UWI SODECO’s Mangrove Restoration Project Strengthens Climate Resilience in Clarendon

UWI SODECO’s work to restore damaged mangrove ecosystems along Jamaica’s south coast is gaining renewed attention as a practical example of how university-led research combined with best in class technical collaborators can support climate resilience, environmental protection, and community development.

UWI SODECO team members restoring mangroves in Clarendon, Jamaica

The US$4.5 million Mangrove Restoration Project, led by Professor Terrence Forrester and the UWI SODECO team, focuses on the restoration of damaged mangrove forests in Clarendon. The restoration project area extends from Cockpit/Salt River in the east, to Farquhar Beach in the west. The project has been underway since 2020, having been funded by the UK (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) DEFRA and administered by The IADB.

The project’s success has been greatly facilitated by partnerships with Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings Limited, National Environment and Planning Agency, JAMALCO  and other key stakeholders. The initiative reflects UWI SODECO’s wider mission: applying research, partnerships, and community-focused solutions to help address real development challenges in Jamaica and other developing countries.

A science-led response to coastal vulnerability for climate resilience

Mangroves are among Jamaica’s most valuable natural assets. They help reduce coastal erosion, absorb the impact of storm surges and protect nearby communities from extreme weather events as well as supporting marine life, store carbon, 

For coastal communities in Clarendon, these benefits are directly connected to livelihoods, food security, disaster preparedness, and long-term economic resilience.

The need for restoration is urgent. UWI SODECO experts have performed the in depth scientific observations between 2020 and 2023 that established the significant loss of mangroves (1600 ha. of a total 3500 ha.) between Milk River and Salt River due to pressures such as extreme weather (hurricanes), poorly engineered roadways bisecting the forest, other hard infrastructure development, human activity including harvesting of mangrove trees for economic use for its by-products, such as  charcoal production. UWI SODECO is working closely with technical experts and construction companies to implement the restoration actions designed on the basis of the baseline information that will provide ideal conditions for the mangrove forest to regenerate.

Through the Mangrove Restoration Project, UWI SODECO is helping to turn scientific insight into practical restoration action.

Private-sector support adds momentum

Recent reporting by the Jamaica Observer highlighted Tropical Sugar Company Jamaica Limited’s support for the mangrove restoration effort as the company advances a major investment in Monymusk, Clarendon.

This type of private-sector engagement is important because environmental resilience is not only an ecological issue. It also affects infrastructure, agriculture, business continuity, livelihoods, and community safety.

For UWI SODECO, the growing support around the project demonstrates the value of bringing universities, public agencies, private-sector partners, and communities together around shared development priorities.

Natural ecosystems as critical infrastructure

The national importance of the project was also underscored by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, who referenced the value of SODECO’s coastal mangrove restoration work as a form of natural protection against future disasters.

That recognition reinforces a central principle of the project: Jamaica’s natural ecosystems must be treated as part of the country’s resilience infrastructure.

Healthy mangroves can help reduce storm impacts, support fisheries, improve flood regulation, and strengthen the ecological systems that coastal communities depend on.

Restoring ecosystems, protecting communities

As Jamaica continues to face the effects of climate change, including stronger storms, coastal erosion, and pressure on marine resources, the work being led by UWI SODECO offers a practical model for evidence-based environmental action.

The Mangrove Restoration Project is not only about restoring trees. It is about protecting communities, supporting livelihoods, strengthening coastal resilience, and showing how research can serve national development.

Through this initiative, UWI SODECO continues to demonstrate the role of The University of the West Indies in helping Jamaica prepare for a more resilient future.

--

Source attribution: This article was prepared for UWI SODECO based on and with reference to original reporting by Alicia Dunkley-Willis for the Jamaica Observer, published December 7, 2025. Read the original article here