WASHINGTON, Jul 28 2015 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a US$6.8 million grant to help Jamaica improve the quality and use of climate related information for effective planning and action at local and national levels.
Approximately 60 percent of Jamaica’s 2.8 million residents live in coastal communities, rendering them disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Climate change has resulted in higher risks to coastal communities through storm surges and rising sea levels, threatening lives and economic activity such as farming and fishing.
Based on recent projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013), small island countries such as Jamaica are severely threatened by the direct and indirect impacts of climate change, most of which are projected to accelerate in the coming decades.
To improve the country’s capacity to respond and mitigate the effects of climate change and natural disasters, Jamaica has developed its own Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) under the Climate Investment Fund’s Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR). The SPCR is intended to support fact finding, priority setting and action planning. This grant will fund the first of three investment projects identified under the SPCR.
“We welcome this additional support from the World Bank, particularly because it is perfectly aligned with the key outcome of Vision 2030 – Jamaica National Development Plan – Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change. This additional capacity in planning and execution will no doubt enhance our ability to continue on our journey of economic recovery with renewed confidence,” said Peter Phillips, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and Planning.
The project is also part of the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Jamaica that underscores the need to address climate change vulnerabilities to foster sustained improvements in shared prosperity.
