Climate Resilience Integrated into Jamaica’s Financial Planning to Accelerate Post-Disaster Recovery

“We are mainstreaming climate resilience in our budgeting process by building buffers and reserves and by literally budgeting for storms.”
– Prime Minister Holness
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Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government is committed to integrating climate resilience into the budget process and financial planning to enhance the country’s ability to recover swiftly from hurricanes and other major weather events.
Speaking yesterday (July 8) as he endorsed the Building A Better Jamaica Fund at a media event at Jamaica House, Prime Minister Holness emphasized the proactive measures being taken to mitigate the economic impacts of natural disasters.
“It is important and instructive, therefore, that the country understands how the government is treating with this [disaster preparedness]. We have been treating with this by virtue of; one, ensuring that we mainstream climate resilience in everything that we do. So, we are mainstreaming climate resilience in our budgeting process by building buffers and reserves and by literally budgeting for storms,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Prime Minister Holness highlighted critical importance of financial prudence of these measures, explaining that the aim is to prevent Jamaica from falling into a cycle of increased borrowing after every climatic event. “What happened before is that every climate event pushed us into more borrowing. So, a part of our debt trap was as a result of having to borrow to recover from climate events, so we’re trying to avoid going down that trajectory.”
Over the past eight years, Jamaica has experienced a series of natural weather events, including hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy flood rains and earthquakes, all of which have had significant fiscal implications. Prime Minister Holness stressed that these events cannot be viewed in isolation but rather as part of a broader pattern affecting infrastructure and economic stability.
The Prime Minister noted that while global and local philanthropy can provide short-term relief during crises like Hurricane Beryl, a sustainable recovery requires a robust economic and financial strategy.
In this regard, the government has developed a long-term plan to ensure that Jamaica can recover not only quickly but sustainably from these challenges.
Acknowledging the diverse dimensions of crisis management, Prime Minister Holness emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts across public, corporate, civil society, and the philanthropic sectors as the country focuses on recovering stronger.