CDRM plans now feature climate change

The community of Mitchell Town in Clarendon yesterday validated its updated Community Disaster Risk Management (CDRM) Plan, which stands to make the coastal community more prepared to withstand the impacts of severe weather events.

It is the first of 14 communities scheduled to validate updated plans over the next two weeks. Rocky Point, also in Clarendon; Lawrence Tavern and Bull Bay in Kingston; Bensonton in St Ann; and Cedar Valley and Hagley Gap in St Thomas are the others slated for this week.

The CDRM plans – which outline a range of actions and strategies to be employed at the community level in preparation for, in response to and in recovery from a range of hazards – now feature climate change impacts as a disaster risk.

They also include hazard maps, community risk profiles, resilience and climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives that can be implemented by the communities themselves.

The communities updated their CDRM plans with assistance from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and in partnership with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). Funding was provided under the PIOJ’s Improving Climate Data and Information Management Project (ICDIMP).

ICDIMP Project Manager Lehome Johnson explained the need for the update.

“The latest climate projections outlined in the State of the Jamaican Climate Report 2015 (published by PIOJ in 2017) include an increase in the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes, longer and more intense dry periods and higher temperatures all year round. Most of the existing plans were developed between 2010 and 2012; and therefore, would not have considered these climate projections and their impacts on the communities, nor did they include climate change adaptation strategies,” he said.

“It was necessary to include climate change considerations given the urgency of the climate crisis and the exposure and vulnerability of the communities to extreme weather events. These, as you are aware, are particularly detrimental to vulnerable groups such as farmers, fisherfolk and many others who depend on our natural resources for their livelihoods,” Johnson added. “The PIOJ is therefore pleased to support the ODPEM which is moving to have communities better prepared to deal with all kinds of hazards, including climate hazards.”

The series of validation workshops are being hosted at the offices of the respective municipal corporations, with the exception of those for Kingston, which will be held at Medallion Hall Hotel this Wednesday and Thursday.

The sessions will include the presentation of certificates to members of the CDRM committees who were trained in areas such as first aid, shelter management, and climate change adaptation initiatives. The CDRM committees will also be provided with safety equipment including flashlights, safety vests, bullhorn public address systems, first-aid kits, and raincoats to assist in disaster preparedness and response activities.

“The validation sessions coincide with the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), and further highlight Jamaica’s efforts to build resilience to climate change impacts, especially at the local level,” said Johnson.

The work undertaken by the ICDIMP is funded by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) under the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience. The CIF is administered by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/the World Bank.

The project aims to improve the quality and use of climate-related data and information for effective planning and action at local and national levels and consists of four components:

1. Upgrading hydro-meteorological data collection, processing and forecasting systems;

2. Climate resilient planning and hydro-meteorological information;

3. Climate change education and awareness towards behaviour change; and

4. Project management, monitoring and evaluation.

The updating of the CDRM plans falls under component 2.