In 2020, Jamaica became the first Caribbean country to submit a tougher climate action plan to the UN because the country was at risk from rising sea levels, drought and more intense hurricanes, its government said. Coastal waters have been polluted by sewage, oil spills, and industrial wastes. Another major source of water pollution has been the mining of bauxite, which has contaminated the groundwater with red-mud waste. Another environmental problem for Jamaica is land erosion and deforestation.
Consequently, Jamaica is striving to transition into a more efficient, socially inclusive and green economy through initiatives like Jamaica Vision 2030 and through the Caribbean Green Economy Project, “Advancing Caribbean States' Sustainable Development through Green Economy (ACSSD-GE)”.The coral reefs are under threat due to environmental issues such as overfishing, pollution, hurricanes, and disease. Since the 1970s, Jamaica's coral reef cover has declined more than 50 percent. In 2005, up to 95 percent of the coral was bleached in some locations. Jamaica is less badly affected by tropical storms than other, more northerly Caribbean islands. It lies 100 miles south of Cuba, which falls squarely within the so-called “hurricane belt”.
Vincent Sweeney, Head of the Caribbean Sub-Regional Office at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)stated, “As we look beyond the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, it is vital that we… adapt to the new realities of a warmer planet in order to protect lives and livelihoods in Jamaica and the Caribbean.”
The challenge is not unique to the region. Droughts, floods, and the spread of pests, the byproducts of climate change, are threatening agricultural production around the globe, says the Food and Agriculture Organization. That is potentially disastrous in a world where almost 700 million people go hungry each year. In May 2017, when Jamaica experienced one of the most intense rain events in its recent history, their beloved river turned violent. In just 72 hours, continuous rainfall caused flooding in 12 of Jamaica's 14 parishes. The parish of Clarendon experienced the worst effects: including the loss of several bridges, multiple damaged roads, and marooned communities.
The number of dangerously hot days, marked by temperatures and humidity high enough to cause heat exhaustion, is projected to double in Jamaica by the 2050s and continue to rise.
United Nations scientists looked at population growth, economic development patterns, energy choices, and climate models to project how heat-index levels – the combination of heat and humidity – will change over time.
So what does the new study tell us about heat waves in Jamaica’s future, and importantly, the impact on people? Kerry Ann Wright is the Community Observer for the Water Resources Authority (WRA) in Kent Village, Bog Walk, Jamaica. Her role involves the daily monitoring of water levels in the Rio Cobre River which meanders through the Gorge. While it sounds pretty simple, being the Community Observer is risky and takes a lot of courage. To monitor the water levels, she has to: walk to the edge of the bridge and climb down a rusty old ladder hanging over the river which averages 7ft, almost doubling her less than 5ft frame. Given any indication that the water level of the river has increased, Ms. Wright hastily alerts officials. These communities are often not equipped with the right monitoring tools and operate with aged equipment that is neither accurate nor timely. As such, the Improving Climate Data and Information Management Project for Jamaica proved timely, as it enlisted community members, like Kerry Ann Wright, to assist with monitoring water levels in the river and installed a rain gauge.
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