Protecting Geoheritage in the Caribbean—Insights from Jamaica

Jamaica is the third largest island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean. The island consists of the Blue and John Crow Mountains in the east, the highest and largest mountain belts in Jamaica; a central plateau; and an undulating western region. The central plateau and western region are dominated by the famous Cockpit Country, which exhibits world-class karst topography. Geologically, the island is situated in a tectonically active zone and straddles the northern margin of the Caribbean Plate. Jamaica consists of several Cretaceous inliers flanked mostly by formations of the White Limestone Group and siliciclastic sediments of the Wagwater and Richmond Formations, creating spectacular geomorphological features. Although a wealth of information has been collected and published on the geology of Jamaica, there is still the issue of protection of natural sites and sites of scientific interest. These sites are under constant threat from development and lack of custodial management. Jamaica is at risk of losing valuable geological data simply because the appropriate attention is not being paid to significant sites. This paper describes strategies used in cultural heritage, natural parks and conservation programmes. The purpose is to develop a set of criteria that can be used to begin the process of protecting significant geological localities. The paper captures the concept of sustainable development, geoconservation and geodiversity for education, public awareness and disaster management (mitigation, planning, risk reduction).