ST JAMES, Jamaica — Montego Bay is set to strengthen its flood-monitoring and early warning capabilities after being selected for a US$3.5-million grant programme supported by the Mayors Migration Council’s (MMC) Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees.

Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Richard Vernon, who is currently overseas attending the conference, said the city is one of 10 selected for this year’s programme.

According to Vernon, the funding will be used to develop an early warning system designed to give residents more time to respond to rising floodwaters.

“The city will install wireless sensors to detect rising floodwaters and warn residents earlier, giving families more time to prepare and reducing the risk of further displacement,” Vernon said.

He told Observer Online that areas for the installation of the sensors have already been identified.

“We will cover the lower sections of north and south gullies in Montego Bay following into the Barnett Area,” Vernon said.

Montego Bay continues to face serious challenges as it relates to flooding especially during Hurricane Melissa where Catherine Hall and Westgreen became completely inundated with over 10 feet of water in some places.

“In Montego Bay, we are seeing how climate change can shape where people live and whether they can stay safely. Many families who moved after drought and extreme weather disrupted their livelihoods are now living in communities exposed to flooding,” the mayor added.

Alongside Montego Bay, the other receiving cities are Curitiba (Brazil), Dadaab (Kenya), London (United Kingdom), Lviv (Ukraine), Maipú (Chile), Montevideo (Uruguay), Nouakchott (Mauritania), São Paulo (Brazil), and Toronto (Canada).

The 10 cities were selected through a competitive process involving nearly 50 candidates. Each selected city will receive up to US$500,000 over two years, along with tailored technical support from the Mayors Migration Council.