The development and exploitation of natural resources is at the base of the Jamaican economy. Unfortunately, economic priorities, anarchic industrial development and erroneous international market strategies have given rise to activities which too often threaten the integrity of the resources themselves and their sustainable use.

Among the Jamaican Government’s many commitments to Agenda 21, a national resources protection and development plan was adopted after the 1992 Rio de Janeiro conference.  Consequently, a capacity building program called the « Environmental Action Program » (ENACT) was developed. Under the auspices of the Canadian International Development Agency, this program was the subject of a letter of agreement between the Jamaican and Canadian governments. The project, which represented a commitment of 12$ CDN over eight years is financed jointly by both governments and aims to build capacity in a series of public and private sector institutions as well as community organisations for the planning and management of environmental resources. 

In partnership with the firm Marbek, Dessau was mandated by CIDA as the Canadian executing agency to provide technical and administrative support for the project. A Canadian employee directed the project from the Kingston project office in order to insure its coordination. 

The project consisted of five distinct groups of activities : 

• Environmental Stewardship in Jamaican government operations including ministries and agencies;
  
• The support of organisations and government institutions responsible for the management of natural resources, the development of environmental norms and procedures and their application in Jamaica;
  
• Developing the accountability of businesses and corporations in the private sector for the development, adoption and dissemination of environmental best-practices;

• Support for public and community organisations in planning for sustainable development at the scale of local collectives; 
  
• The development of tools and activities for increasing environmental awareness in schools; sensitising students to environmental issues and supporting teachers in the development of environment related pedagogy.    

Unique aspects

ENACT is remarkable given its accomplishments in all the activity sectors.  This success is due to a series of specific strategies, notably: 

• Finding political and institutional « champions » who not only supported the project, but facilitated networking between participants and were at the origin of necessary changes; 
  
• Assembling a team of Jamaican experts qualified to manage each group of activities as opposed to relying exclusively on foreign experts with little or no knowledge of local mores and customs;
  
• The decision to « coach » as opposed to manage the Jamaican team at a rhythm suited to the various groups involved.

 Among the most notable results; the adoption of a sustainable development policy by the Jamaican government and a training program for civil servants in environmental stewardship and sustainable development, the inclusion of environmental and sustainable development preoccupations in primary school curricula, the publication of an environmental portrait of the Portland Parish, the development of a new procedure for the adoption and application of the regulation, the training of local environmental officers in the application of the laws and regulations, the creation of the « Business Council for the Environment », a prime opportunity to sensitise private sector representatives to environmental issues, and the preparation of an environmental best-practice guide for the coffee industry.