Move to significantly reduce negative effects of national disasters  and biological hazards by 2040

Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Government of Jamaica has tabled, in the country’s parliament, a Green Paper on Disaster Risk Management strategies, eliciting public consultation and discourse on the document.

This is part of the GOJ’s thrust to strengthen the country’s social and economic resilience as well as significantly reduce the negative effects of national disasters caused by natural hazards, man-made disasters and biological hazards by 2040.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Desmond McKenzie tabled the country’s Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Policy and Strategy, 2020-2040 Green Paper on Tuesday (July 19).

In tabling the document, McKenzie advised the House of Representatives that this was one of the performance requirements of the Contingent Loan for Natural Disaster Emergencies that was negotiated between Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank in 2018.

“This facility allows Jamaica to access a maximum of US$285 million to develop a project known as the Comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk Management Programme, to alleviate the impact of severe natural disasters on the country’s finances,” he told the Parliament.

Improving disaster risk management capacity

Through the programme, Jamaica’s disaster risk management capacity is being substantially improved through emphasis on five main areas. The five areas are disaster risk management governance, risk identification, risk reduction, preparedness and response and financial protection.

McKenzie acknowledged that the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Policy reflects the government’s strategic approach and will guide the integration of disaster risk management into development planning across all sectors and industries. He told legislators that the Green Paper includes the management structure for implementing the policy, which will be led by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

VULNERABILITY TO HURRICANE RISK IS HIGH

McKenzie conceded that Jamaica is highly vulnerable to disasters, pointing out that 82 per cent of the population and 70 per cent of all major industries, including tourism and agriculture are in coastal areas, which are especially exposed to meteorological hazards. He said the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery has identified Jamaica as the third most exposed country in the world to multiple hazards.

Jamaica’s vulnerability to hurricane risk alone is particularly high with average annual losses estimated at US$67.3 million, or 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product. McKenzie admitted that the implementation of optimal disaster risk resilience requires substantial financial investments.

McKenzie emphasised the importance of examining a range of factors, including Jamaica’s historical vulnerability to disasters, the pace of our movement towards full disaster resilience, and the need for firmly establishing the financial foundations for disaster risk reduction are among the most prominent.