SAGE 2015 Workshop Field Notes
Summary by Pam Patrick
DRIVE FROM CARDIFF HOTEL, RUNAWAY BAY TO PORT ROYAL MARINE INSTITUTE
Urban Development Corporation (UDC) Discussion Led by Sean Townsend, Manager, Natural Resources
Management and Environmental Planning Department, UDC:
The UDC operates many attractions including parks, “swim with a dolphin”, and waterfalls. It also
develops and owns larger hotels and properties which it then sells. Profits made off of the larger
sales are used to help upkeep the smaller attractions. The local community often wants parks
and attractions but underestimate the cost to clean, upkeep, secure, and staff these facilities.
Jamaica’s Environment (“Welcome to Jamaica”) Discussion Led by Dale Webber, Director of the Center
for Environmental Management, University of the West Indies (UWI):
Jamaica is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles. It is approximately 10,990 square
kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area, lies about 145 kilometres south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres
(119 mi) west of Haiti. Jamaica is the fifth-largest island in the Caribbean. Jamaica should be
thought of as more than just an island, it truly is an archipelago (chain of islands) with the marine
land comprising 24 times the land area of the mainland. Jamaica is home to a wide variety of
communities (or environments) including:
Wet Limestone Forest
Dry Limestone Forest
Thorn Scrub
Cactus Thorn Scrub
Strand Woodland
Lower Montane Rain Forest
Montane Mist Forest
Elfin Woodland
Montane Sclerophyll
Herbaceous Swamp
Mangrove Woodland
Marsh Forest
Jamaica is also home to great biodiversity with over 8,000 species recorded. Jamaica is ranked 5th
among worlds islands in endemic species.
The socio-economic risk associated with sea level rise is great, and will likely have the following
detrimental impacts:
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Increased loss of property and coastal habitats
Increased flood risk and potential loss of life
Damage to coastal protection works and other infrastructure
Increased disease risk
Loss of renewable and subsistence resources
Loss of tourism, recreation, and transportation functions
Impacts on agriculture and aquaculture through decline in soil and water quality.
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North-South Highway Discussion Led by Dale Webber:
North-South Highway (also known as Highway 2000) is the only efficient means of transferring
traffic from the urban centers on the north side of the island to the south side of the island. It
connects Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios. It is a toll controlled access road built by the
contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC). Some highway signs are
displayed in both Chinese and English. It is at least 4 lanes (and sometimes as much as 6 lanes),
and was built to modern engineering and design standards. Rock bolts, retaining walls, and other
slope stability measures are visible along the highway’s deep cuts through the mountainous
terrain. The highway was originally intended to be completed in 2000, although the first phase
was only completed in 2006. Additional phases of expansion to the highway are ongoing.
While driving on the south Highway 2000, a bauxite mine and red waste ponds are visible on the
right (to the west). Bauxite is an aluminum ore associated with the weathering of limestone. The
aluminum is then shipped off the island for sale. The waste from the bauxite processing is very
alkaline (pH = 13). This is obviously not safe for consumption or entering aquifers. Remediation
efforts are ongoing; the best solution at this point seems to be planting alkaline tolerant legumes
which, over time, decreases the pH value.
Kingston Harbor Discussion Led by Dale Webber:
Kingston Harbor is the seventh largest natural harbor in the world and is also one of the naturally
deepest (60 feet in the shipping channel). It is approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) long by 3.2 km (2.0
mi) wide. Combined with a tidal range of only about 1 meter (3.3 feet), Kingston Harbor is an ideal
place for large container ships to dock. This contributes to its position as one of the most
important ports in the Caribbean.
VISIT TO PORT ROYAL MARINE INSTITUTE
Tours included both boat and land perspectives, hosted by Mona Webber, Senior lecturer, Department
of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI):
The Port Royal Marine Institute is part of the University of the West Indies (UWI). The lab, which
has been operating for about 60 years, has many programs for education, research, and outreach.
One such program takes in injured iguanas and turtles and either allows the animals to live at the
lab indefinitely or be reintroduced to the wild. Additional programs include summer camps for
children, a “touch tank” full of starfish and coral.
One of the most impressive programs is performed in conjunction with the zoo in which Jamaican
Iguana eggs are brought to a hatchery. The iguanas are raised to a sufficient age where they can
defend themselves in the wild before being released. These iguanas are also tagged for research
purposes. The Jamaican Iguana is not found anywhere else in the world and was thought to be
extinct until some were found in Hellshire in the 1990s. The threat to the Jamaican Iguana is
predominantly associated with mongoose and pigs eating the baby iguanas, although
anthropogenic factors may also be a concern. This program is important to help maintain
biodiversity. Iguanas are not a food source on Jamaica (although they are eaten elsewhere in the
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Caribbean). Iguanas also do not keep down the mosquito population, although they can eat
occasional mosquitoes when access to vegetation is limited. The lab takes great care to handle
the iguanas as little as possible so they don’t become acclimated to humans.
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Finally, there is a program for conserving, planting, and researching mangroves. Students of the
University of the West Indies perform research on the mangroves and monitor the health and
growth of the trees. Seedlings from red, white, and black mangrove species are collected from
the wild. The trees are grown at the lab for about 1 – 2 years and are then transplanted for living
shorelines to reduce coastal erosion and provide nesting habitat for pelicans and other birds.
Light and salinity of the trees’ environment is gradually ajusted as the trees grow so that they will
be acclimated to the saltwater and direct sunlight conditions upon planting.
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DRIVE TO PORTMORE, STOPPING AT PALISADOES
The Kingston Palisadoes is a tombolo of sand that provides natural protection for Jamaica’s
harbor, the Norman Manley International Airport, and the town of Port Royal. (A tombolo is a
landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land.) The Palisadoes
Rehabilitation Project is an internationally-funded project to restore the tombolo using hybrid
green-gray infrastructure strategies. The project includes dredging sand to replenish the tombolo,
planting mangroves to minimize erosion, and adding large boulders (rip-rap) for armament
protection. In this manner all materials are locally sourced. However, transporting the rip-rap
was a huge undertaking as some of the rocks were so large only a few could be transported in a
single truck load. Presently, three mangrove trees survived the construction done to raise the
road, proving the resilience of this plant. 6,393 more young mangroves (1 – 2 years old) are being
grown at the Marine Institute and are awaiting transplant to the Palisadoes.
Protecting the road on the Palisadoes from flooding is important because it is the only route
connecting Port Royal and the Manley airport to the mainland. This airport is only one of three
international airports in the country, so losing access to it during an emergency could severely
hamper recovery efforts.
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VISIT TO PORTMORE
Office Visit with Phillipa Ricketts-Edmund, Director of Disaster Management for Portmore:
The Office of Disaster Management (established in 2007) is responsible for shelters, evacuation,
and general health and safety of the citizens of Portmore. There have been several ongoing
initiatives including identifying shelter location, mapping evacuation routes, and training the
public on basic first aid. There is also an initiative to help minimize the risk of mosquito borne
diseases (most recently Chikungunya virus). This effort includes going into the community and
removing tires and containers that hold standing water after heavy rain events. These efforts
seem to be effective as the number of cases has decreased since last year, although we are only
at the start of the hurricane season.
It is important to note that the title “Disaster Management” is misleading. One cannot “manage
a disaster,” such as a hurricane or earthquake. One can only try to manage the risk associated
with the disaster by minimizing the damage caused by the disaster event. This is accomplished
through a variety of proactive measures. These efforts are obviously hindered by a lack of funding
for such efforts.
The city of Portmore poses some unique challenges. First, it has a large number of disabled
citizens. Therefore, an extra effort has been made to have wheelchair accessible shelters
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available including ramps and restrooms. Second, it is a densely populated community (182,153
people at the last census) and is the fastest growing urban area in Jamaica. Housing demand is
high due to Portmore’s proximity to Kingston and Spanish Town. Also, there are a number of
informal dwellings which are not necessarily built to standard construction codes. These informal
dwellings must be mapped and accounted for in the evacuation plans in order to properly address
the community’s risk. Third, much of Portmore’s critical infrastructure, such as police and fire
stations, is located in the storm surge zone.
The main natural hazards experienced in Portmore are from wind damage, storm surge, and
flooding. Sea level rise is a longer term hazard that can exacerbate flooding from rain and storm
surge. Wave modeling shows that the 50 year storm surge is 1.0-1.35 m, the 100 year surge is
1.25-1.45 m, and the 150 year surge is 1.3-1.5 m. Because most of Portmore is located at or just
above sea level, these floods pose significant threats to the city. Additionally, the high water table
can prevent flood waters from draining from the city. Hellshire, one of the areas of Portmore with
the highest elevation above sea level, is vulnerable to being marooned, which occurred during
Hurricanes Ivan (2004), Dean (2007), and Sandy (2012).
Portmore has a network of drainage ditches (both concrete and earthen) designed to mitigate
flooding. However, sections of the city can still flood, even during a drizzle. One reason is because
the citizens tend to dump their garbage in the ditches expecting that the floods will take it out to
the harbor. The Office of Disaster Management, therefore, runs a program to clean out the
ditches in advance of a storm. Another reason the city floods is because of the numerous paved
backyards and lack of green space, causing an increase in run-off.
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The Office of Disaster Management has helped design legislation and policy initiatives. In 2009,
an evacuation plan for Portmore was created. Currently, a comprehensive disaster management
plan is being drafted, with the hurricane protocol section already in place. The office has also
partnered with HelpAID International to manage hurricane flood risks for senior citizens and the
disabled and with Hagen to educate the public about climate change. The office functions as an
emergency operations center and runs emergency simulation exercises. They also have a
program to identify children traumatized by disasters and to provide them with psychological
support.
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Bus Tour with Phillipa Ricketts-Edmund, Director of Disaster Management for Portmore:
The geology of Jamaica is predominantly limestone which has experienced varying degrees of
weathering. The limestone is overlain by a layer of fly ash. Landslides and sinkholes are not a
concern; the main karstic feature in Jamaica is caves.
Upon driving through the city of Portmore it becomes apparent that several buildings are very
close to the shore (closer than current zoning codes allow). Older buildings are grandfathered
into current zoning codes and are not required to relocate. However these older buildings cannot
obtain insurance for new additions or major modifications to existing structures. All newer
buildings must apply for a permit for construction near the shore. If a building is constructed in
violation of such a permit, the building will be demolished at the owner’s expense.
Portmore is home to many church buildings. These churches are often built on hills and therefore
appear less prone to flooding than many of the surrounding houses and businesses. Likewise
churches would seem like a logical place to act as an emergency shelter. However the churches
are not owned or operated by the Office of Disaster Management, and therefore are not formal
shelters. Disaster Management is aware of the importance of the church to the community and
does offer resources such as training for emergency response purposes.
Portmore has many houses built of concrete, which is ideal for withstanding hurricane winds.
However, this also makes the houses very hot. There is an effort to encourage green roofs to both
cool the buildings and produce vegetables. Unless more funding comes in the future, residents
of Portmore are responsible for purchasing their soil, pots, seeds, etc. The Department of Disaster
Management does offer gardening classes and training for this purpose.
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RETURN DRIVE TO RUNAWAY BAY
Socio-Economic Question and Answer Period, Discussion of Led by David Dodman, Group Head for
Human Settlements at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED):
The railroads lines on Jamaica were originally constructed in the mid-1800s by the British crown
while Jamaica was a British colony. The railroad system has since been abandoned, ending most
services by the late 1900s. Occasional small lines are still in use for shipping of bauxite, but no
commuter rail services are present today. Some discussions are ongoing regarding construction
of a light rail system to connect Kingston to the suburbs. Ideally this would use the existing rail
lines. However, since the lines were no longer operational, encroachment on the rail line has
taken place, making this option difficult.
Solar panels would be a great option for electricity for Jamaica. This is because they are relatively
portable, do not produce greenhouse gases, and Jamaica has a lot of direct sunlight. However,
solar panels are not produced on the island, and therefore must be imported. The Jamaican
government has placed a high tariff on imported solar panels (over 100%), making it unaffordable
for most Jamaicans. The University of West Indies has obtained a few solar panels for research
purposes, and are working on prototyping a Jamaican solar panel.
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