THE EDITOR, Sir:

IT IS with much concern that I write to you to posit another insight into the debacle which took place in the resort town of Ocho Rios recently. We have seen examples of, and spoken of, similar issues that affect our neighbours, Haiti.

The level of deforestation that has existed in the Ocho Rios watershed area is heart-rending. Just over three years ago, Rani Sittol and I, along with other members of our school's environment club and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the wider Ocho Rios area, planted hundreds of trees in the Bogue area. This was because of the removal of trees for, among other things, charcoal burning.

Address problem effectively

Ocho Rios is not the only place that will face this problem if the ministry with responsibility for the environment continues to refuse to take corrective measures to address the problem effectively. We cannot wait until a disaster of this nature happens for the country to spend a hundred million dollars and forget about the problem until we need to spend another hundred million dollars.

The ministry must forge partnerships with the NGOs that exist and supply the requisite funding for an extensive education programme for persons living in these areas, some of whom are squatters. Here, we recognise that this is a multifaceted problem which requires a multifaceted approach. The law must also be allowed to take its full course, despite political affiliation or advantage. We must teach our citizens to be futuristic and not short-term thinkers.

Move away from the same old ways

The expansion of the Schools' Environment Programme into these areas can be an avenue through which this problem can be addressed. We should not just sit back and wait for the problem to recur before additional steps are taken. This problem has continued for far too long.

The Fern Gully/Harrison Town fiasco is shameful. I have watched millions of dollars being spent over the years to resurface the roadway in the same old way and as soon as it rains, even lightly, it goes back to square one. No insight, no vision. Let's see what approach will be taken this time as we continue to rev up the national debt doing the same things the same old ways.

I am, etc.,

KERON D. BROWN

Alderton district

Alderton P.A.,

St Ann