Despite many public statements at the highest level assuring commitment to environmental protection
and sustainability, the Jamaican government has failed to operationalize these promises. Deforestation,
soil erosion, degradation of coastal ecosystems, over-fishing, poor air quality, poorly managed parks
and protected areas, pollution of harbours, rivers, streams and aquifers, unplanned and unregulated
settlements in areas most vulnerable to natural disasters, inadequate management of solid and liquid
waste, and poor development planning and control are key features of the state of Jamaica’s natural
environment. It has long been recognized that the weakness of the environmental regulatory and
institutional framework is the primary obstacle to good environmental stewardship.