Overview: Annotto Bay Coastal Protection Beach Nourishment Project

A $197-million contract has been signed to undertake the Annotto Bay Coastal Protection Beach Nourishment Project in St. Mary. The project aims to address the long-standing issue of shoreline erosion and protect one of Jamaica’s most vulnerable coastlines. The contract, signed by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), involves constructing engineering structures to mitigate the impact of sea-level rise and climate change.

The project will see the construction of two groynes to trap sand in place and the placement of sand along 244 meters (800 feet) of the beach. The nourishment will extend the beach 12 meters (40 feet) seaward from the current slope and raise the beach to approximately 1.5 meters (five feet) above sea level.

The project, executed under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), is scheduled for completion in June.

Impact

The Annotto Bay Coastal Protection project addresses significant environmental and community risks associated with shoreline erosion and the increasing impacts of climate change. Key achievements and impacts of the project include:

• Coastal Protection: The construction of groynes and the raising of the beach will protect the coastline from daily wave action and severe storm events, reducing the risk of further erosion.
• Community Focus: Over 5,500 residents who use the beach will continue to have access, ensuring the project benefits the community while enhancing protection measures.
• Mitigation of Climate Change Effects: The project helps to combat the effects of global warming and sea-level rise, which have severely impacted the Annotto Bay coastline in recent decades.
• Preservation of Lives and Property: The project is critical to protecting the livelihoods of those who live in the area by securing the coast from future damage.

For more information, access the full report here.