Piloting Natural Resource Valuation within Environmental Impact Assessments

The proposed MSP will develop natural resource valuation (financial and economic) tools to be used to strengthen a holistic approach to the implementation of policies, programmes, plans and development projects with particular reference to strengthening the national implementation of MEAs. In particular, the project will incorporate natural resource valuation tools in the implementation of the Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA), ensuring that governmental development policies are better informed of environmental values (i.e., biodiversity conservation, environmentally sound and sustainable land management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies) to national economic priorities. Furthermore, the project will incorporate natural resource valuation tools into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, allowing for a more informed decision in the permitting process of development projects. Overall, this project will strengthen the implementation of the SEA and EIA processes, facilitating greater compliance to national environmental legislation, which in turn will contribute to helping Jamaica meet its obligations under the CBD, CCD and FCCC.