Coal Degradation Vs. Sustainable Electric Power Generation In Phuket, Thailand

     The following articles are about stressed electric power supply systems in Phuket, Thailand. Much in the article applies to Jamaica. While mega corporations collude with the government to finance short term profit with long term environmental degradation, off the shelf solutions are ready for implementation with short and long term profit AND a benign footprint on the environment.

PHUKET ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY: 
Coal projects in Krabi threaten ecology

Phuket News
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
 



In the wake of surging energy demand by both the public and private sectors of Phuket and the rest of Southern Thailand, Greenpeace Southeast Asia is urging the Thai government to halt plans to erect a controversial and destructive coal-fired power plant and coal-port project on the fragile wetlands of Krabi. 

The Thailand office of the active environment conservation group recently released a report “Krabi at the crossroads: Dirty Coal vs. Clean  Renewable Energy”, emphasizing that coal is not the answer to Thailand’s energy security.

The group has called on authorities to scrap any/all coal projects in Krabi and embrace a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system that can bring electricity and development, without jeopardizing Krabi’s economy and environment.

“Thailand is at energy crossroads. People are keeping a close eye on the country’s decision makers – will they steer Thailand towards becoming a renewable energy leader or stay on the dirty old path of fossil fuels?” asked Tara Buakamsri, Thailand Country Director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “The proposed plan to build a new coal fired power plant and coal seaport in Krabi is clearly a step in the wrong direction.”

Under Thailand’s Power Development Plan (PDP 2010 Revision 3), an 870 mega-watt coal plant will be built at the location of an existing fuel oil power plant owned by the Electricity Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in Nuea Klong district of Krabi province. Currently, the coal power plant and coal seaport projects are being reviewed in an Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) process. The projects are slated for  construction in 2015, and would be operational in 2019.

“The meager benefits from the proposed coal power plant would in no way compensate for the losses for Krabi’s economy, local livelihoods and tourism,” Tara added. “Krabi is not only a centre of marine biodiversity in the region, but it also provides vital livelihoods and revenue. The estimated annual use value of the Ramsar site in Krabi River Estuary is $9.7 million [B311 million] for recreation and tourism alone. This does not even include the factor of the economic value of fishing, aquaculture and agricultural related activities for the economy.”

The report launched today details how, after an inadequate Environment Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) process, the government and EGAT plan to expand coal in Krabi in spite of the area being renowned asa global marine biodiversity hotspot and a Ramsar site. In addition, the report also identifies impacts on Krabi’s local tourism as well as the local economy, the past hidden cost of coal for Krabi residents, and the failure in Environment Health Impact Assessment. More importantly, the report proposes a decentralized hybrid Renewable Energy system as a solution for Thailand’s energy future.

“Krabi is in the position to be a leader in developing a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system from its own power potential such as biomass, biogas, solar and wind,” said Asst. Prof. Dr.Jompob Waewsak, Director of Research Center in Energy and Environment, Thaksin University (Phatthalung Campus). “Thailand was among the first countries in Asia to introduce incentive policies for the generation of electricity from renewable energy (RE) sources. Programmes for small and very small power producers created predictable conditions for RE investors to sell electricity to the grid. This is a good start to expand investments in renewable energy, and should be pursued by the government.”

Greenpeace believes that, instead of constructing a coal plant, a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system is the solution for Krabi, supplemented by a rural and community-based development approach. The group says this is a win-win solution for the climate, local job creation, empowerment of communities, and people facing energy poverty, and gives Thai businesses a chance to grow. Greenpeace has urged EGAT and the government to stop pursuing the ill-advised and destructive coal project, to preserve Thailand’s fragile wetlands and the rich marine environment, and to fully implement its
energy efficiency development plan (2011-2030) and alternative energy development plan (2012-2021).

To learn more about the reasons why the coal seaport and power plant are being developed, i.e. Southern Thailand's energy demands,see this related story (also posted below) - http://www.thephuketnews.com/coal-development-plans-take-gloss-off-andamans-emerald-45389.php

Dear conscious consumers,
     The fact is, you, and I, as electricity wasters in Phuket, are part of the problem. After all, guess where all of our power is coming from? Off-island fossil fuels! However, it is
possible and ever-necessary for you to make a statement against the development of coal infrastructure, simply by reducing your own grid-power dependency today – now!
     One simple way you can do this is by installing a basic solar power (or wind) system at your home/villa at once. Tired of constant black-outs? With home renewable energy systems in Phuket already available between B30-70 per watt, this means for as little as B20,000 (about a 200-watt system with a battery and controller), you can have a basic “fossil fuel free” supplementary power system that will charge all your latest IT devices, lighting and even some fans or water pumps for the garden, for at least the next 20 years –
 that works out to less than B100 a month!
     Considering the dire situation in Krabi (which is happening because of 8 million plus
consumers straining the grid for more power), it doesn’t make sense not to make the investment in renewable energy. So while Greenpeace does their part to campaign, don’t wait for the government to act/react, do something for yourself, for Southern Thailand, now and today. To consult about solar/wind home system installations, consider phoning up MonoSun Technology on 076 263 717.  – Steven Layne, Life Editor

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-environment-energy-coal-projects-in-krabi-threaten-ecology-48742.php


The following is the article referenced above:

Coal development plans take gloss off Andaman's Emerald

ENVIRONMENT: The already-fragile environment of one of Southern Thailand’s top tourism gems, Krabi, is facing an imminent threat from developments in the local energy sector, warns a prominent environment watch-group.

By Steven Layne
Thursday, 27 March 2014

Stakeholders and villagers in Krabi’s Neua Khlong district have been deeply divided about the controversial plans of the Energy Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to build a B60 billion coal-fired power plant in addition to a seaport for unloading and transporting imported coal.

Proponents argue that energy demand in Southern Thailand is already outstripping local supply, and that the two projects are necessary to increase EGAT’s electricity supplying capacity in Southern Thailand, by at least 870 megawatts when the plant is aimed to open in 2019.

EGAT currently operates four power plants in the South: a 340 MW natural gas, fuel and oil fed plant in Krabi’s Khlong Neua district; a 244 MW natural gas and diesel fired plant in Surat Thani’s Phun Pin district, a 731 MW natural gas plant in Songkhla’s Chana district; and an 824 MW natural gas plant in Nakhon Sri Thammarat’s Khanom district.

Although the combined maximum capacity of these plants is about 2.1 gigawatts (2,100 MW), EGAT has reported its actual operational capacity for the South at only 1.6GW, pointing out that the current demand exceeds 2.2 GW, which is why the region depends on the country’s central power grid to supply the excess 600 MW.

Through its subsidiary Electricity Generating Co (EGCO), EGAT is planning to open a new 930 MW natural gas plant adjacent to the site of the old Khanom plant, with the old plant to be decommissioned and the new plant to commence operations by 2016. Additionally, the state-owned power utility is looking to open a second Chana plant this year, which would add 800 MW to the grid when it opens.

Using as a precedence last year’s region-wide black-out that left more than 8 million people in the dark for hours – causing an estimated B10 billion in damages – EGAT insists that it must go forward with the development of Krabi’s coal sector.

Opponents, however, argue that the planned projects will pose dire consequences for Krabi’s coral reefs, sea grass, mangroves and nursing grounds for aquatic species – not to mention air pollution and further depletion of the planet’s finite supply of fossil fuels.

“EGAT must acknowledge the threats that coal brings to Krabi,” said Chariya Senpong, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “We fear that the public scoping for the Ban Klong Ruo Coal Seaport project will be no different to the one organised earlier for the coal plant.”

Ms Chariya is referring to a series of public hearings, the most recent held last Sunday (March 9), as part of development project requirement for conducting an environmental health impact assessment (EHIA).

“Both assessments [for the power plant and seaport] identified only the impacts that they [EGAT] are able to mitigate, and plays down the environmental, societal, and economic harm the project will cause. The reports will just be procedural compliance for EGAT to carry on with the project,” noted Chariya.

Planned for Krabi’s Taling Chan subdistrict – about half way between Mueang Krabi and Koh Lanta – the Ban Klong Ruo Coal Seaport project is part of EGAT’s strategy to find ways to transport imported coal from Indonesia, Australia and Africa, to the coal-fired plant in Khlong Kanan subdistrict, also in Khlong Neua district.

Last week at a press conference held in Bangkok, energy experts and representatives from the tourism association of Koh Lanta warned the public about serious consequences from the building of the Ban Klong Ruo Coal Seaport, which is planned for a site that lies in an area listed as wetlands of international importance.

“Krabi is the ‘Emerald of Andaman’, a world class tourist destination that is not only well-known for its beauty but is also rich in marine biodiversity,” said Therapot Kasirawat, Chairman of the Koh Lanta Tourism Association. “These projects are in opposition to the Krabi development plan which focuses on eco-tourism for economic development.”

According to a press release by Greenpeace, throughout the year, including in the [southwesterly] monsoon season, the unloading of coal from larger ships to smaller ones will take place at sea around Koh Lanta. The coal will be unloaded again at Ban Klong Ruo Coal Seaport to a 8.4 kilometre-long conveyor belt in order to deliver coal to the power plant.

In addition to the severe damage it could cause to Krabi’s natural resources, the watch-group says the project will also have detrimental consequences on sustainable livelihoods and local fisheries.

“Greenpeace is calling on EGAT to cancel all coal development in Krabi and create an Andaman Sanctuary for Environmental Protection in the sea area around Ranong, Phang-Nga, Krabi, Phuket and Satun, as well as to promote the development and investment in renewable energy throughout the Kingdom,” said Chariya.

Chariya and Greenpeace are appealing to all Thais and foreigners to take action by signing an online petition to ‘Protect Krabi’ at the website protectkrabi.org.

 Meanwhile, everyone can have a positive impact on the environment by reducing their dependence on the energy grid – after all, every little bit helps.

http://www.thephuketnews.com/coal-development-plans-take-gloss-off-andamans-emerald-45389.php

Green Peace Thailand Facebook page - worth looking at even if you can't read Thai - https://en-gb.facebook.com/greenpeaceseath

African Union To Haiti - You Can Come Home

       This is from The Mail & Guardian in South Africa - from a blog on the M&G web site called "Guardian Africa Network".
 

‘They shipped you there, so come back to us’

By Afua Hirsch
From an African perspective, going to the Caribbean can be a disarming experience. On many of the islands, the people look distinctively west African, their national dishes are barely changed versions of African food (compare Nevis’s “cook-up” to Ghana’s “waakye” and I challenge you to spot the difference), and their Creole dialects are often almost direct translations of African languages into English or French.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that cultural ties, stretched and distorted by 5,000 miles, slavery and the passage of several hundred years, are still strong enough to produce some kind of political union between Africa and the Caribbean. And sure enough, in January the African Union is poised to admit Haiti as a member, which if it happens, will be the first time any nation with no geographic connection to the continent of Africa will have joined.
More than any other Caribbean nation, Haiti occupies a special place in the affection of many Africans and members of the African diaspora. The country endured decades of still prescient punishment for daring to overthrow its slave masters, becoming the world’s first independent black nation in 1804 – the slave rebellion’s leader Toussaint L’Ouverture hailed from Benin. Haiti used its independence and membership of the United Nations in the post-war period to back decolonisation during the fraught period of African independence.
And now it has a level of poverty gives it more in common with many African nations than its wealthier Caribbean neighbours, who have been known to regard Haitan refugees as a nuisance. After the 2010 earthquake, the Democratic Republic of Congo – which struggles to finance its own budget – pledged $2.5m in aid to the devastated country. Senegal offered land and places at its university to Haitan students. As the African Union chairman, Jean Ping, said: “We have attachment and links to that country. The first black republic … that carried high the flame of liberation and freedom for black people and has paid a heavy price for so doing.”
Despite all this, it’s unlikely the primary reasons for Haiti’s interest in AU membership are emotional. At the AU summit in July, the Haitan information minister compared the country’s interest in the union with its interest in the EU.
There is much for poor, aid-dependent Haiti to gain from battles African nations have already fought, not least debt cancellation. It is also telling that when Haiti was granted observer status at the AU back in February, one of the first things its ambassador Ady Jean Gardy did was to enter Haiti in the inter-ministerial conference on China-AU investment. Relative to the now-booming economies of many African nations, Haiti attracts very little foreign direct investment, and Africa’s example – imperfect as it is – is a natural one to follow. Meanwhile, intra-African trade is on the rise, and Haiti would do well to find itself included.
The rest of the Caribbean is wealthier and so lacks such practical incentives to join forces with Africa. But that doesn’t mean Haiti won’t set a precedent. After all, the AU was founded off the back of African legends such as Kwame Nkrumah and Leopold Senghor, pan-African and négritude principles were themselves directly inspired by leaders from the Caribbean – Jamaican Marcus Garvey, Martinican Aimé Césaire and Trinidadian Henry Sylvester Williams.
The Senegalese consultant Babacar M’Bow, who has been working behind the scenes for AU membership for Haiti, summarised his view of what Africans think about Haitians. “[Africans] think ‘well they shipped you over there, so come back to us.’” It looks like they just might.
Afua Hirsch is the Guardian’s west Africa correspondent based in Ghana.

http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/guardianafricanetwork/2012/10/24/they-shipped-you-there-so-come-back-to-us/

Poor Man Feel It - Blackout In The Ghetto

  Shortly after the JPS announced with satisfaction that Jamaicans have an improving view of the JPS, it is now time to to target the thievery. But thievery will continue. JPS says they have tried everything. But not quite. Local solar power changes the dynamic. Communities invested in their power generation. No more thievery.

JPS cuts service to communities with high levels of theft

We have tried everything, says power supplier

Monday, May 12, 2014 | 2:28 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) on Monday said it is cutting the number of hours it provides power to communities where more than 70 per cent of the electricity supply is stolen.

"This is part of the company’s strategy to get more persons to pay for the electricity they use, and reduce the overall cost to paying customers," a release from JPS said.

The communities to be affected in the initial phase of this curtailment strategy are: Jones Town, Seaward Drive, Trench Town, Denham Town, Rema, Maxfield Avenue, Central Village, and sections of Spanish Town Road.

"JPS has been working with these communities for some time, with limited success, and continues to encourage illegal users to take immediate steps to have their service regularised," the release said. "The company has indicated that, in recognition of its obligation to serve paying customers in the affected communities, it will make an effort to provide electricity for not less than 12 hours per day, and will remain sensitive to the safety concerns of the residents.

"JPS is also making every effort to minimise the impact on the businesses, hospitals, and schools in these communities," the release added.

“We have tried everything to reduce electricity theft,” JPS senior VP for Energy Delivery, Gary Barrow said. “Our efforts have included a combination of initiatives, such as the removal of illegal ‘throw up’ lines, account audits and meter investigations, arrests in collaboration with the police, community intervention and the installation of costly technology solutions. The company also has more than 200 employees working to reduce losses.”

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JPS-cuts-service-to-communities-with-high-levels-of-theft

More Electricity Theft But Hey We Look Good!!!

Hmmmmm.... theft goes up, image improves....... less enforcement?

As I have said, let communities be invested in local power generation - solar panels - and theft will decrease.

Oh - and image will go up!

JPS public image improved despite soar in power theft

Friday, May 02, 2014    

POWER distribution monopoly, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) said that its public image improved significantly last year despite a 56 per cent jump in power theft to US$43.5 million ($4.7 billion).

"A primary focus of JPS in 2013 was creating a positive public image," said the light and power company in its latest annual report. "The results were encouraging. A comparison of the media exposure for 2012 and 2013 shows a significant improvement in positive references to the company and an increase in neutral references / objective discussions about JPS - even by media personnel."

JPS's campaign involved building and strengthening of relationships with key stakeholder groups; creating and maintaining a positive media presence; improving general understanding of JPS' operations; establishing and utilising the JPS Foundation to support national development; and increasing the visibility of employee involvement in the community.

Additionally, JPS appointed its first female President Kelley Tomlin, who focused on humanising the monopoly.

"During the year, our social media reach recorded a growth of more than 160 per cent in our dedicated audience (Fans/ Followers), which stood at approximately 42,000 at the end of 2013 (combination of JPS & eStore Facebook, Twitter, Issuu and LinkedIn platforms)."

Despite the campaign, theft remained a perennial problem at the light and power company due to throw up lines and meter tampering. Theft affected its profitability which dipped to US$9.2 million from US$12.3 million in 2012.

JPS told the Observer that the police arrested over 42 persons for the illegal abstraction of electricity between January and March 2014 . Additionally, JPS teams have removed in excess of 26,000 'throw ups' predominantly from Kingston & St Andrew, St Catherine, and St Elizabeth. Last year, over 1,200 persons were arrested for power theft.

Power theft forms part of overall system loss which was 25.88 per cent for 2013 or US$74.5 million.

"System losses was a critical area of focus for JPS in 2013," said the company's annual report. "A number of initiatives were undertaken in an effort to curtail the trend of deteriorating losses, and a centralised team was formed to coordinate and monitor the losses activities with the regional field service and operations teams. Through coordinated 'Strike Force' activities, a total of 197,646 illegal lines were removed from the grid, and, with the assistance of the police, 1,246 persons were arrested for illegal abstraction of electricity."

In April 2011, Japan-based Marubeni Corporation entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Korea East-West Power, for joint ownership of 80 per cent in the JPS. The Government of Jamaica and a small group of minority shareholders own the remaining shares.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/JPS-public-image-improved-despite-soar-in-power-theft_16578599

Rasta Say Legalize It

A truck travels in Trench Town, Kingston, during yesterday’s march, mainly by Rastafarians, calling for the legalisation of marijuana.
(PHOTOS: COLLIN REID)

Rastas rally for legalisation of ganja

BY NADINE WILSON Observer staff reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, April 21, 2014

MEMBERS of the Rastarian community yesterday braved the scorching sun as they marched from Half-Way-Tree to Trench Town in Kingston, as they joined the growing call for the legalisation of marijuana.

The group, which had gathered early at Mandela Park for what was dubbed a "Ganja Legalise It Day March and Motorcade", left Half-Way-Tree just after 10:00 am as they made their way to St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston, and then to the Trench Town Culture Park for a rally. The event, which was organised by Solomonic Productions and the Rastafarian Millennium Council, was well supported by the Rastarians who were adorned in their green, yellow and red while chanting "Jah Rastafari" and "Free up the ganja", some carrying the Ethiopian flag.

One of the organisers, Maxine Stowe, said the Rastarians hope to be at the forefront of the discussion on ganja going forward, given the significance of the plant in their culture. Earlier this month, there was the official launch of the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association which comprises political officials, medical entrepreneurs and academia who are currently lobbying for the lifting of the restrictions surrounding the use of cannabis.

"The debate is happening here in Jamaica and the Rastafarian community is the leading community in regard to the rights of ganja here. So we want to make sure that our community and our culture is protected as it is developed into a full-blown industry here in Jamaica," Stowe said.

She said the Rastarians also wanted to ensure that the plant is not misused by those looking to gain from it financially.

"We don't want no products to be developed like cigarettes that eventually came out of tobacco and made the thing cancerous. So we are also vigilant of all of this dissecting of the herb to make sure when you isolate the compounds, that you are not creating something that God didn't ordain for the herb," Stowe said.

She said the group has been in consultation with those who have been leading the talks on the legalisation of ganja, but they have not been in complete agreement with some of their principles.

"We have been negotiating throughout all that time and have been present at all their launches and presenting our position papers to the Government and to the Ministry of Justice. We met with Minister Mark Golding and we gave him all of our points and we eventually submitted our 'principles' with regard to the legalisation and the use of the sacramental spaces, etc. We are expecting that within the policy development that that will come forward," she added.

After their long walk, the Rastafarians were in a jubilant mood when they reached the Trench Town Culture Park and the unmistakably scent of ganja permeated the atmosphere as they partook in ritualistic dances, nyahbinghi chanting and drumming. Then came presentations from several high-profile individuals, including veteran reggae artiste Neville 'Bunny Wailer' Livingston who said he was pleased with the increased attention ganja has been getting.

"I have been a lover of high-grade from I was as small as four years of age. My dadda used to be a high-grade dealer, so I know high-grade from before a lot of you people," he said, adding that he was delighted that ganja is now the topic on 'Babylon's table'.

"I am proud and I am satisfied that although I don't sell marijuana I am now going to be able to plant marijuana. Futuristically, I have 142 acres of land and we want more land because the amount of ganja that we are going to plant, Jamaica is not even big enough to hold it," he said.

Meanwhile, Louis Moyston lamented the oppression of Rastafarians over the years for the use of ganja due to what he termed "Government bureaucracy, white supremacy and the church". He also denounced claims that legalisation of ganja would inspire violence.

"A no ganja inspire violence; it is inequality and injustice [that] inspire violence and criminality and ganja must no longer be the scapegoat," he told the rally.

"[For] many people, it (ganja) is what keep them through their depression and what keep them to adjust to the reality of 'Babylon'," said Moyston.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Rastas-rally-for-legalisation-of-ganja_16502245

Press Freedom Expanding In Jamaica

This article does bring up the question of how many other laws in Jamaica were originally enacted during colonial times?

Jamaica press association applauds Parliament’s approval of overhaul for island’s libel law

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, November 6, 6:00 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s press association on Wednesday applauded an overhaul of the Caribbean country’s libel and slander law, which had been based on a 17th century law from Britain.
Media organizations in the former British colony complained for years that the difficulty and cost of fighting lawsuits, along with the risk of punishing judgments, stifled the press and freedom of expression. Some said they squashed potentially contentious stories over the years because of the risk of being sued.
But after years of debate, both houses of Parliament have passed legislation amending a libel and slander law authorized by the island in 1851 and a defamation act passed in 1961. Attorney General Patrick Atkinson said in a Wednesday statement that the distinction between libel and slander will soon be abolished once the bill is signed into law.
The Press Association of Jamaica said amendments include the removal of a provision under which people could be charged with criminal libel for making “outrageous” comments. The change also adds a “wire service defense” that says local media organizations can use reports from reputable sources without first checking for accuracy.
Jamaican judges, not juries, will now determine damages for media organizations found guilty of publishing defamatory information. The press association said this “will result in more reasonable fines which will not threaten the existence of media houses.”
Juries sometimes awarded hefty damages under the old libel statute. In one high-profile case, the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper was ordered to pay $1 million to a former tourism minister and radio host for publishing a story in 1987 that said he might have accepted a bribe. On appeal, the judgment was reduced to about $400,000 — still a big sum in Jamaica.
Authorization of the new defamation act comes six years after a government-formed committee submitted a report that outlined various options for modernizing the law.
“This is an important step in increasing freedom of expression and by extension press freedom in Jamaica,” said Jenni Campbell, president of the press association and managing editor of the Gleaner, the Caribbean’s oldest daily still in print.
The press association will keep pushing for a change to make it harder for public figures to claim defamation. Campbell said that would boost the ability of reporters to bring public corruption to light.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/jamaica-press-association-applauds-parliament-approval-of-overhaul-of-islands-libel-law/2013/11/06/57ab2a6c-472b-11e3-95a9-3f15b5618ba8_story.html?algtrack=mixedrecfill-4&tid=btm_rex_4

New York Times Checks The Front Line

From The New York Times -

August 17, 2013

Jamaica Fights to Break Grip of Violent Past

By DAMIEN CAVE

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Gunshots every night, burned-down businesses and corpses — up to a half-dozen a day — used to define the neighborhood of Mountain View on the eastern hillsides of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. But not anymore.

Now, the nights are filled with barefoot soccer matches under streetlights or block parties that bring together former rivals from local gangs. No one has been murdered in Mountain View for three years.

“The dark cloud is moving away,” said Keith Nugent, 76, a tailor in the neighborhood who counsels former criminals. “Young people here are beginning to gravitate to a sense of life, and function.”

Jamaica is emerging as a rare bright spot in the hub of the fight against drugs and organized crime that extends across South America and the Caribbean. After more than a decade fighting lawlessness, with limited success, this small island with a reputation for both carefree living and bloodshed has begun to see results. Jamaica’s murder rate, while still high, has fallen by 40 percent since 2009, and a respected study recently reported that “Jamaica has fallen from one of the more corrupt countries in the Americas to one of the least.”

The situation here differs markedly from elsewhere in the region, in Central America and Mexico, where militarized, transnational drug cartels battle among themselves over the main smuggling routes into the United States. But experts and American officials say that as drug traffic shifts back to the Caribbean — because of intensifying enforcement elsewhere — Jamaica has done far more than many other countries to protect itself, by working transparently to strengthen weak institutions while welcoming assistance from outsiders.

“There’s an awful lot of introspection that’s been going on in Jamaica,” said Pamela E. Bridgewater, the American ambassador. As a result, she added, cooperation with the United States and other countries has “risen to a different level.”

Since 2009, no other country has received more American aid from the $203 million Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, yet relatively little of it has been directed toward the muscular, militarized efforts financed elsewhere as part of the war on drugs.

The new emphasis — on community policing, violence reduction and combating corruption — grew partly from crisis. In May 2010, Christopher M. Coke, one of Jamaica’s most powerful drug lords, fought an attempt to arrest and extradite him to the United States, prompting a neighborhood siege by the authorities, which left at least 70 people dead.

His surrender a few weeks later helped break up gun and drug networks, according to Jamaican officials, and allowed the country to zero in on longer-term projects, with imported expertise.

The United States, for example, is about to set up a vetting center for the Anticorruption Bureau of the Jamaican police, complete with polygraphs and training for operators.

A recent report by the Government Accountability Office also notes that the Americans are giving Jamaican officers utility belts with only a baton and pepper spray in an effort to discourage deadly armed conflicts. The next weapons most likely to be delivered — Tasers — are more aggressive, but still a far cry from the helicopters, boats and Special Forces troops the United States is pushing into Central America.

Jamaica, though, has a different historical relationship with the United States and the war on drugs.

The Caribbean was the main trafficking route for cocaine heading to the United States in the ’80s and ’90s, which means Jamaica was among the first countries in the region to join international efforts against transnational crime. Jamaican and American officials say that as a result, sensitivities about foreign intervention are less intense here than in Central America and Mexico, and there are fewer institutional rivalries or disagreements about when the police or the military should intervene in the fight against traffickers.

“As long as we are aligned in the fight against organized crime, I’m willing to work with anyone,” said Peter Bunting, Jamaica’s minister of security.

Jamaica, as a longtime hub of marijuana production and consumption, has generally been more open about its weaknesses. Officials acknowledged the need for new levels of help nearly a decade ago, even putting foreigners in charge of the national police.

“Jamaica was on a precipice; it was about to become a narco state,” said Mark Shields, a former British police officer appointed deputy police commissioner in 2005.

The government also created or strengthened anticorruption commissions to keep a close watch on elected officials, contracts and the police. Forensic audits became required annually, for senior officials and beat officers alike. And laws have been toughened so that those found with suspicious windfalls must prove how they obtained the money or else be fired or prosecuted.

The goal, Mr. Bunting said, is to focus less on drugs and more on ill-gotten gains. “The kingpins are not the ones on the go-fast boat,” he said. “They’re usually closer to their money, so we’re going after the money.”

Eduardo A. Gamarra, a professor of international relations at Florida International University, said Jamaica’s approach had taken hold only because the arrest of Mr. Coke forced residents to see their country at rock bottom. A tipping point was reached, he said, as Jamaicans witnessed the power of Mr. Coke (nicknamed Dudus), who avoided extradition for nearly a year with the help of well-connected political allies, and as bodies piled up from the conflict between his supporters and the authorities.

“You have to have these momentous events to transform societies,” Mr. Gamarra said. “What is it that produced the change in Jamaica? Dudus Coke.”

The positive results have been obvious in areas like Mountain View. For many residents there, the Coke affair — which took place a few miles away in the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood — still stings like lingering tear gas. Local gangs with ties to Mr. Coke resent what they describe as a police “incursion” characterized by officers killing civilians and other examples of excessive force.

But even the angriest Mountain View residents say they have chosen calm over chaos. Oswaldo Kemp, 34, who spent two years in prison in connection with the shooting of a police officer, now worries mostly about work. “I’m just trying to get my little farm running again,” he said, standing between a fattened pig and a row of vegetables.

Around the corner, Kachif Benjamin, 27, shirtless and wearing a pink backpack, said many gang members and drug dealers also decided they had had enough of the bloodshed. “We’ve been there, done that,” he said.

Violence remains a significant problem. On July 22 in Montego Bay, a teenager was stabbed to death by an angry mob in what appeared to be an antigay attack, and Jamaica’s murder rate is still 40 per 100,000, compared with 22 per 100,000 in Mexico and 87 per 100,000 in Honduras.

Bruce M. Bagley, a professor of international studies at the University of Miami, said it is still not clear if the improvements here and in other parts of the Caribbean are enough to withstand the increase in drug trafficking that experts are predicting. “The underlying socio-economic problems, the institutional problems and the rerouting of drugs back through the Caribbean are a very powerful combination,” he said.

But for Mr. Nugent, the tailor, and for many other residents, peace carries its own momentum. Gaunt and goateed, standing near a faded sticker on the wall of his home reading, “Celebrate forgiveness,” he said he sees hope in all the people asking him to mend clothes for work, and in the young men who seek guidance or help paying for school. Praising the police for spending more time getting to know the community and for starting youth clubs for teenagers, he said the future looked more bright than dark.

“Light attracts light,” he said. “Everything good must have a beginning.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/world/americas/jamaica-fights-to-break-grip-of-violent-past.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0