MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, has said that a trip to the 2026 Berlin Climate Mobility Forum provided an opportunity to make a case for grant funding to establish an early warning system for the city.

“I used the opportunity to take Montego Bay closer to networks that can aid in strengthening our climate resilience,” he told the Jamaica Observer following his visit to Germany’s capital.

“I don’t want to say much about it as yet, but I am optimistic that we will be able to undertake a major climate adaptation project soon,” he also revealed.

If approved, the proposed project would provide Montego Bay and its surrounding communities with an early warning system, a key climate adaptation strategy currently being explored in various forms around the world.

Seeking support through the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees, which channels financial and technical resources directly to city governments, Vernon said he is aiming to address what he described as an urgent need.

“The early warning system is critical to the adaptation process as it will help to save lives and assets where mitigation strategies are challenging to implement,”

“Communities along the north and south gullies and the Montego and Pye rivers will be sensitised, organised, and mobilised to ensure the system is effective. This includes businesses within the city core,” he added.

He explained that the proposed system would include sirens, flood gauges equipped with smart transmitters, prompt warning messages, as well as evacuation plans and orders.

In 2017, torrential rainfall caused widespread flooding across Montego Bay. Then last year, areas including Catherine Hall, Westgreen, and surrounding communities were severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

“Pursuant to the Disaster Risk Management Act, zonal committees will also be commissioned in these areas to provide system oversight and enable localised disaster management,” the mayor said as he outlined the potential scope of the project.

Household refuse piled up to be disposed of, as clean-up activities got under way in Catherine Hall and Westgreen after last year’s Hurricane Melissa.

“Basically, I called for global funding for cities, pushing Montego Bay’s climate adaptation agenda [by advocating] for the early warning systems for flood-prone areas,” he added.

With support from the Global Cities Fund, city-led interventions can receive grants of up to US$500,000 over a two-year period across a broad range of areas, including health, economic inclusion, climate migration, and early childhood development.

Vernon noted that meeting the criteria required to begin the application process involved considerable work.

“Proposals are invitation only and evaluated by a selection committee of subject-matter experts. The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) and its strategic partners provide city grantees with customised technical, advocacy, fund-raising, communications, and networking support to accelerate, institutionalise, and/or scale local impact beyond the duration of the grant,” he said.

Vernon was a panellist at the event, which was held from June 18-19 at the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin.

The forum was described as a high-level summit that brought together heads of State, ministers, and global experts to develop a coordinated response to climate-induced displacement and migration.

The mayor thinks he was able to effectively highlight the need for the initiative and garner support in line with the forum’s objectives.

“[An] international forum is always a great place to share ideas and learn from other cities, ways they are addressing similar challenges,” he said.

“Importantly, it is also a strategic space to shape narratives and drum up support for cities of small island developing states like Jamaica. Support ranges from adjustments in the global agenda to technical assistance, capacity development, and funding,” he added.