USAID/Jamaica’s investments will balance the priorities of Jamaica’s disaster preparedness capabilities and other interventions that strengthen energy resilience.

USAID/Jamaica

Jamaica’s vulnerability to natural disasters threatens to undermine many of the advances it has made in both commitment and capacity. Success in helping Jamaica to reduce the risks it faces from natural disasters will therefore help Jamaica strengthen its resilience and protect its self-reliance gains.

Working closely with the host government, communities, and NGOs, USAID supports the Government and people of Jamaica to become more resilient to the impacts of disasters through the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. DRR activities seek to institutionalize Jamaica’s disaster preparedness capabilities and increase the country’s capacity to provide support across the region, while also aiming to make Jamaica more energy resilient.

USAID assistance will unlock the private sector’s ability to strengthen Jamaica’s energy sector in the face of natural disasters. This includes improving the enabling environment for renewable energy markets, promoting energy efficiency and diversification, and increasing the ability of critical energy infrastructure to withstand and recover from natural disasters. USAID programming is centered on Jamaica leading the partnership, as work in both areas supports the priorities, plans and existing efforts by the government to decrease its vulnerability to natural disasters.

The growing capabilities of Jamaica’s disaster response infrastructure already enables it to help other Caribbean countries in times of need. USAID assistance during this strategy period will seek opportunities to further Jamaica’s role as a regional leader.