Governmental Organizations and Community Business Organizations to promote the usage of the Watershed Model developed under the Project which was implemented in Portland. The model exemplifies the coordination of limited resources by agencies and communities to successful implement sustainable watershed management. This signing will take place at the World Water Day Open Day and Exhibition at the Mona Reservoir starting at 10:30a.m.
Other activities to mark the day include; school presentations in Portland, Clarendon and Hanover. NEPA will also spearhead a tree planting activity at Knockalva Agricultural School in Hanover.
National Environment & Planning Agency © 2010
