Jamaica is to benefit from a US$5-million investment by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to improve the country’s financial and economic resilience in the face of losses during natural disasters.

Jamaica Mission deputy director, Jason Fraser said the USAID signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service last year. Through the agreement, both parties are working together to strengthen the country’s disaster risk mitigation efforts.

Fraser was speaking at a session hosted by the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Fayval Williams, at the fourth Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) ministerial meeting in Montego Bay recently. “The USAID plans to invest US$5 million, which will complement the already US$14.85 million in the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF), and the US$16 million already set aside by Jamaica in its Disaster Contingency Fund,” Fraser said.

“The truth is, we can’t escape the wrath of Mother Nature or other external shocks, but we can plan and put measures in place that will help to mitigate losses and speed up recovery. Supporting the energy sector in planning for the risk of natural disasters — to ensure that the power system in Jamaica is reliable — is a top priority for us,” he added.

Fraser pointed out that when external shocks such as natural disasters disrupt electric grids and water supply systems, critical infrastructure such as hospitals, shelters, police stations and military installations are impaired and may not be able to deliver life-saving services.