Anthony Henry

Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate Change Matthew Samuda has outlined a national, science-based response to extensive forest damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, warning that more than half of the impacted forest areas suffered moderate to severe destruction.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Samuda said that post-hurricane assessments conducted by the Forestry Department between November and December 2025 confirmed widespread damage across western, central, and northern parishes, particularly in forests on steep terrain and in areas with shallow soils.

According to the assessments, which covered approximately 528,000 hectares of forested land, damage levels in some areas reached between 76 and 100 per cent, marked by complete canopy loss, uprooted mature trees and slope instability.

The minister reported that disturbed broadleaf forests were hardest hit, with more than 42,000 hectares degraded, accounting for over 30 per cent of total recorded damage. Secondary forests and urban tree cover were also significantly affected, while approximately 23 per cent of Jamaica’s mangrove forests sustained damage, particularly in Trelawny, St James, Hanover, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland.

Samuda said the loss of forest cover poses immediate risks to water security, flood and landslide vulnerability, biodiversity and long-term climate resilience.

In response, the Forestry Department has developed the RE-LEAF Initiative, Reforestation, Ecological Enhancement and Landscape Framework, which will serve as the country’s national framework for post-hurricane forest recovery and long-term resilience building.

Under Phase One of the programme, running from January to June 2026, the Government plans to replant approximately 300,000 seedlings, including more than 170,000 in priority watersheds and 50,000 in urban and peri-urban areas. At least 30,000 of the seedlings will be fruit trees to support food security and livelihoods.

Samuda said the response also includes an expanded agroforestry programme and increased nursery capacity, including plans for a new nursery facility in western Jamaica to boost national seedling production by at least 20 per cent annually.

The minister also announced the rollout of Phase Two of the National Tree Planting Initiative, which aims to plant an additional three million trees and will be fully integrated into the RE-LEAF framework. The official launch is scheduled for January 29 to February 2, 2026, with planting activities planned across forest reserves, mangrove ecosystems, private lands and urban communities.

Samuda noted that the recovery programme aligns with Jamaica’s commitment to expand protected areas under the “30×30” target and will complement ongoing mangrove restoration efforts and ecosystem-based climate adaptation planning.

He said forests and wetlands will be prioritised as core risk-reduction measures in hurricane-affected watersheds and coastal zones, as the Government moves to integrate nature-based solutions into national recovery and resilience strategies.