KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Debate on the Building Bill that will put Jamaica in a better position to prepare for disasters is expected to get under way in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 6).

The legislation seeks to address, among other things, the certification and registration of builders. It provides for the establishment of the National Building Code, and identifies the Bureau of Standards Jamaica as the agency that will set the acceptable local and international standards for construction.It also establishes that the municipal corporations are to be the local building authorities and will be responsible for inspecting, certifying and taking the actions necessary to approve new structures, change existing buildings, or destroy dangerous structures.Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, said that the law, when passed, will work “hand in hand” with the Disaster Risk Management Act of 2015 to deal with structural and land issues affecting the country.“The Government is prepared to take all the necessary actions that are available under the law to ensure that we protect lives,” he said.“Under the Disaster Risk Management Act, the Prime Minister can declare any place as a threatened/disaster area. The measures include direct evacuation of the areas and instructions for people to leave any premises,” he pointed out.Minister McKenzie was speaking at the launch of Disaster Preparedness Month and the start of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season at Jamaica House today.He said the Government will be taking steps to address the unauthorised use of lands across the island and the practice of constructing in no-build zones, which are vulnerable to disasters. “We all know that gully banks are not the place for people to live or to establish businesses, yet across the country (people) have found space and have occupied these areas, and this in itself poses a great threat to disaster management,” he pointed out.The Local Government Minister said that unless the Government tackles the issues surrounding squatting in a fundamental way “we are going to continue, year in and year out, to talk about the same issues that we are trying to deal with today”.He informed that there are 754 informal settlements in Jamaica, comprising more than 600,000 people, which is about 20 per cent of the country’s population.“These are areas that are prone to flooding, landslides and storm surges,” McKenzie pointed out. He further informed that some 138 squatter settlements are within 100 metres of waterways.“More than 50 per cent of squatter settlements in Kingston and St Andrew, and St Thomas are within 100 metres of waterways. A large number of settlements are on gully banks, which are not conducive to construction and can’t hold significant weight. We continue to find that the regulations are being violated with regard to these constructions,” he said.Meanwhile, McKenzie is encouraging Jamaicans to prepare for an active hurricane season. The period runs from June 1 to November 30.“It means checking our houses and workplaces, walls and roofs. It means that we should start now to gradually buy some items that you know won’t spoil and that you can probably use at a point if the need arises,” he advised.The United States-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting five to nine hurricanes with two to four of them Category 3 or stronger. The forecast calls for 11 to 17 tropical systems.