Jamaica advances hurricane resilience, reconstruction oversight and public preparedness measures

Jamaica is moving to tighten disaster resilience, reconstruction oversight and public preparedness for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with new measures announced across Parliament, Cabinet and national emergency agencies following Hurricane Melissa.

Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie told the House of Representatives during the 2026-2027 Sectoral Debate that a revised national building code will be introduced this financial year. The code is intended to make new structures capable of withstanding Category 5 hurricanes, while giving municipal corporations stronger enforcement powers, mandatory compliance checks and tougher sanctions for illegal construction in high-risk areas.

McKenzie said additional building officers will be hired after approval from the Ministry of Finance. He reported that nearly 1,400 building applications, valued at $68.8 billion, were filed between January and March, with the largest growth in applications for small residential developments under 300 square metres.

The minister also announced a $200 million National Solid Waste Management Authority public education campaign aimed at reducing littering and illegal dumping. The NSWMA is seeking islandwide garbage collection every seven to 10 days, the removal of 8,000 tonnes of bulky waste and the collection of 1.2 million tonnes of waste this year.

Jamaica has also adopted a multi-agency data governance framework for disaster response. ODPEM Director General Commander Alvin Gayle and five permanent secretaries signed agreements supporting GeoConnect, a secure platform that allows ministries and agencies to share and verify damage assessment data in real time. Permanent Secretary Arlene Williams said the system grew out of lessons from Melissa and should improve transparency in beneficiary verification.

The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority will coordinate post-Melissa rebuilding. Its chief executive officer, Ambassador retired Major General Anthony Anderson, said the agency will rely on credible systems aligned with accepted donor and financing-institution standards, while avoiding duplication of existing ministries and agencies.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness said the NARA Act is now law and confirmed Anderson's appointment from June 1. Cabinet has settled a shorter priority list of projects, while the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee is also expected to be published.

Other government updates included Jamaica's call in Japan for stronger international support for small island developing states and sustainable blue economy development, the June 5 visit window of the USS Nimitz in Kingston, land titles issued to 124 residents in Mandeville, and the renaming of the Labour and Social Security Ministry's North Street building in honour of former Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller.