KINGSTON - Rehabilitation of sea and river defence structures in Regions Three, Four and Six should commence shortly.
According to Chief Sea and River Defence Officer, Kevin Samad, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is currently in the process of finalizing the evaluation of works to be done on 15 lots of Sea and River Defence countrywide.
“Before the end of this week we will be able to make submissions to the National Procurement and Tender Board Administration which would then will review the tenders made then proceed to award tenders. We are expecting works to commence early October,” Samad explained.
An amount of $1.4B was allocated in the 2015 National Budget to be expended on sea and river defense. With this allocation, structures in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six and Seven would be improved to ensure that the vulnerability of flooding due to overtopping is reduced.
The government has committed to investing heavily in the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of critical sections of the country’s sea and river defence infrastructure over the next five years, utilizing sustainable and cost-effective designs and solutions.
In addition to the investments, the government plans to develop new and integrated coastal zone policies and strategies to ensure an integrated approach to delivering sustainable sea and river defence management. The National Mangrove Management Action plan will be updated and implemented so as to strengthen the coastal zone management system.
