Along with celebrating our nation's 50th year of independence, we have been busy

measuring, commenting on, criticizing, and generally arguing about the progress our

nation has made over the last 50 years. There is no doubt that for a small island (we are

an archipelago really) we have done well in fields such as sport and music; and the only

argument seems to be whether we should have done better, and having now achieved

what we have...what do we do over the coming half century to take it to the next level?

Sadly, in relation to our nation's natural resources we are not able to say that we have

done as well. No doubt we could be in a worse position now, but no one can reasonably

say that our natural resources are in a better state today than they were some five

decades ago. While the environment and related issues certainly have received more

attention in the last few decades this attention has not resulted in what we had hoped

for in terms of a serious commitment and approach to the management of Jamaica's

natural resources.

So what do the next 50 years hold for Jamaica's environment?

There are likely to be even greater pressures on our natural resources from continued

exploitation, physical development, climate change, and natural disasters. All this in the present day context of a

global recession, Jamaica's own heavily indebted status which leaves our limited financial resources to be paired with

the low priority given to environmental matters. Clearly if there is no significant change in how we act as stewards for

the environment there will be little positive to write about in the year 2062.

While the newly elected JIEP Council will only serve until 2014, and will be long gone by 2062, there is an encouraging

mix of new and not-so-new (let's say experienced!) blood that is eager to push the agenda of the JIEP forward.

As the JIEP is a membership based organisation we want to continue to be relevant to our members by promoting their

interests; but we are also going to play a more active role in the broader dialogue about Jamaica's environment in the

belief that our action over the next couple of years will put Jamaica's environment on the right trajectory for 2062.

Let us know how we can serve you better, what ideas you may have, and of course how you are willing to chip in and

help us.

Prepared by: Krishna Desai, President 2012-2014

Happy 50th Jamaica! JIEP Spotlight 2

Environment in the News 2

Dear JIEP 2

Upcoming Events 2

Past Events 3

Member's Corner 3

Getting to know the JIEP 4

JAMAICA INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

the environmental professional quarterly

Welcome to the October 2012 issue of the Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professional’s (JIEP)

Quarterly Newsletter—The Environmental Professional Quarterly (EPQ). It is the intention that this

newsletter will keep persons informed of the JIEP’s activities and the environmental profession in Jamaica.

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e N o . 3

JIEP MISSION STATEMENT

To maintain high standards of professionalism among our

members in order to improve the environmental

management capacity and practices in Jamaica.

October 2012

Photo credit: Karen McIntyre

the environmental professional quarterly

JIEP Spotlight Krishna Desai, President 2012-2014

PAGE 2

The new JIEP President wears many hats. Some may have ideas/theories/wisecracks as to why, but for the JIEP – it is a major asset!

Krishna began his working career in Marine Science at NEPA where he served for eight years, including a year off to pursue a Masters D e g r e e a t D a l h o u s i e University. While at NEPA Krishna moved up the ranks from Environmental Officer,

to Manager of the Coastal Zone Branch, and then to Director of the Conservation and Protection Division. In 2004, he went back to the University of the West Indies for another Bachelors degree, this time in law. After a brief stint in England, where he assisted the Royal Borough of Kensington

& Chelsea to implement their Environment Strategy, including their Climate Change and Carbon Management Programmes, Krishna returned to Jamaica and worked locally and in the Eastern Caribbean as a Coastal Zone Management Consultant. During that time he completed the Bar and also served as a judicial clerk in the high court. Since 2010 he has been employed to Myers, Fletcher and Gordon in their litigation department, with some emphasis on planning, environmental, and maritime law. In addition to the marine science hat, and his legal hat (did we say diver hat?), Krishna also has a history of serving civil society. In addition to his recent promotion within the JIEP, he is a board member of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) and a member of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET). Krishna is also a member of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment based in the UK. More recently he has become a Dad! Congratulations, Mr. President on your achievements to date and we look forward to the next 2 years.

Prepared by: Karen McDonald Gayle, with Franklin McDonald

Upcoming Events

October LINK-UP The Pub at Devon House (October 3, 2012, 6 PM)

JIEP Quarterly Newsletter (Volume 2, Issue No. 4)

National Tree Planting Day (October 1)

National Wood & Water Day (October 2)

United Nations World Habitat Day (October 3)

November JIEP Speaker’s Forum

Earth Science Week (November 9-15)

Environment in the News International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD) activities: http://www.facebook.com/jamentrust, http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=nB0nkz26ndY

Public health nightmare looms over Pedro Cays: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Public-health-nightmare-looms-over-Pedro-Cays

Iguanas making a comeback, but still under threat: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Iguanas-making-a-comeback--but-still-under-threat_12365020

Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low—Extreme Weather to Come?: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/120828-arctic-sea-ice-global-warming-record-environment-science/

West African and Caribbean seas rank among unhealthiest waters:http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/44967

Dear JIEP Instead of answering a question in this EPQ issue, we decided to pose a

question to our members:

What are you hoping JIEP will achieve in the next two years (2012-2014)?

Please email your answers to jiepsec@gmail.com. Responses will be

collated and published in the January 2013 EPQ issue.

October 2012

PAGE 3

THE AGM

Environmental Management Division, Kingston - June 28, 2012

The AGM, chaired by Council Member Philip Rose (PhD),

commenced with the welcome, apologies for absence and

confirmation of minutes. Marcia Creary (JIEP President 2008-

2012) reported on the JIEP activities over the past year, after

which she was presented with a token of appreciation for her

two terms of service as JIEP President. Sean Townsend (JIEP

Treasurer) presented the financial report for the 2011-2012

year.

Our guest speaker was Margaret Jones Williams (PhD, QEP),

Past JIEP President (2002-2004) and Recipient of the JIEP

10th Anniversary Peter Reeson Award for Service to the JIEP.

Dr. Jones Williams gave a brief history of the JIEP, describing

Dr. Jones Williams gave a brief history of the JIEP, describing

the original vision and journey of the organization. She also

spoke about the role that the organisation may need to think

about playing today.

Election of the 2012-2014 Council resulted in the following

positions:

President: Krishna Desai, Vice President: Karen

McDonald Gayle, Secretary: Tamia Harker, Treasurer:

Sean Townsend, Council Members: Michelle

McNaught, Eleanor Jones, Ava Maxam, Kimberly

Bryan, Susan Otuokon, Philip Rose, Karen McIntyre,

Danaë Vaccianna.

the environmental professional quarterly

Past Events

Member’s Corner Reminder - Membership

Fee Payment Invoices for 2012 memberships

dues have been sent via email to all

JIEP members. For descriptions of

the payment options available to

you (PayPal, Scotiabank E-Services

or Direct Deposit), please visit:

http://www.jiep.org/drupal/

content/e-payments

Additionally, kindly provide the

Secretariat/Council Member with

details of your payment (method

and date) so that the membership

database may be updated

accordingly.

“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say

we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”

POPE JOHN PAUL II

October 2012

Council Member Eleanor Jones (left) presents token of appreciation to Marcia Creary (right)

for her services as President (2010-2012)

President Krishna Desai (left) presents token of appreciation to Dr. Margaret Jones Williams

(right) for her speech.

PAGE 4

the environmental professional quarterly

Looking forward to receiving your comments and any contributions for

content (jiepsec@gmail.com).

Editor’s Note The Environment House, 173 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 8

Tel: (876) 414 9252

jiepsec@gmail.com

http://www.jiep.org

JAMAICA INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROFE SSIONALS

Getting to know the JIEP 2012-2014 Council

President Krishna Desai is a natural

scientist and an attorney-at-law. He has a

B.Sc. (Double major) in Botany and Zoology

from UWI and a Masters of Marine

Management from Dalhousie University. He is

currently employed as a litigator for Myers

Fletcher &Gordon and assists a California

based charity to identify conservation projects.

Eleanor Jones has given over thirty years of

professional service to education, training,

policy, strategy, and systems development in

environment, disaster risk management, and

project development. Mrs. Jones is a founding

partner and Managing Director of

Environmental Solutions Ltd., and Chairman of

ESL Management Solutions Ltd.

Vice President Karen McDonald Gayle

holds a Masters Degree in EIAs and Auditing.

She has over fifteen years of experience

working in a wide range of environmental

management positions and is currently CEO of

the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.

Philip Rose (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Lecturer in

the Department of Life Sciences at UWI. His

research career has been focused in the fields of

Terrestrial Plant Ecology and Botanical

Taxonomy. He is also an environmental

consultant with over 12 years experience.

Secretary Tamia Harker is an

Environmental Scientist currently employed to

C. L. Environmental Co. Ltd. She has a B.Sc. in

Environmental Biology (honours) from UWI

and is currently pursuing an M.Phil. in

Zoology. Tamia has more than four years

experience in the environmental field.

Karen McIntyre is an Environmental and

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) scientist

and has nine years experience in the

environmental field. Karen is the Projects

Manager at Mona GeoInformatics Institute

(MGI), UWI and undertakes contractual work

with CL Environmental Co. Ltd.

Treasurer Sean Townsend is currently the

Manager of the Natural Resources

Management and Environmental Planning

Department at the Urban Development

Corporation. His expertise lies in marine

science, invasive species management and

environmental information dissemination.

Danaë Vaccianna is a practicing

environmentalist for 8 years, having worked in

the construction, Protected Area Management

and Urban and Regional Planning and

Development Fields.

Michelle McNaught has a B.Sc. in Zoology and

Botany (Double major) and a M.Sc. in Tropical

Ecosystems and Assessment Management. She is

the National Coordinator for The CARIBSAVE

Partnership, a not for profit organisation focused

on Climate Change Adaptation and Poverty

Alleviation .

Ava Maxam (Ph.D.) has a PhD in

Oceanography from the UWI where she also

obtained a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Zoology &

Botany. She is currently the Deputy Directory of

Mona GeoInformatics Institute (MGI), UWI where

she manages the projects and programming units

as well as develops GIS training for the institute .

Kimberly Bryan is a senior environmental

analyst at Environmental Solutions Ltd. She

has comprehensive knowledge and practical

experience in environmental assessment,

environmental permit and approval

requirements, environmental monitoring,

impact analysis, and environmental planning.

Susan Otuokon is an environmental

consultant, specializing in protected area and

natural resources management She has a Ph.D.

from UWI - “Ecotourism and its Role as a Tool

for Protected Area Management in the

Caribbean: Case Studies from Jamaica and

Trinidad and Tobago”.

October 2012