PM names Disaster Risk Management Committee
AFTER being sideswiped by Hurricane Beryl on July 3, which racked up over $10 billion in damage, Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday announced the creation of a Disaster Risk Management Committee “tasked with strengthening Jamaica’s preparedness for disasters and ensuring” that the island is “ready to meet future crises head on”.
The committee, which is led by Major General Antony Anderson, includes Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr; retired senior public official Jonathan Grant; and Trudy Deans, a consultant, will focus on critical areas such as infrastructure resilience, essential services like water, electricity and telecommunications, as well as medical services and community preparedness.
According to Holness, who made the announcement during a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew, the committee’s mandate includes the assessment of vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure (water supply systems, electricity grids, telecommunications networks and transportation routes) and services to ensure they remain operational, even during disaster events.
“The focus will be on ensuring that these essential services are designed, maintained and upgraded to withstand the impact of hurricanes, floods and other disaster events,” the prime minister said, adding that the committee will also evaluate emergency services to ensure that they are equipped to respond quickly and efficiently to crises.
“It is expected to also provide recommendations for improving the national and local disaster response framework,” he told the briefing.