PORTLAND IS the latest to benefit from the $2.5 million Hurricane Ivan rehabilitation programme of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Coastal Water Quality Improvement Project (CWIP).USAID/CWIP provided $7.5 million in a rapid response programme in September, immediately after the Hurricane as well as another $18 million in December, dedicated to assistance in three main areas: business and
agriculture; water and sanitation and rural infrastructure; and repair and rebuilding of schools and health facilities.
Deputy Mission Direct, USAID/Ja-Caribbean, Dr. Kevin Rushing, said that the programmes are designed "to help communities build back better and reduce risks from future
natural threats."
He was speaking at a ceremony in Port Antonio on January 20 to present to the Port Antonio Parish Council, a Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader with backhoe attachments for drain cleaning as well as computers, printers and software for a Geographic Information System (GIS).
The equipment was presented to the mayor of Port Antonio, Councillor Alston Hunter, and Franklyn Smith, secretary/manager of the Portland Parish Council.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Dr. Rushing said that he hoped the equipment "will help the Portland Parish Council identify flood prone areas, produce planning maps and implement a maintenance programme for drains and gullies and a more effective sanitation system for the greater Port Antonio area.
He pointed out that Port Antonio is also the focus of the USAID's Destination Management Programme "which is attempting to bring a set of environmental management activities to the entire parish and have it
certified as an environmentally friendly destination."
Dr. Rushing praised the council, Portland Parish Development Committee, Social Development Commission, Boundbrook Com-munity Development Committee and CWIP teams for the work done in cleaning drains and
gullies in the Boundbrook area before Hurricane Ivan.
"I understand that there was absolutely no flooding in the
surrounding areas that normally would suffer a catastrophe with heavy rains," he expanded.
Planning is now complete for a similar drain-cleaning exercise in Prospect in February, Dr. Rushing said.
