Jamaica Environment Trust

Jamaicans for Clean Air and Water (JCAW)

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Many Jamaican communities are affected by poor air and water quality from a variety of sources including mining, quarrying, other industrial activities and discharges, and open burning. Air and water quality data is not proactively disclosed to the public by government agencies and the health standards used by regulators to assess the quality of air and water are in need of review. Communities are therefore not able to easily assess the public health risks and environmental impacts of poor air and water quality.

Through funding from the Commonwealth Foundation, Jamaicans for Clean Air and Water (JCAW) (2016 – 2018) animated communities around their air and water quality issues, by conducting stakeholder meetings with the Jamaican government and private sector companies and delivering workshops on environmental advocacy. In October 2017, JET published a Review of the Legal and Policy Framework for Air and Water Quality in the Island of Jamaica, which can be found here. Under JCAW JET also raised public awareness of air and water quality issues and impacts through an engaging and relevant public education campaign, which has included the production of filmed testimonials from communities with air and water quality issues, animated PSAs and infographics on environmental laws related to air and water pollution. One page publications were also produced outlining the law as it relates to water pollution, and air pollution.