In signing the 1992 UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), the Government of Jamaica has made the commitment to protect its unique natural resources. Cockpit Country of Jamaica is recognized locally and globally both for its premier limestone karst geomorphology and for its biological diversity. The endemic biodiversity of this area is such that it is not only of interest to Jamaica alone, but is also of high global significance. The Area is also strategically situated where it protects critical water resources for all of western Jamaica, directly impacting downstream on the coastal zone where most of Jamaica's tourism industry is located.
The Preamble to the CBD recognizes that biological diversity should be conserved for its intrinsic value and its importance for the sustainable functioning of the biosphere, not primarily for its economic exploitation. The CBD expresses the concerns of the Conventions of Parties that biological diversity is being reduced at unprecedented rates and such losses will threaten not only the functioning of ecosystems but also human well-being via changes in aesthetic, health and cultural benefits as well as economic features. Although the value of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem stability and function is understood poorly, "a lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to avoid or minimize threats of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity."

Experiences from other countries clearly show that the protection of biodiversity will not be successful through enforcement alone. Though most of the Cockpit Country is designated as a Forest Reserve, so that Forestry Department (FD) has the mandate to manage the area, the communities that live in and around Cockpit Country need to benefit from biodiversity conservation in order play a role in protecting these same resources.

Cockpit Country will be the focus of a Parks-in-Peril (PIP) programme sponsored by USAID and administered by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). This programme will start in October, 2001 and have a duration of four years. The objective vill be to develop sustainable, conservation capacity so that the long-term goal of conserving Cockpit country Biodiversity is achieved. TNC has identified two organisations local to the Cockpit Country (STEA and WRC) which will centralise and facilitate the programme management.

The basis for the PIP programme will be a Site Conservation Plan to be developed in the first three months (ie Oct-Dec, 2001); it has, however, been recognised that certain actions could be implemented immediately "with no regrets" in order to expedite the process.

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