THE Government yesterday received a euro$1.7-million grant (approximately Ja$204 million) to repair eight schools and three health centres that were damaged by Tropical Storm Gustav two years ago.

The grant, which was secured by the European Union from the World Bank, will be used to finance the Tropical Storm Emergency Recovery Project in St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth over the next 12 months.

The schools that will benefit are Labyrinth Primary in St Mary; Ballards Valley Primary and Elim Basic School in St Elizabeth; Norman Gardens Primary and Junior High in Kingston; Moreland Hill All-Age in Westmoreland; and Bybrooke and Simon Basic Schools in St Catherine, while the health centres to be repaired are Lawrence Tavern, Riversdale and St Vincent.

The project will also include a maintenance and disaster preparedness-training programme that will be done in each of the parishes to increase the sustainability of the infrastructural investment. The training will include maintenance of buildings, road equipment and water supply systems; basic disaster management in the extent of hurricane, flood, earthquake and fire safety; basic shelter management; telecommunication and community hazard mapping.

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will implement the project.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service Audley Shaw — who along with World Bank Special Representative to Jamaica Dr Badrul Haque signed the grant agreement — said the project aims to restore the level of health and educational services in the targeted areas.

“The objective of the Tropical Storm Emergency Recovery Project is to support the Government in its effort to restore the levels of service in selected communities, (and restore) infrastructure, specifically early childhood, primary, all-age schools and community health centres to pre-tropical storms levels,” Shaw said following the signing at his offices at Heroes’ Circle in Kingston.

According to the minister, the storm — which struck the island on August 28 — left extensive and significant damage in the areas of transport, agriculture, housing, water, health and education.

In addition, Shaw said that the damage to the education sector at that time was estimated at $200.1 million while the preliminary damage and losses to the economy was approximately $15.1 billion — an equivalent of two per cent of the nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2007.

Dr Haque, meantime, said that the “damage caused by Gustav was very extensive and it will take a long time to address all the damages which is one reason why we are signing this grant today some 26 months after the event.”

He said that the World Bank Natural Disaster Hot Spots Report ranked Jamaica third on the list of countries in the world most exposed to disasters, and urged all to play their part in recognising the risk and adequately address the issue of disaster preparedness and response and disaster risk-management and reduction.