The amendments became effective globally on January 1, 2021, at which time it was binding on Jamaica as a Party to the Basel Convention.

The term ‘watershed’ is defined as the land area in which rain falls and from which water drains into a stream or river. This area covers not only the mountains and hill slopes but also includes the forests, farms, industries and housing developments on them. Jamaica is divided into 10 hydrologic basins and 26 watershed management units (WMUs) each usually identified by the name of the major river, which runs through it.

A protected area is “a clearly defined geographical area of land and or water that is dedicated to and managed for the long-term  conservation and sustainable use of its ecological systems, biodiversity and/or specific natural, cultural or aesthetic resources.”