Sustainable Community Development in Jamaica (2010)

The Blue Lagoon, located in close proximity to Port Antonio is truly one of Jamaica’s natural treasures. As the sun shines down, the waters in this tropical paradise change color with hues of green and blue. The surroundings mirror that of yesteryear, with colorful indigenous animal species and plant life coupling with vibrant locals, offering an experience that can simply be described as authentic. This is a location which warms the hearts of local inhabitants as well as intrigues those who visit. It has the potential to become one of Jamaica’s premier eco-tourism destinations.

Although the landscape and natural beauty of the area are unparalleled, the continuous degradation of the area is beginning to show adverse effects. Increasing pollution levels and a stagnant local economy are starting to threaten the environmental integrity of what was once a pristine hideaway for some of the world’s greatest Hollywood stars. It is not only the Blue Lagoon and surrounding area which has seen consistent decline; Jamaica as a whole has fallen victim to environmental decline through population growth, agricultural expansion, shifting land cultivation and mining, land clearing for housing and the consumption of wood for energy. Recent support from Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, for environmental and economic initiatives and his acceptance of the lead role of the country’s environmental portfolio shows that now may be the opportune time for the Blue Lagoon to receive the much needed restoration it deserves.

A Jamaican-led Project Management Team, in collaboration with the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), developed a Scope of Work plan for evaluating the potential for sustainable community development in Jamaica, the heart of which was development of an action strategy initiated, driven, and completed by the community toward socio-economic improvement, environmental preservation, and the promotion of cultural heritage sites, referred to as "Blue Lagoon Restoration 2010 - Sustainable Community Development in Jamaica." This public participatory, comprehensive assessment approach (what we call a "Jump-Team" assessment) for the Portland Parish region of Jamaica attempted to identify and integrate the various community resource assets, including cultural heritage sites, into a better understanding of how to proceed with sustainable community development for the region that builds upon cultural assets and other resources the communities know about in terms of community-supported value-added strategies. We used a Stakeholder Survey to collect information from all people interested in this project.

This community sustainability assessment process was conducted from November 10-19, 2010, culminating with a Blue Lagoon Restoration Summit on November 20, 2010 for the purpose of initially evaluating the position held by community leadership and GOJ Ministries, appraising the will of the people, and identifying cultural heritage, natural, and human assets that can be leveraged in concert to support the rehabilitation of Jamaican Heritage Tourism in light of “re-branding” ideas and the implementation of certain conventions important to promote the Country’s overall tourism economy. The stakeholders attending the Blue Lagoon Summit of 2010 were given the opportunity to influence the future by becoming part of a revitalization process which could have a positive environmental and economic impact on an area which deserves to be preserved.

The overall intent of this Summit was to promote a regional economy that binds communities together and keeps people and place healthy while everyone has the opportunity for making money and living an acceptable quality of life. To obtain an Information Kit for familiarizing yourself further on the project go to the Participant Information Kit. The assessment effort was also intended to serve as a public awareness stimulus, alerting all stakeholders to the need for creating regional volunteer-driven Community Ambassadorship Programs (CAP) for the purpose of keeping intellectual and material wealth at home in local communities, preserving and enriching the natural systems of water, air, and land, and practicing ways of living that foster sustainable socio-economic endeavors based upon the cultural heritage resources of the region. The result of the November 2010 Jump-Team work in Jamaica was the production of "Next Steps" for Portland Parish to pursue in seeking community improvement and sustainable community development. This "Next Steps" report was provided to the Jamaica government through JNHT, as well as the Portland Parish Council.

As a precedent and guide for our Jamaica program, the Dauphin Island Project which was undertaken in Alabama, USA dealt with the rejuvenation of a coastal island which was devastated by several hurricanes. Lead by Dr. Warren Flint, an expert in the field of sustainable community development, the Dauphin Island project can be used as a benchmark for evaluating potential initiatives in the Blue Lagoon region of Jamaica.

Learn more about the Blue Lagoon Summit 2010 and your opportunity to get involved at our member site. Or Contact Us directly.

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