An international body of environmental scientists will be working closely with the Jamaican Government to help it apply environmental best practices to spatial planning and development.

On a two-day visit to the island recently, William Jackson, deputy director-general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said this would be one of the agency's priorities when it begins work with key government agencies.

"There is a lot of knowledge in Jamaica on environmental issues, but there is a disconnect between that knowledge and political and business decision making," said Jackson.

His comments come amid continued heavy criticism from environmental and interest groups about the lack of cohesiveness between government agencies and the poor application of environmental best practices to large scale developments.

Jackson said the IUCN would assist the Government in living up to commitments it made under several international conventions it has signed.

Technical solutions

"So hopefully we can find some technical solutions and bring these together on issues to do with protected areas and how your agriculture and forest are managed for long-term benefits of nature and man," he said.

The IUCN's work in Jamaica will form part of a wider initiative in the Caribbean. The agency will focus on a number of areas including climate change, renewable energy and proper management of ecosystems.

The IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and non-governmental organisation member bodies, and some 10,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. The IUCN's work is supported by 1,100 professional staff in 62 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. The union's headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.