Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda, says the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum will guide the Government’s climate change planning.

Samuda points out that this effort is of great importance for climate mitigation, as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.

“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” said Samuda.

He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday, April 29.

Samuda conveyed that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.

“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.

Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.

Principal director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to create a platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities, improve inter-agency coordination, and enhance climate services.

Among the other presenters were the Ambassador of the European Union to Jamaica Marianne Van Steen; chief scientist/climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and head of regional climate prediction services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1), in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.

The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that coordinates sectors to develop climate services, promoting adaptation and resilience-building and informs decision-making processes.