Public Policy and Climate Change: Land-use adaptation strategies in Jamaica

1. Public Policy and Climate Change: Land-use adaptation strategies in Jamaica Ms. Kamille Dwyer

2. Public Policy and Climate Change: Land-use Adaptation Strategies in Jamaica by Kamille Dwyer Presented at the Climate Change: Impacts on the Caribbean Conference. Sponsored by the University of the West Indies, Mona and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, June 15-17, 2007 University of the West Indies, Mona.

3. Outline of Presentation • Potential Impacts of Climate Change • Jamaica’s Vulnerability to Climate Change • The role of Physical Planning in Jamaica • The Challenges facing Jamaica’s Physical Planning System • The role of Jamaica’s Planning System in facilitating Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change • The Challenges • Recommendations

4. Projected Impacts of Climate Change Expected climatic changes in the region include: • Sea level rise • Saline intrusion into freshwater aquifers • Coastal flooding and erosion • Increased temperatures • Heat stress • Coral bleaching • Biodiversity loss • Increased emergence of vector borne diseases • Changes in rainfall patterns • Droughts or floods • Decreased fresh water availability • Increased intensity of storm activity • Direct damage of infrastructure • Loss of lives

5. Jamaica’s Vulnerability Jamaica’s Vulnerability to climate change is due to several key characteristics: • Geography • Small Physical Size and the fact that it is surrounded by large expanses of water • Proneness to natural disasters • Large Populations with high growth rates and densities • Limited financial and human resources, which have ultimately limited our adaptive capacity

6. Sea Level Rise Scenario for the Kingston Harbour

7. Physical Planning in Jamaica Planning’s Primary Goal is to ensure public health and safety through the rational use of land. In more recent times, planning has adopted a more modern approach to facilitating land development, and has been used to guide economic development and provide economic incentives aimed at stimulating growth. In the last 10 years planning has become a major avenue for facilitating public participation. Planning has two Functions: • Development Planning • Development Control The Planning System in Jamaica is supported by three frameworks: • Legislative Framework • The Institutional Framework • The Administrative Framework

8. Current Planning Framework

9. Legislative Framework The planning legislation of Jamaica provides for a planning system with national management (development planning) and control of planning (development control). Enacted into law in 1957, the Town and Country Planning Act, mandates planning though a system of development orders. Though not mandated by law, the government saw it necessary to prepare a National Physical Development Plan to inform the preparation of development orders and local plans, but more importantly to guide land development in a manner considered rational and sustainable A Manual For Development was prepared in 1973 to inform developers of existing planning standards and guidelines; a strategy aimed at expediting the approval process. The manual was reviewed in 1982, and again in 2005.

10. In addition to the Town and Country Act, other acts are used to support the planning framework: • The Local Improvements Act, 1914 – setting out provisions for subdivisions; • The Urban Development Corporation Act, 1968 – providing the Urban Development Corporation an exemption from building permitting processes in its designated areas; • The Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act, 1991 – providing for environmental permitting and environmental impact assessments; and • The Parish Councils Building Act, 1908 and 1949 – providing for parish councils to make bylaws for building erection, alteration and repair (and thus enabling councils to control building development where there are no development orders in force). • Other Acts include the Beach Control Act (1956), The Wildlife Protection Act (1945), The Public Health Act (1975), National Heritage Trust Act (1985), Watersheds Protection Act (1963, incorporated into NRCA Act of 1991, currently under review), Water Resources Act (1995), The Forest Act (1996), the Land Valuation Act and the Registration of titles Act.

11. National Policy on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management, and Action Plan (first five years) 2000*—provides for an integrated approach to coastal zone management • Mangrove and Coastal Wetlands Protection (Draft policy and Regulations, 1996)- addresses issues affecting wetlands in Jamaica • The Natural Resources Conservation Regulations, 2000- regulates activities in the protected Portland Bight Protected Area • Policy for Jamaica’s System of Protected Areas, 1997- management tool used in ICZM and environmental protection purposes • Towards A Beach Policy for Jamaica (Draft, 2000)- addresses issues related to beach access and oil and sewage pollution, solid waste disposal, beach erosion, coastal water quality and wild life protection.

12. Towards A Watershed Policy for Jamaica (1999)—provides for watershed management as an environmental management model for Jamaica. • National Strategy on Biological Diversity in Jamaica (2000) and supporting Action Plan—outlines plans and programs for the sustainable use of Jamaica’s biodiversity • National Hazard Risk Reduction Policy (2006)- provides for the integration of hazard risk-reduction into national development strategies • Policy on Strategic Environmental Assessment (2003/6)—provides an accepted tool of environmental management for assessing the environmental implications of proposed policies, programs and plans (PPPs), and is used to complement the EIA, which is more geared towards a specific project, rather than the PPPs. • Forest Policy and Plan (2001)—provides for the management of Jamaica’s terrestrial resources.

13. Institutional Framework There are several institutions involved in planning in Jamaica: • The leading authority on physical development in Jamaica is the Town and Country Planning Authority • Ministry of Local Government and Environment • National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) • Planning Institute of Jamaica • Cabinet Office • Local Government Authorities

14. Administrative Framework Administrative responsibilities are achieved through the two planning functions: Development Planning-developments plans are comprehensive plans used to guide development. Development Plans represent a vision and statement of criteria for future development and land-use in an area - they set out the planning policies and proposals which together form a spatial framework which largely determines where, how and what development takes place. The policies set out in the plan can also have a deeper influence on the precise design or layout of developments, the uses they involve, and the issues which local authorities will expect developers to tackle or address in drawing up their proposals for development. 

15. Development Control-Within the Jamaican planning system, development control is achieved via the use of development orders as the development regulation mechanisms during the process of reviewing applications. The development orders which are used to address all matters related to land use are applicable at the local and regional planning level. The development control process begins at the local level, where development applications are received by local authorities, and where necessitated, referred to NEPA for their assessment and recommendations.

17. Challenges Facing the Planning System Legislative • Several Pieces of Legislation governing the land development process, conflicting and overlapping responsibilities for the various planning agencies at the central and local government level has contributed immensely to the confusion, neglect of duties, lack of coordination and unclear responsibilities within the planning system of Jamaica. • Outdated legislation: development plans and development orders • There is no provision for public participation Administrative • Lack of Financial Support • Lack of Human Resource capacity • Limited Skilled Staff, particularly trained planners • Limited Office Space

19. What should be the Role of Planners? • Guide development: influence where development ought to take place • Control development/ enforcement • Helping to build communities • Provide opportunity for people to participate in the planning process • Provide a planning system that bridges the gap between environment and economic development

20. Facilitating Adaptation to Climate Change Land use planning because of its multi-disciplinary approach and functions- environmental planning; urban design and renewal; landscape architecture (built and physical environment); regional and spatial planning; transport planning; and sustainable development- can effectively identify and implement climate change adaptation strategies ,given that the planning process can provide a very effective tool for taking a longer term view on where and when development should take place under a changing climate Use of Basic Planning and environmental tools • Development Orders/Plans (Integrated coastal zone management plans) • Use of setbacks (particularly coastal setbacks) • Use of Building Codes • Use of GIS as a planning tool (mapping) • Strategic Environmental Assessments • Environmental Impact Assessments

21. Challenges • Political interference in the planning system • Outdated planning legislation guiding development • Lack of Government Policies on climate change • Capacity issues: • size of establishment • Lack of trained planners and skilled staff at all levels: impedes research capacity etc. • Not enough specialist training in issues to do with planning • Financial constraints • The gap between planning and environmental management has not been bridged (economic vs. environmental management) • Planning system is supported by reactive initiatives

22. Recommendations • Develop coordinating mechanisms to ensure that physical planning and environmental plans are implemented at the central, local and private sector level • Introduce national building codes that account for climate variability and change • Development Comprehensive Land-use plans • Develop and implement integrated coastal management plans • Integrate regional disaster mitigation strategies with national physical planning • Employ a “retreat approach” to planning and development in high hazard areas along the coastline

23. Advocate the use of market-based incentives to promote sustainable economic development • Link property insurance with construction quality • Eliminate subsidies and incentives that continue to promote development in fragile and hazardous coastal areas • Improve public awareness and education concerning planning and Jamaica’s vulnerability to climate change • Promote increase use of GIS and remote sensing/ spatial planning applications • Expand Hazard mapping of coastal areas, based on climate change • Continue to build research capacity by facilitating long-term monitoring programs.

24. We need to start by promoting Compliance!!

25. Thank you!