Ajani Jacobs | Why foster a mutually beneficial relationship between development and the environment?

Like the rest of the world, Jamaica is striving for increased development to meet the needs of its citizens and satisfy an increasing standard of living, but this is often at the expense of the environment. This approach to development is highly unfavourable and offers no long-term sustainability as it overlooks environmental goals and disrupts environmental structures and dynamics. This practice worsens environmental conditions and leads to more severe climate-change impacts which can threaten lives and livelihood. It is therefore important for Jamaica to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between development and the environment. This approach will build resilience in the built and natural environment, which is critical as the island is susceptible to different climate-related hazards such as storms, hurricanes and extreme events including drought and flooding.

Environmental goals cannot be seen as separate or lesser than economic goals, and accepting environmental damage as a by-product of development will lead to environmental collapse. We must acknowledge that pursing economic growth at the expense of the environment is no longer a viable option, as the environmental conditions we are now facing reflect the inheritance of past processes and the action of current ones. We must now contend with the consequences of these processes which have left us exposed to climate chaos, pollution, biodiversity loss and overconsumption of natural resources, leading to availability issues. To mitigate these challenges, while aiming for more development and opportunities, it is imperative to take actions that will put Jamaica on a sustainable path and secure the nation’s resources and environment for generations to come. To do this, we must do away with the hostile relationship between development and the environment and embrace a more futuristic mutually beneficial one that is ideal for sustainable development. This concept is even recognised and supported by the United Nations, which created a commission to explore ways to save the human environment and natural resources, while preventing deterioration of economic and social development.

PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT

It must be said that Jamaica has, to some extent, developed strategies to foster this mutually beneficial relationship through Vision 2030 Jamaica – the national plan for development. In this plan, Goal 4 addresses having a healthy environment, with outcomes being sustainable management of natural resources, hazard risk reduction, climate change adaptation as well as sustainable urban and rural development. However, since the launch of the plan in 2013 we are still facing a number of challenges, such as balancing the need for development and protecting our environment. With 2030 bearing down on us, we must address these challenges to achieve Goal 4 to prevent permanent and harmful impact to the natural environment and protect communities and citizens. This is of great importance to the island as it is fragile and prone to periodic natural disasters which are likely to be more severe and frequent due to global warming. Creating policies that foster this mutuality can lead to economic development that enhances and protects the natural environment and brings social benefits.

One local example of this integrated approach is the Wigton Windfarm. This is a clean energy facility whose operations contribute to preserving the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change while generating economic and social benefits. It capitalises on wind energy as a renewable energy source and a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels which have serious environmental impacts. For more sustainable solutions such as these to be implemented, we consider economic, social and environmental development which are the three core aspects of sustainability. There is no doubt that Jamaica must undergo physical, economic and social transformation to boost economic activity and development, but this should not be at the expense of the environment. The solution lies on policies that favour sustainable development where there is a balance between development and environmental protection and communities. We should aim for development that meets the need of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Ajani Jacobs is a 2019/2020 Chevening Scholar who recently completed his MSc in water engineering at Brunel University London.