As a Caribbean nation, Jamaica is highly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather and global climate change. Hurricanes and tropical storms have had significant negative impacts on economic activities, property, human welfare and natural resources. Over the past decade, Jamaica experienced nine hydro-meteorological natural disaster events causing damages estimated at J$111.8 billion (about U.S.$1.45 billion). The greatest impact occurred with Hurricane Ivan in 2004 which resulted in J$36.9 billion of damage and loss, approximately 8% of the country’s GDP.
In an effort to tackle and strengthen climate change resilience within Jamaica, USAID will continue to support the government, civil society partners, and communities through disaster risk reduction and planning, integrating climate policies into broader development policies, and a public education and awareness campaign informed by a knowledge attitude and perception survey.
USAID/Jamaica’s Global Climate Change activities focus on the following areas:
- Assisting the Government of Jamaica, private sector, and civil society make the business and economic case for investing in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Promote the protection of rural lives, livelihoods and ecosystems through interventions that increase and strengthen climate change resilience;
- Support the Government of Jamaica and key private sector and NGO stakeholders to develop and implement a low emission development strategies (LEDS), as consistent with the USAID climate change and development strategy.
- To accelerate clean energy development in Jamaica by supporting the Government to establish targets for enhancing energy security and reducing prices, while concurrently supporting national efforts to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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