May 25, 2009 No. 11/09-BD CDB TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR NATIONAL SPATIAL PLAN FOR JAMAICA The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is to provide a technical assistance grant equivalent to USD678,000 to the Government of Jamaica to prepare a National Spatial Plan. The Government considers the Plan to be critical to its long-term strategy to improve the overall development planning process, including environmental and natural resources management, which will assist Jamaica in charting a more sustainable development path. Preparation of the National Spatial Plan is expected to provide the framework for Jamaica's development to the year 2030, setting out strategic priorities to support growth and sustainable economic development. Among the specific objectives of the Plan are to identify priorities for the improvement of infrastructure to support long-term development that promotes more sustainable patterns of transport and land use; to identify priorities and opportunities to promote development which will help to regenerate communities and enable disadvantaged communities to access opportunities; and to address the major challenges of global competition, disaster risk reduction and climate change response, while protecting the environment, improving natural resources management and enhancing the quality of the built environment. The proposed process of preparation of the National Spatial Plan provides many opportunities for consultation with key stakeholders, which is critical to gaining public support and ownership of the Plan.