Sophia Frazer Binns | Balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability

The balance between environmental protection and development is an ongoing debate with compelling arguments on both sides. Can economic growth be achieved only to the detriment of the environment? Is economic growth inimical to environment preservation? The challenge lies in finding a balanced medium that allows both the economy and the environment to flourish.

The use of arable lands for housing, the overturning of the Natural Resources and Conservation Authority’s (NRCA) decision to deny mining in the ecologically sensitive Puerto Bueno Mountains, and the disruption of mangroves in an area zoned for conservation is a trend. One that suggests that he Government is yet to achieve the delicate balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability even in the face of the unprecedented climate crisis.

With the economic crises brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government is duty bound to facilitate, if not lead, the economic recovery. However, should this be to the detriment of the environment? The reality of the existential threat of climate change and environmental degradation compels the Government not only to lead the economic recovery process, but also the efforts to preserve and protect the environment from degradation, including increased consumption of non-renewable resources, higher levels of pollution, and the potential loss of environmental habitats.

MINING AND QUARRYING

In 2018, the mining sector accounted for 2.7 per cent of GDP and 1.2 billion of our US Dollars earnings. There has been growing advocacy about how mining is done and its deleterious effects on the environment and human life, including physical and financial effects. Indeed, there is a school of thought that mining, while contributing to employment, has resulted in lasting destruction of flora and fauna. The displacement of persons who relocate to facilitate mining activities, lack of title for lands, and individuals’ general inability to restart life are some of the obvious effects. However, the true effects of mining on the lives of people and their communities are yet to be quantified.

The lack of a balance is no more evident than in the Bengal Development matter, where Prime Minister Andrew Holness overturned the NRCA’s decision and granted a mining permit to Bengal Development Limited. The nation was told that through this enterprise, the country would benefit from $635 million in taxes and the creation of 100 jobs. The prime minister stated that his administration’s decision was made to protect the environment while ensuring economic development. The question, therefore, is whether this investment trumps the degradation and destruction of the environment. This remains a mystery as at the time of writing this paper, it is unclear whether an analysis to determine the dollar-value impact, benefit or loss to the environment was done. Nonetheless, it is clear that the potential effect on the environment is very likely to be widespread, otherwise the prime minister would not have imposed an unprecedented seventy-tw0 conditions. Regrettably, as a nation, we have not done a good job of quantifying by way of a dollar value, or otherwise, the effects of these activities on the environment.

TOURISM

It is unfortunate that after years of discussion about the importance of the environment, successive governments have not sought to advance the climate change or environmental-protection agenda in a real way. The most glaring act in recent time is the decision to grant planning permission in an area zoned for conservation in Hanover, thereby disturbing acres of mangroves. This is particularly worrying in a time when hurricane frequency and strength are unprecedented and where it is original knowledge that mangroves naturally protect against storm surges and flash floods.

From all indications, it appears that the developers of the hotel in Hanover followed the required processes and procedures in obtaining its permit. Notwithstanding, the heart of this decision is less about the development of a hotel, than the long-lasting and permanent destruction of mangroves and seagrass to the detriment of the environment.

While we celebrate Jamaica’s expansion of key industries such as tourism, concerns about how the expansion has taken place are not without merit as often, such expansions are implemented in ways that negatively affect our environment. The charge for the Government, as for all stakeholders, is to find ways to develop the tourism product using environmentally sustainable practices. Consideration must be given to a strategic and well-designed plan supported by political and community will for eco-friendly community tourism. The benefit of this transcends beyond an increase in tourist arrivals and brings hard cash into some of our most needy communities through admission to various community/cultural or heritage sites, community entertainment, or patronage of local businesses while the tourists enjoy another side of Jamaica and rediscover our authentic culture.

The declining health of our marine ecosystem must be addressed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the economy. Ironically, the beauty of Jamaica has been a major attraction for many tourists, but as more coastlines and wetlands are cleared to make way for hotel developments, the industry will no doubt damage its own appeal. Our goal should be to create a tourism industry that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities.

EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The efficient use of natural resources is key to reducing the negative environmental impacts of economic activity in Jamaica. There is need for a more focused and thoughtful approach to how we use our natural resources grounded in conservation and protection of the environment. Granting a permit with a list of conditions to mitigate the impacts of a proposed project is not adequate. There are some impacts that cannot be mitigated against.

There is evidence that natural resources can be exploited sustainably for economic benefit, however, what is required is a systematic change in how we do things. This must commence with the review and modernisation of existing laws that touch and concern the environment, including the NRCA Act. The role and mandate of the NRCA/NEPA, must be re-examined in line with international best practices in environmental protection and the equitable use of natural resources in economic development. We must, of necessity, revisit the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure. Currently, Jamaica does not have laws to determine the conduct of EIAs or public participation in this process, and the current EIA regime is regulated by NEPA’s internal guidelines. Although these guidelines are fairly comprehensive, the lack of formal binding procedures for the EIA process has resulted in the application of the guidelines on an ad-hoc basis, leading to an unpredictable process and one that has been deemed flawed by the Supreme Court of Jamaica in at least two separate cases. Regulations are urgently needed to create a more transparent, consistent and predictable regime for the conduct and use of EIAs in Jamaica as well as the opportunities for public participation in the decision-making process.

The charge for policymakers is to ensure that our laws, including our planning laws, strike a balance between economic revenue and the ecology through greater engagement of communities, developers, and environmental protection experts.

OPPORTUNITIES

As we search for a solution, we must begin to think outside the box. A recent study by Australia’s Griffith University mapping the future hotspots of carbon emissions from mangrove loss reveals that mangroves are an excellent resource to reduce carbon emission as coastal wetlands - of which mangroves and seagrass are a part - can store up to five times more carbon per acre than other tropical forests. Mangroves, therefore, can be considered as a potential site for implementing carbon finance projects and for trading carbon in the voluntary market. Jamaica could benefit economically from this environmental-protection activity.

The balance between economic growth and environmental protection is in enlightened design, sustainability management and technology, harnessing the human ingenuity of local experts to assist in achieving environmentally sustainable economic development. We must build and live in sustainable cities and end the climate and ecological crises. The path to environmental protection is not through slow or rapid economic growth, but through economic growth that is geared at environmental sustainability. It requires a new way of thinking and operating. The Government must take the lead, with support from civil society groups, the private sector, and community-based organisations.

The time has come for us to have a national consensus on the protection of the environment. The health of our environment is critical otherwise Jamaica as a Small Island Developing State will become more and more susceptible to the deleterious effects of climate change. The best time to act has passed. The second best time is now.

The Opposition is prepared to work with the Government to ensure that there is a balanced and equitable system to achieve economic growth while preserving the environment.

- Sophia Frazer Binns is a senator and shadow minister of land, environment & climate change. Send feedback to lecchange@gmail.com.