ODPEM Jamaica calls for increased resilience spending

Disasters pose an escalating threat to economic prosperity and sustainable development. Their costs are not only underestimated but also unsustainable. Every year, the world spends billions responding to disasters that could have been prevented with smarter investments in resilience and preparedness. 

Globally, direct disaster losses have risen to approximately US$202 billion annually; however, the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 estimates that the real cost is nearly 11 times higher around US$2.3 trillion when considering indirect, long-term, and cascading impacts.

Since 2020, Jamaica has been impacted by several storms, including major indirect effects from the 2020 season (Eta and Zeta, causing widespread flooding), and a direct hit from Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, which caused significant damage and financial losses. Hurricane Beryl in 2024 alone caused an estimated J$32 billion in damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and vital services. This includes J$15.9 billion to general infrastructure, J$10.3 billion to transport, and J$4.1 billion to the electrical grid, with additional losses in agriculture. These recurrent shocks have eroded public resources and livelihoods, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen infrastructure and "build back better" to ensure roads, bridges, utilities, schools, and hospitals are built to withstand future hazards.

Today, as we observe the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Jamaica stands in solidarity with the global community in advocating for smarter, sustainable investments in resilience. The theme this year, "Fund Resilience, Not Disaster," sends a powerful message: if we want to save lives, safeguard development, and secure our nation's future, we must invest in preparedness, not just response.

Jamaica has seen firsthand the devastating effects of hurricanes, floods, landslides, and other hazards. We have also witnessed the remarkable strength of Jamaican communities and their determination to recover, rebuild, and rise. But resilience should not only begin after disaster strikes. It must start beforehand-in our budgets, policies, infrastructure, and mindsets.

We understand very well that disaster risk is not only a humanitarian concern but also an economic one. For a small island developing state like Jamaica, where natural hazards such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and droughts pose ongoing threats, the cost of inaction is far too high. That is why Jamaica has made strategic financial investments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) to safeguard lives, protect its economy, and secure the futures of its communities.

We are aware that for every dollar spent on risk reduction, we save multiple dollars in disaster response and recovery. Guided by our National Natural Disaster Risk Financing Policy, Jamaica is investing in building resilience before disasters occur, rather than bearing the full cost of recovery afterwards.

By leveraging disaster risk reduction initiatives across government, civil society, and communities, we are not just preparing for hazards but building long-term resilience into our development framework. Disaster Risk Reduction is no longer regarded as a peripheral activity; it is a strategic investment in national stability and economic sustainability. As such, we have taken decisive steps to strengthen our disaster risk financing systems through innovative tools like domestic contingency funds, catastrophe bonds, and regional insurance mechanisms via the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC).

These investments are part of a comprehensive, layered disaster risk financing strategy that aligns with global frameworks like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement. These instruments provide rapid, rules-based payouts to support emergency response and recovery when disasters strike.

We are continuing to develop financial safeguards that enable us to build resilience across the country, ensuring quicker and more effective responses during disasters. We fully recognise that resilience is not solely about money; it's about people-ensuring that schools, hospitals, homes, and communities are safer. It involves empowering local authorities, educating citizens, and supporting the most vulnerable-including the elderly, children, and persons with disabilities. It encompasses early warning systems, risk mapping, and making informed decisions based on science and experience. Our commitment is unwavering: to deepen our financial resilience through risk financing mechanisms and through bold, modern approaches in risk reduction, mitigation, and adaptation.

On this day, October 13, 2025, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, I call on all sectors-government, private, civil society, academia, and every Jamaican-to join us in cultivating a culture of preparedness. Let us pledge to spend smarter, not merely more. Let us prioritise prevention over regret. Together, let us fund resilience so that we do not have to fund disasters.

Message from Director General (ag) Richard Thompson for IDDRR 2025.