Jamaica must prepare for climate change realities – Samuda

Member of Parliament for North East St Ann and former Cabinet Minister, Matthew Samuda, is calling for a national conversation on climate change, emphasising the need for citizens to understand its expected negative impact on infrastructure and construction projects.

Samuda made the appeal at day two of the University of Technology's (UTech) Climate Change Conference on Friday.

The man who up to recently had responsibility for the environment portfolio, stressed that climate change adaptation will require significant budgetary adjustments.

"The biggest discussion that has to happen... is not because the Government isn't moving apace to complete its national adaptation plan; not because it's not honouring its commitments for its strategic planning under the Paris Agreement; not because Jamaica wasn't the first to complete what's called a Jamaica Systemic Risk Assessment tool which forces you to look at infrastructure development through the climate lens; but because you're such a small economy that in many ways has just, or is nearing completion of its macroeconomic recovery with great macroeconomic needs, the discussion has to happen in a manner where the common man understands (that) the cost of adaptation will slow some of our personal and community ambitions (goals)," said Samuda.

He added that adapting to climate change will slow down some projects, citing housing and road construction as examples.

"Roads have to be built at a different standard, houses have to be built at a different standard, lecture theatres have to be built at a different standard, because you have to be able to build to... withstand earthquakes, (and) withstand category six storms," he indicated.

He also illustrated the potential negative impact on housing construction.

"So, it means instead of building 30,000 homes, to build them at the (new required) standard, you may need to build 12(000)," Samuda suggested.

He pointed to embracing the experts at UTech, for example, to share their knowledge on the new technologies to support climate change adaptation.