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Starting in the summer of 2022, Island City Lab and our partners, Arup, embarked on a research exploration of critical water issues in Jamaica as part of the Arup Global Challenge competition. Island City Lab would like to say thank you so much for supporting us on this journey.
Our proposal took many twists and turns as we learned more about local water issues from communities, experts, and other invested stakeholders. But as we explored challenges around water supply, water quality and flooding what became clear was that these issues (while inextricably linked) are often managed in very isolated ways. Nature based Solutions (NbS) present a pathway to address all these issues simultaneously but lack the recognition as a solution across Jamaica. NbS are actions to protect, manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature.
The goal of this project is to create a pathway for nature-based solutions to be widely deployed in Kingston, Jamaica.
Aim: To demonstrate flood mitigation potential of NbS in an urban environment
Output: Development of a “Living Lab” of NbS at the Abilities Foundation campus.
We will explore, design and implement a series of nature-based solutions (NbS) to solve the perpetual flooding issues on the school’s campus. As one of the first (if not the first) this site will create an opportunity to study the impacts of small-scale NbS.
It will also be an aesthetic and educational asset for students and staff.
Aim: To catalyze an inclusive ”green collar” workforce
Output: Creation of a NbS curriculum geared towards technical and vocational students.
We will develop a curriculum focused on the practical and technical skills to implement small scale nature-based solutions. These could include solutions like:
rain gardens, bio-swales, green roofs and rain barrels. While some of this knowledge might be available in local engineering or architecture schools, there is a need to disseminate this knowledge more broadly through practical and vocational training institutes.
Aim: To guide the implmentation of NbS across Kingston
Output: Development of a Nbs scaling strategy
We will design an evidence-based strategy that can guide the targeting of NbS across Kingston to create the most positive impact. This strategy can include GIS analysis, and can leverage Arup’s TerrAIn tool to understand levels of imperviousness, runoff and urban flooding around the city.
The success of this project and its ability to catalyze change depends on broad collaboration and partnership. We will be reaching out in the upcoming weeks to re-engage key stakeholders as we develop a detailed project plan and
move ahead with implementation.
Looking forward to making this plan a reality!