Jamaica to receive US$6.8m climate change grant

A US$6.8 million grant approved by the World Bank yesterday is expected to build the country’s resilience in critical areas most at risk to climate change.

Based on recent projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 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.

The country has been experiencing severe drought conditions, resulting in restrictions on water use and growing scarcity and price increases in the agricultural sector.

Jamaica has developed its own Strategic Program for Climate Resilience under the Climate Investment Fund’s Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), which is managed by the World Bank.

The grant will fund investment projects under Jamaica’s Strategic Program for Climate Resilience and will be disbursed over 4 and a half years, with no repayments or commitment fees required.

Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, Enos Esikuri says the grant will help build a critical foundation for the country to integrate climate change in decision-making processes and adapt current and future livelihood activities to the variability brought about by climate change.

Finance Minister, Dr Peter Phillips has welcomed the additional support, noting that it is perfectly aligned with one of the key outcomes of the Vision 2030 - Jamaica National Development Plan.