In some ways we feel like we are on a treadmill. And the staff at the Earthquake Unit on the University of the West Indies, Mona campus must feel the same.

In 2004 and again in 2008, we raised in this space the issue of the needs of the Earthquake Unit. What struck us on both occasions was that the unit wasn't asking for extremely expensive equipment and resources in order to carry out its mandate, which, it states, is basically to "understand earthquake processes in and around Jamaica and advise the society about earthquake hazard, thereby encouraging community awareness and the application of mitigative strategies to development".

Essentially, what the unit needed then, and still needs now are a digital system to properly record each tremor and earthquake, modern computers, a second four-wheel- drive vehicle to do fieldwork, and two-way radios.

Yesterday, Dr Lyndon Brown, the new head of the unit, told us that he also needs deep cell batteries to power the unit's solar systems, as those it now has have run their course.

The unit, he said, has submitted a budget of $36 million which, while it won't fulfil all its needs, will give it enough equipment to do a decent job. The problem though is that given past treatment of the unit, that budget is likely to be cut.

Just how much will be allocated to this very important arm of the State is yet to be seen, especially in this harsh economic climate. However, we cannot emphasise enough just how vital it is for the country to have a fully functional earthquake unit.

We shouldn't, for instance, have to rely on the kindness of scientists from abroad to be doing paleoseismology -- the digging of trenches along or across faults to study and date disrupted sediments in the soil.

We acknowledge that the technique can be costly, running in excess of US$20,000, we are told, depending on factors such as the number of people involved, the size of the trench to be dug, the equipment needed, dating and sending the samples abroad, salaries and accommodation.

But paleoseismology, scientists tell us, can go a far way in helping us to forecast and plan for earthquakes.

And given the series of events in this region over the past few weeks, we cannot ignore any technique that will assist us to minimise the effects of this dreadful force of nature.

Against that background, we are encouraged by Minister Daryl Vaz's comment in today's edition that the needs of the Earthquake Unit will be given priority. What we hope, though, is that Mr Vaz wasn't simply giving our reporter a diplomatic answer to a very serious concern. For it is the nature of politicians so to do.

What the Government needs to bear in mind is that Jamaica could be affected by a major earthquake at any time. Our ability therefore to forecast these events will be important to our survival.

And quite frankly, $36 million is not a lot when compared to the spend on some events and services these days.

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