Resilience is not built in isolation. It grows through cooperation, shared learning, and solidarity

In late October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made history as the first Category 5 storm on record to make landfall in Jamaica. It brought devastating winds, torrential rain, storm surge, and widespread flooding. In the western part of the country, roads were blocked, hospitals stopped operations, and most communities were left without power for several weeks. Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness described it as an "atomic bomb." According to the World Bank, Hurricane Melissa caused approximately $8.8 billion in direct physical damage—equivalent to over 40% of Jamaica's 2024 GDP. Broader economic losses, including business interruption, agriculture, and tourism, could exceed $20 billion, surpassing Jamaica's entire annual GDP.

The death toll in Jamaica equals 45 confirmed deaths, with 15 individuals still missing. In Haiti, cascading hazards such as flash floods and landslides caused at least 43 confirmed deaths, with 13 people still missing. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in Cuba and The Bahamas. 

While Melissa's path swept across several Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including Haiti, Cuba, The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, the outcomes varied widely, reflecting different levels of exposure, investment, and vulnerability. These consequences highlight the systemic nature of disaster risk, shaped by infrastructure vulnerabilities, inequality, and environmental degradation that accumulate over time.

Hurricane Melissa exposed the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and essential services. More than 80% of the population experienced power outages, and five major hospitals sustained severe structural damage, particularly in the southern and western regions, as reported by PAHO. Water and communication systems were also heavily affected, constraining access to health care and emergency response. The focus now is not only to recover what was lost but to build forward better and more resilient.

Melissa has once again exposed the urgent need to build infrastructure with resilience at its core. According to the Infrastructure for Climate Action report, co-published by UNOPS, UNEP, and the University of Oxford, of the total global cost of climate change adaptation, infrastructure investments account for approximately 88%. Put simply, climate resilience depends primarily on how we build and upgrade our infrastructure.

Jamaica did not wait for the storm to make landfall to take action. Days in advance, alerts were issued, evacuations were organized, and shelters were activated under the Government of Jamaica's direction. The coordinated approach across ministries and local authorities reflected strong governance and political will at the highest level, showing that when leadership is informed by science and guided by long-term vision, preparation becomes protection.

This readiness reflects broader commitment. At the VII Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2021, Jamaica became the first country in the world to engage all its municipalities in the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative. Through this effort, all 14 parishes have implemented the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, focusing on multi-hazard early warning systems, public health, and cultural heritage. It demonstrates that resilience must be grounded in local implementation, guided by measurable outcomes, and sustained by firm political will.

Jamaica's commitment to prevention is also reflected in national policy. The Disaster Risk Management Law, passed in 2015, laid the legal foundation for risk identification, reduction, and response planning across sectors. Building on this, the National Policy on Disaster Risk Reduction Financing, launched in 2021, has strengthened financial resilience, increased budget allocation for disaster risk reduction, reinforced local capacity, and promoted the strategic use of risk reduction tools.

These efforts are backed by data and international recognition. The 2024 Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (RAR24) highlighted Jamaica's leadership in integrating disaster risk reduction into public investment planning. Over 30% of DRR-classified funds are allocated to prospective risk management, well above the regional average. Budget allocations for disaster risk tripled after the creation of the National Disaster Management Programme, and the country shows a budget execution rate of 95%, among the highest studied in the RAR. Jamaica also maintains a national contingency fund, initially launched with $60 million and financed annually through the national budget, supporting prevention, mitigation, and risk transfer instruments like parametric insurance premiums.

These risk transfer instruments are already delivering results. Payouts from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) and the catastrophe bond issued by the World Bank exceeded $240 million, the largest amount Jamaica has received to date. 

UN agencies, together with regional and international partners, have been supporting Jamaica's relief efforts. Coordination and local leadership have been decisive in orchestrating an effective response. UNOPS and UNDRR are focusing on supporting recovery and reconstruction assessments, with a view to restoring critical infrastructure and enabling resilient reconstruction.

As Jamaica looks ahead, there is a valuable opportunity to consolidate lessons learned and identify ways to further strengthen early warning systems, critical infrastructure resilience for the most at-risk populations, and resilient recovery readiness. Because only what gets measured can be managed and strengthened, effective tracking of loss and damages across sectors is paramount to guide long-term improvements. 

Resilience is not built in isolation. It grows through cooperation, shared learning, and solidarity among nations. As the region begins to recover, this is the time to strengthen partnerships, align investments, and turn loss into a renewed commitment to protect lives and livelihoods across the Caribbean, building back better for a more resilient future.