• Third National Communication to the UNFCCC
• The State of the Jamaican Climate 2015 and Summary for Policymakers
• Near-Term Climate Scenarios for Jamaica (2014) and Summary for Policymakers
• Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) – various years (latest available: 2019 and produced by the Planning Institute of Jamaica)
• Damage and Loss Assessment Reports – various years (latest report: 2017 assessment of flood rains)
• Advancing Disaster Risk Finance in Jamaica (World Bank, 2018)
• Probabilistic Disaster Risk Profile for Jamaica (IDB 2018)

Preemptive adaptation

• Promulgation of policies and plans to mainstream climate change, inter alia:

  • Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development (esp. Outcome 14 – Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change, HRRACC)

  • Climate Change Policy Framework for Jamaica (2015) – currently being revised to account for emerging and cross-cutting issues

  • Forest Policy for Jamaica and implementation plan (National Forest Management and Conservation Plan, 2016-2026)

  • National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan, 2018

  • Local Sustainable Development Plans (LSDPs)

  • Development Orders (for parishes)

  • National Policy on International Migration and Development, 2017

• Institutional arrangements to support climate change mainstreaming

  • Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change (HURECC) – established September 2020

  • Climate Change Division – established for coordinating Jamaica’s climate change efforts; within the Min. of HURECC; Focal point/National Designated Authority for UNFCCC mechanisms, including the GCF, Adaptation Fund, CTCN, etc

  • Climate Change Focal Point Network

  • Climate Change Advisory Board

  • HRRACC Thematic Working Group

  • Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council

  • National Council on Oceans and Coastal Zone Management (NCOCZM)

• Improved data and information management

  • Real-time monitoring from selected automatic weather stations and streamflow gauges

  • Intensity rain gauges

  • Soil moisture probes

  • Coastal erosion monitoring of selected sites

  • Data infilling to address gaps in historic climate datasets

  • Note: preparations are ongoing for the erection of a new Doppler weather radar establishment of a climate data node (by 2021)

• Early warning systems – hurricanes, flood (selected locations), drought forecasts (Note: a bush fire warning index to support bush fire management will be finalised and rolled out by early 2021)
• Climate modelling – downscaled for Jamaica
• Risk assessments – including vulnerability assessments of selected sectors (eg, water, health, tourism) and geographic locations (eg, communities in degraded watershed areas), environmental risk assessments
• Climate change public education and behaviour change initiatives

  • Includes engagement of youth, civil society, private sector, local cultural artists, persons with disabilities, etc

  • Uses various modalities: new and traditional media including radio adverts, printed material, concerts, presentations, “catchy” slogans (eg, “smart and steady, get climate ready”), social media, web pages, etc

• Sectoral adaptation measures, particularly relating to reducing risks,

  • Examples: land management in agriculture to reduce run-off, landslides and flooding; rainwater harvesting to reduce impact from drought; groundwater aquifer recharge (one site); increased marine protected areas to safeguard fisheries; mangrove and coral restoration and rehabilitation; afforestation and agro-forestry, etc.

• Passing of the Building Act, 2018 that gave effect to revised building codes
• Building retrofits Eg, Retrofitting 3 fire stations to withstand up to category 5 storms
• Research and innovation – incl. on climate resilient flora and fauna
• Concessionary Financing for Climate Adaptation – Climate Change Adaptation Line of Credit; Special Climate Change Adaptation Fund; (for MSMEs, NGOs, agriculture and tourism sector); Water Adaptation Loans
• Capacity to Access Climate Financing – NDA coordination, including capacity building through GCF Readiness support; National Implementing Entity for Adaptation Fund (Planning Institute of Jamaica). Note: Three national entities currently applying for accreditation with the GCF.

Contingency measures, e.g. through risk financing with regional risk pooling, insurance facilities and bonds, and through social protection measures, etc.

• Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility Segregated Portfolio Company (CCRIF-SPC) – hurricane, earthquake and extreme rainfall policies
• Livelihood Protection Policy (LPP) – in selected locations; local level parametric policy
• Commercial insurance for public assets

Addressing losses through disaster relief funds, credit facilities etc.:

• Disaster risk financing strategies at national level: includes capitalisation of Contingency Fund for natural disasters
• Contingent Credit Facility
• Global Risk Financing Facility

Disaster risk reduction focused strategies and measures through activities under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, contingency and trust funds, disaster legislation, etc.:

• Disaster Risk Management Act, 2015 – includes mandates to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
• Contingencies Fund – established by the Jamaican Constitution
• Draft Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Policy
• Draft Disaster Risk Financing Policy   
• Local Area Disaster Management Plans
• Local Areas Disaster Management Committees
• Establishment of the National Disaster and Risk Management Council
• Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs)
• Also note information provided above in previous sections

Transformative actions (which could include any such actions already mentioned above):

• Improved risk financing measures
• Enhanced local human and technological capacity for data and information collection, management and analysis
• Increased adoption of multi-disciplinary approaches, incl. gender integration
• Promotion of research, technology, training and knowledge management and the use of mechanisms and tools to mainstream CC & DRR into ecosystem protection and development planning – land use and physical planning
• Improved climate data and information to support decision making and development planning
• Improved capacity for the use of climate smart agricultural techniques
• Partnerships e.g. academia- public sector, public – private sector
• Note measures in previous sections.

Yes, through National Communications

​​​​​​The following are examples of activities for which developing countries may ask for technical assistance. This list is indicative and not exhaustive by any means.

Collection and management of data and information (including databases, spatial data, systematic observations, establishing baselines, etc):

• Use of space technologies in systematic observations and geospatial analyses.
• Establishment of a baseline on non-economic and social loss and damage, as well as regarding culture, territory, indigenous knowledge systems, ecosystem services.
• Setting up a registry/Mapping of at-risk populations to assess sea level rise induced relocation costs for coastal communities.

Analyses of data and information (including climate change projections, impact analyses, hazard mapping, etc):

• Conduct of pilot loss and damage assessments for certain key agricultural commodities which are vulnerable to climate change, such as rice, aquaculture, and fruits, livestock, priority local crops.
• Design of shared database systems to support different ministries and other stakeholders in the country including data collection, storage and sharing protocols and policies.
• Quantitative assessment of risk for important systems to inform decision-making, in particular, selection of risk management approaches.
• Costing of impacts in the present as well as for projected impacts for use in costs-benefit analyses to appraise options.

Design and implementation of projects on Loss and Damage:

• Development of alternative livelihood programs, livelihood transformation programs, and vocational training for coastal communities and other at-risk population groups.
• Optimizing financing between different measures to address risk comprehensively/trade-off analyses in deciding on balance between investment in preemptive measures and measures to address residual risk.
• Protection of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
• Sustainable landscape management including nature-based solutions

Financial instruments (such as insurance, risk pooling, contingency funds, etc):

• Design of combinations of appropriate risk finance tools and instruments applicable to a specific country context and vulnerable groups.
• Design and financing of social protection measures.
• Development of national finance instruments (bonds, etc).
• Development of curriculum on various relevant aspects of climate change and loss and damage.

Other activities not covered by the above entries:

• Cultural heritage: inventory; capacity building for updating management of cultural sites to account for loss and damage 
• Mitigation banking: for the enhancement of coastal ecosystems
• Protected areas management: to account for loss and damage
• Post-disaster needs assessment: to build capacity to conduct assessments of slow onset events and some extreme events, and address data gaps
• Displacement/forced migration: comprehensive understanding local dynamics
• Slow onset events: data and correlations with observed trends and climatic changes; monitoring sites; standardised methodologies (regional level); agricultural related EWS for pest control; other response measures
• Real time monitoring of hydro-met. data: to expand existing networks, incl. equipment and training
• Knowledge and awareness: perception on climate risk; integrating local traditional knowledge

• Please see section "Other activities not covered by the above entries" above
• As ongoing or planned initiatives unfold, other areas will be communicated as appropriate