Kingston Harbour Walk design contracts signed as irrigation, ODPEM and forest run updates roll out

Contracts for the second consultancy on feasibility work and detailed designs for Kingston Harbour Walk were signed on Wednesday, advancing plans to remake the capital’s waterfront.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), and a consulting consortium of City Forester, Felix Landscape Architects and Planners, and Aqua and Terra formalised the deal. The phase is costed at US$3.4 million, financed by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the project is a major step in renewing Kingston and building a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous Jamaica. He argued that the Harbour Walk must not be treated as a cautious, low-ambition scheme and that the country should embrace large-scale infrastructure after years of reluctance to build.

UDC board chair Norman Brown said work under the agreement over the coming months will cover shoreline characterisation, hydrographic and urban development studies, stakeholder analysis, environmental and social impact assessments, climate risk and vulnerability assessment, engineering investigations, and detailed designs. The team will also prepare cost estimates and technical documents for later investment delivery. The joint venture is described as bringing combined expertise in landscape architecture, urban design, climate science, coastal and civil engineering, architecture, environmental management, transportation planning and social development.

UDC will oversee the 25-kilometre Kingston Harbour Walk from downtown Kingston to Port Royal in three phases: Marine Police Station to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade building; then to Harbour View; then to Port Royal.

Separately, work has begun on the US$80-million Heartland irrigation project in St. Catherine, with benefits for farmers expected within about three months. Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green launched the scheme on Tuesday, saying pipes have been procured, crews are on site, and he expects to return to commission the water within three months at most. The mini pressurised system is meant to improve water access and climate resilience for 41 farmers in Heartland, with longer-term plans to cover more than 400 acres of former sugar land. It is being built by the National Irrigation Commission with Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings Limited. Green said unpredictable rainfall makes rain-fed farming too risky and that irrigation is needed for viable, sustainable agriculture.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management says it is now compliant with the Data Protection Act after Hurricane Melissa forced it to handle a large personal-data set for storm relief. Director General Commander Gayle, speaking in a JIS interview with Giovanni Davis, said ODPEM created a data protection officer post, completed policy consultancy, trained staff, and has had a DPO since February, with registration as a data processor with the Office of the Information Commissioner still to be finished.

The Forestry Department has launched its first urban forest 5K run, with proceeds to restore Black River mangroves in St. Elizabeth and reforest Silent Hill Forest Reserve, both damaged by Hurricane Melissa. Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda said the event is also a call for public participation in rebuilding forest cover and quality, and that the route will run through Constant Spring, finishing at Constant Spring Golf Club.

Twenty-six St. Catherine pupils received bursaries totalling $390,000 from the Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment Foundation. Beneficiaries from St. John’s, Old Harbour, Orange Field, Davis, Kitson Town and McCauley primary schools collected awards from founder Pauline Gregory Lewis at the Social Development Commission parish office in Spanish Town. She said recipients needed financial help and scored at least 75 per cent in the 2026 Primary Exit Profile exams, and urged them to avoid bad company and excel in high school. Reverend Carl Johnson, pastor of Phillippo Baptist Church and president of the Baptist World Alliance, praised the foundation and asked parents to keep supporting the students.

The ministry also reminded the public that Emancipation Day on Saturday, August 1, will be observed on that date; Independence Day on Thursday, August 6; and Friday, August 7, will be a normal working day.