Jamaica will this year complete preparations for the launch of the Blue and Green Fund, which will be housed at the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda made the disclosure during his 2026/27 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“We expect this to be primarily financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF)… and Jamaica targets over $150 million investment in this fund that will finance blue and green projects across varying sectors,” he stated.

The GCF was established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

Turning his attention to another matter, Samuda told the House that between 2024 and 2026, Jamaica advanced its food security strategy through the development of a climate-informed, multi-scalar mapping system, in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network under the UNFCCC.

“This is important for centralised data on agriculture, climate risks, and food security, allowing decision-making at multiple levels — national, parish, and community. This means we can now identify, with much greater precision, the areas most vulnerable to drought, flooding, and production shocks,” he said.

During his presentation, the minister also made the point that the ADAPT Jamaica Project represents a major investment in climate resilience within the agriculture sector.

Samuda noted that with US$50 million secured through the GCF, the initiative will benefit more than 700,000 Jamaicans, particularly smallholder farmers and rural communities.

He stressed that he was “particularly proud” that US$40 million of that amount was in the form of grant funding.

“This project targets the strengthening and resilience of the agriculture sector, and we are also supporting income generation. This initiative demonstrates how targeted investments can deliver both environmental and socio-economic benefits,” Samuda stated.

— JIS