1. CLIMATE CHANGE SITUATION -OVERVIEW-JAMAICA MINISTRY OF HEALTH, JAMAICA

2. BACKGROUND Like many other Small Island Developing States, Jamaica’s social and economic development is tied to its natural resource base. The dependence on natural resources by key economic and climate sensitive sectors such as tourism, agriculture, forestry and water, indicates that climate change is a major threat to the island’s overall development based on the projected changes in climate and the expected associated impacts.

3. International Obligations Jamaica is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. As a developing country (non- Annex 1), Jamaica does not have GHG emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

4. Jamaica and the UNFCCC Jamaica prepared its First National Communication on Climate Change in 2000 setting out the country’s circumstances, inventories of green-house gases, vulnerability and adaptation measures, policy actions, and information gaps and technology needs in the area of climate change. The Second National Communication was submitted to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC in December 2011 and sets out the vulnerability and adaptation options in the water resources, coastal zone, human health, human settlement and agriculture sectors. An inventory of greenhouse gases for 2000-2005 and a mitigation assessment are also included in the report.

5. Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) Regional Framework: CCCCC (2009): Climate Change and the Caribbean: A Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change (2009 – 2015) Implementation Plan: CCCCC (2011): Delivering Transformational Change 2011 – 2021: Implementing the Regional Framework Approved by the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on March 2012

6. Vision 2030 This Policy Framework for Joint Action on Climate Change is aligned with Goal 4 of Jamaica’s Vision 2030 National Development Plan: “Jamaica has a Healthy Natural Environment” and the Hazard Risk Reduction and Climate Change Sector. The Vision 2030 National Development Plan aims to put Jamaica in a position to achieve developed country status by 2030.

7. Vision 2030 Goal 4 of this plan seeks, inter alia, to: Develop mechanisms that integrate disaster risk reduction in development planning Build awareness of natural hazards among all stakeholders Implement best practices for hazard risk management Support community based approaches to hazard risk reduction Create mechanisms to enable all government policies and plans fully consider the implementation of climate change Adopt best practices for climate change adaptation Identify strategic priorities for climate change

8. Observations and Trend of Climate Change in Jamaica The net carbon dioxide emissions increased from 8,418 Giga ‐ grams (Gg) in 1994 to 9,532 Gg in 2000 with the energy sector accounting for nearly 86 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in 2000, down from 97 percent in 1994. Carbon dioxide removals (sink) showed quite a remarkable increase from 167 Gg in 1994 to 1,108 Gg in 2005. The change in sinks was largely due to land use related activities, particularly in forestry and agriculture.

9. Future Threats and Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Jamaica Coastal and Marine Resources Water Resources Human Settlements and Infrastructure Terrestrial Resources and Terrestrial Biodiversity Agriculture Tourism Human Health Energy

10. Some Impacts Surface temperature changes will lead to the following impacts on Jamaica: Sea level rise Increased surface warming Ocean warming and thermal expansion Increased threats to human health via the spread of tropical diseases Increase or decrease in precipitation Increased frequency of extreme events

11. BACKGROUND Jamaica’s coastline is approximately 886 kilometres long and is the habitat for many of the island’s diverse species and ecosystems including sandy beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, wetlands, sea-grass beds and coral reefs. It is also the location for many of the island’s important infrastructures and a high percentage of the island’s economic activities, including tourism, informal and formal housing, mixed farming, fishing, port facilities and mining.

13. Jamaica’s Energy Consumption in 2008 and to 2030

14. HUMAN HEALTH Human health is affected by several key factors. These include the physical environment, social and economic support systems/networks, physical and personal health, development practices, and biology and genetic endowment. Climate change affects the most fundamental determinants of health: air, water, food, shelter, and freedom from disease.

15. Impact on Human Health The impacts on human health will largely be determined by several factors, including available health services, the state of the physical environment (e.g. air) and the availability of life sustaining resources such as water and food.

16. Associated Risks for Human Health Jamaica’s natural vulnerability to extreme hazards and its location in the tropics also increases the risks posed to human health, as local conditions are ‘favourable’ for the expansion of both tropical (vector-borne) and water-related diseases. Climate change will bring about more storms, floods, droughts, heat waves, and these are expected to threaten all the determinants of health, resulting in the anticipated following impacts:

17. Associated Impacts For Human Health An increase in the incidences of vector-borne diseases (such as dengue fever, malaria, etc.) as higher temperatures favour the proliferation of mosquitoes and other disease carriers; A three (3) fold increase in dengue transmission is likely in Jamaica; A higher occurrence of heat and stress-related illnesses and conditions caused by the ‘heat island effect.’ This could directly increase morbidity and mortality cases, particularly in the elderly. An increase in water-related diseases, especially water borne diseases, particularly following extreme rainfall events

18. Associated Impacts for Human Health It is further recognized that the impacts of climate change on coastal and terrestrial resources, food supply, water production and the various economic sectors are likely to have indirect and significant effects on human health; More frequent extreme weather events can lead to potentially more deaths and injuries caused by storms and floods; Given the vulnerability of the agricultural sector climate variability, rising temperatures and more frequent droughts and floods can compromise food security. This could result in increases in malnutrition, given the high dependency on rain-fed subsistence farming, but also due to extended periods of drought.

19. GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA - KEY INITIATIVES Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change National Climate Change Advisory Committee - 2012 Climate Change Department - 2013 Policy Framework for Joint Action 2013

20. Draft Climate Change Policy - 2013 This Draft Policy Framework for Joint Action on Climate Change outlines Jamaica’s, objectives and strategy for responding to the impacts and challenges of climate change, with its development led by the Planning Institute of Jamaica. It provides a national policy framework to ensure that appropriate policy response measures are developed and implemented in all sectors so as to enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of Jamaica to cope with climate change impacts and mitigate the causes of climate change in a coordinated, effective and sustainable manner.

21. Draft Climate Change Policy The Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change will be the focal ministry with responsibility to oversee the implementation of this policy framework. Climate Change Advisory Committee established in 2012 by the Government of Jamaica. A Climate Change Department (CCD) is being established under the MWLECC as the focal institution to coordinate existing and proposed initiatives in addressing climate change. The CCD will ensure the systematic dissemination of information among ministries, agencies and departments and the provision of technical support to facilitate the development of sectoral adaptation and mitigation plans.

22. Climate Change Policy Legislation will be enacted to provide a framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This legislation will institutionalise the role of the CCD to provide for the giving of advice to the Government on matters relating to climate change and to confer power on the CCD and Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change to impose climate change duties on public bodies (e.g. reporting on climate change related actions). Focal points will be established within the ministries, agencies and departments related to the relevant sectors.

23. Climate Change Policy These focal points are responsible for managing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the development their own sectoral strategies and actions related to climate change. The relevant sectors are agriculture, forestry, water, energy, coastal and marine resources, health, mining, tourism, transportation, solid waste management, planning and disaster risk reduction and response management.

24. The Ministry of Health has designated its Focal Point and is restructuring the Technical Services Division to reflect this. The Focal Point for the Ministry of Health is within the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit of the Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services Branch of the MOH. Staff positions including for Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change and Safe Hospitals are being created.

25. Safe Hospital / Health Facility Initiative and Smart Hospital Programme The MOH, Jamaica in collaboration with PAHO has conducted Safe Hospital vulnerability assessments of 12 of its 25 hospitals, with completion of all assessments scheduled for 2014 – 2015. Retrofitting will start in 2013 – 2014 to ensure the ability of the hospitals to continue offering services before, during and after any event and also to ensure that the carbon footprint of each facility is reduced to a satisfactory level. Assessment of the 317 Health Centres will start in 2014 to ensure similar goals as for the hospitals.

26. Health Initiatives Incorporate measures to address health related climate change issues including programmes to counter malaria, dengue and vector borne diseases into National Health Plans. Integrated Management Strategy for Dengue developed in collaboration with PAHO in 2012. Continue to strengthen epidemiological and surveillance systems Improve sewage treatment plants and storm water management systems. Expand and conserve green spaces and national parks to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures and heat waves, particularly in urban areas.

27. Ministry of Health - Next Steps Accelerate the establishment of the Climate Change area of the MOH Continue review and development of existing legislation and policies for Climate Change for Human Health, in keeping with the National Policy Framework Develop and implement Public Health Action Plans and relevant Emergency Response Plans

28. Ministry of Health - Next Steps Link approaches for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction for health and other sectors Continue Strengthen the multi-Ministry, Department and Agency and multi-sectoral involvement and coordination mechanism Strengthen Epidemiological and Surveillance systems Establish Early Warning Systems and develop interventions, for areas such as disease transmission and Risk Communication systems

29. Next Steps Improve laboratory capacity and strengthen MOUs with other reference laboratories Training – Determine needs and conduct training and include in orientation of all health sector workers – public and private development Continue / foster research to garner evidence for effects of climate cange on human health Strengthen international cooperation and explore opportunities to access areas of expertise.

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