THE Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has declared its readiness to support Jamaica’s national recovery efforts following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

As the Government’s lead agency for urban and national development, the UDC is mandated to mobilise its technical expertise, strategic partners, and project delivery network to assist in restoring critical public infrastructure across the island after disasters such as Melissa.

“Hurricane Melissa has tested the Jamaican spirit, and we will demonstrate once again why we are among the most resilient people in the world. The UDC will play its part to ensure our strong recovery,” declared Norman Brown, chairman of corporation in a media release on Thursday.

He pointed out that the devastation across several western parishes calls for the full mobilisation of all available Government resources, and said the UDC is ready to harness all its internal capabilities to help rebuild communities, and restore hope to the Jamaican people who have endured one of the most challenging times in the nation’s history.

According to Brown, the damage left by Melissa presents an opportunity for Jamaica to rebuild more resiliently.

“For more than five decades, the UDC has played a defining role in planning, designing, and executing transformative national projects, including schools, hospitals and health centres, government complexes, police and fire stations, tourism sites, and cultural landmarks.

”This foundation positions the corporation to help coordinate an efficient, technically sound, and future-proof post-disaster recovery programme,” added Brown, as he underscored that Jamaica’s infrastructure recovery after Melissa will demand expertise, coordination, and decisive action.

“The UDC possesses the technical depth, national develo,pment mandate, and proven experience to help Jamaica recover and to restore vital public facilities across the island,” said Brown, who added that the UDC has consistently supported national rehabilitation following major emergencies.

Brown noted that the UDC played a central role in the Hurricane Gilbert Rehabilitation Programme and again in the recovery efforts that followed Hurricane Ivan in 2004, coordinating the repair and restoration of essential public institutions.

UDC General Manager Robert Honeyghan also underscored its readiness to take on a major role in the rebuilding.

“We have done this before, and we stand ready once again. Our teams, partners, and specialist contractors have the expertise, scale, and discipline to mobilise quickly and effectively in support of national recovery. Beyond rebuilding, we assess where and how public facilities, whether a school, hospital, or government office should be reconstructed to ensure safety, resilience, and long-term community benefit,” said Honeyghan.

He pointed out that to guide recovery operations the UDC has a structured four-phase framework focused on restoring critical assets and ensuring continuity of essential services: damage assessments, baseline safety and security of buildings, temporary operability and continuity of essential services, and permanent rehabilitation, reconstruction, and resilience-building.

Meanwhile Loy Malcolm, deputy general manager for planning development and project management at the UDC, said it has some of the country’s most experienced urban planners, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and project managers.

“The UDC has a great body of knowledge and our teams are supported by a network of specialist consultants and contractors. Our strength lies both in our internal capacity, and in the national and international ecosystem of professionals and partnerships that we can mobilise at scale,” said Malcolm.

According to Malcolm, the UDC will continue to collaborate with Government ministries and agencies to accelerate recovery efforts in line with Jamaica’s long-term urban planning, national development, and climate-resilience goals.

“This includes advancing modernisation initiatives in key towns across Jamaica to include St Elizabeth, St James, and Westmoreland.

“The aim is to ensure Jamaica’s important heritage is preserved, smart-city planning is integrated, and sustainable development principles implemented,“ added Malcolm.