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Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, delivers the keynote address at the national youth dialogue on food security held at the University of the West Indies' Mona campus in St. Andrew on Friday (Feb. 27). The event was held under the Organization of American States (OAS) Youth Partnership Programme.

Gov’t Building Out Irrigation Infrastructure to Bolster Climate Resilience, Food Security

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government is focused on building out the country’s irrigation infrastructure as a climate adaptation strategy and to contribute to the nation’s food security. “We're actively doing so in...

Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, delivers remarks as REALTORS® Association of Jamaica President, Gabrielle Gilpin‑Hudson, listens attentively. The occasion was the REALTORS® Association’s Leaders in Real Estate Breakfast, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (February 26).

Gov’t Investments to Deliver Water Resilience for Kingston and St. Andrew

Minister of Water, Environment, and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, delivers remarks at the Leaders in Real Estate Breakfast held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (February 26). The leadership breakfast was hosted by REALTORS® Association of Jamaica under the theme 'Strengthening Partnerships for a More Efficient, Transparent, and Sustainable Real Estate Sector'.

J-SRAT Being Utilised to Build Resilience

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre) addresses Heads of Jamaica’s diplomatic and consular missions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Downtown Kingston on Wednesday (February 11). He is flanked by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith (left) and State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge.

Heads of Mission Urged to Mobilise Partnerships Aligned With Reconstruction Agenda

PM Urges Diplomats to Forge Partnerships for National Reconstruction Under NaRRA

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, addresses the certificate presentation ceremony for participants in the second round of the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, held at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in St. James on January 29.

1 month ago Climate ChangeYouth

Youth-Led Initiatives Strengthening Climate Resilience In Montego Bay

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says youth‑led climate action initiatives are playing a pivotal role in strengthening community resilience, particularly as the city continues to grapple with the effects of climate change. “Hurricane Melissa was not an anomaly… it was a warning. But it also revealed our strength. In the storm’s aftermath, it was youth-led projects that kept...

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, addresses the House of Representatives on January 13.

2 months ago Climate ChangeEnvironmentParliamentWater

Government to Expand Protected Areas by 30% by 2030

The Government has committed to expanding the country’s protected areas network by approximately 30 per cent by the year 2030, commonly referred to as the ‘30x30’ target. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, said at present, Jamaica has declared approximately 24 per cent of its landmass as protected under law, including the Cockpit Country Protected Area,...

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda (third from right), looks on as Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth South Western, Hon. Floyd Green (right), points to the destruction of the Black River Market in St. Elizabeth caused by Hurricane Melissa. Occasion was a tour of the area on Thursday (December 18), by a delegation from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD). From left are Programme Manager for Programming and Country Engagement (PACE) at the Fund, Jihyea Kim; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Wayne Robertson; Executive Director of the FRLD, Ibrahima Cheikh Diong; and Acting Principal Director in the Climate Change Branch, Omar Alcock.

3 months ago Climate ChangeEnvironmentHurricane Relief & RecoveryWater

Jamaica Leveraging International Partnerships in Rebuilding Effort

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, says Jamaica is leveraging its international partnerships and support to assist the country’s rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. He said that experts are scheduled to arrive in the island as early as January to help with redesign and planning. “We even expect to get some benefit from some...

Official photo of Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda

3 months ago Climate ChangeEnvironmentForeign AffairsHurricane Relief & RecoveryParliament

Jamaica Secures Climate Finance and Technical Support at COP30 for Post-Hurricane Melissa Recovery

Jamaica’s delegation to the 30th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Brazil successfully advanced discussions with key international partners, securing major financial and technical support opportunities to strengthen climate resilience and drive post‑Hurricane Melissa recovery. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, made the...

New water trucks acquired by the National Water Commission (NWC) to support the restoration of water services to communities, following the disruption caused by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

3 months ago Climate ChangeEnvironmentWater

NWC Acquires 12 New Water Trucks

The National Water Commission (NWC) has acquired 12 new water trucks to support the restoration of water services to communities, following the disruption caused by the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Acquired at a cost of $199 million, the trucks, which represent an added 146,000 litres of water-hauling capacity per cycle, will stabilise emergency supplies while permanent repairs to water systems...

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby.

4 months ago Climate ChangeCommunityDevelopmentLocal Government

KSAMC Proposes Building Act Reforms to Strengthen National and Municipal Climate Resilience

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has proposed the revision and sustained enforcement of regulations under the Building Act as strategic measures to strengthen national and municipal resilience to extreme environmental events. Addressing the KSAMC’s monthly meeting on Tuesday (November 11), Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, noted that the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 highlighted...

Principal Director, Meteorological Services Branch, Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Evan Thompson, addresses this morning’s (October 27) media briefing at the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston.

4 months ago Climate ChangeEnvironmentHurricane MelissaHurricane Relief & Recovery

Northwestern Parishes Urged to Prepare for Hurricane Conditions

Residents of St. James, Trelawny and Hanover are being urged to prepare for the impact of Hurricane Melissa. Principal Director, Meteorological Services Branch in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Evan Thompson, said that based on the projected path of Hurricane Melissa they will be affected by the system. “There are places on the northern side that don't...