ST JAMES, Jamaica — Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda,  says Jamaica is leveraging its international partnerships and support to assist the country’s rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

He said that experts are scheduled to arrive on the island as early as January to help with redesign and planning.

“We even expect to get some benefit from some architects and engineers to help the national reconstruction efforts,” he added.

Minister Samuda was leading a team from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) on a tour of communities in St Elizabeth and Westmoreland on Thursday (December 18), to get a first-hand look at the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The Government is looking to access between US$5 million and US$20 million in grant funding from the Fund, which recently launched a US$250-million initiative for countries impacted by the storm.

The tour made stops in Black River and Parottee in St Elizabeth and Whitehouse and Bluefields in Westmoreland.

Minister Samuda told journalists that the tour was designed to give the multilateral partners a clear, on-the-ground understanding of the scale of damage across coastal towns and communities where homes, public buildings and critical infrastructure were severely impacted.

“We’ve been saying this for a long time that there were genuine climate risks, and to see mangled steel and iron in this way is quite shocking. So, there’s no doubt, as we proceed, that we’ll have to build very differently if we’re going to be able to manage [other potential disasters],” he pointed out.

Minister Samuda said while the FRLD will not solve all of Jamaica’s rebuilding challenges, the Government is determined to pursue every available avenue for support.

He noted that through the Climate Change Division and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), proposals are being advanced across multiple funding avenues to include the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Climate Investment Funds.

In the meantime, the minister said that Jamaica must fundamentally rethink its approach to construction and development.

He noted that with Jamaica’s multi-hazard risk profile, which includes earthquakes, future construction must carefully consider angles and distances from the sea and rivers.

For his part, Executive Director of the FRLD, Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, said that seeing the devastation caused by the hurricane “creates a powerful sense of urgency to provide support”.

He said that the Fund is expected to support both the rebuilding of critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and the human side of recovery, including assistance to families whose lives and livelihoods were disrupted.

“I have no doubt the Minister and his team will put a very compelling proposal to our board, and that’s why we’re glad to be here to see the reality on the ground,” he said.

“Jamaica is not waiting for the rest of the world to rebuild, and if we can be a part of the solution, obviously it’s going to be an honour for us,” Diong said.

Mayor of Black River, Richard Solomon, for his part, noted that while significant progress has been made in the aftermath of the hurricane, the situation on the ground remains overwhelming and much more work is required.

He said the tour brings renewed hope to residents and signals that further support is forthcoming.

Damage to infrastructure and housing from Hurricane Melissa is estimated at  US$8.8 billion.

–       JIS