Jamaica’s “Vision 2030” National Development Plan calls for the development and implementation of strategies and actions towards “Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change” (National Outcome #14).

Institutionally, the National Disaster Risk Management Council is responsible for overall coordination of disaster management activities in Jamaica. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) which is a Statutory Body under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, acts as the secretariat and is the agency with overarching responsibility for Disaster Risk Management.

According to Section 4 of the ODPEM Act, the Organization is mandated:
… to advance disaster preparedness and emergency management measures in Jamaica by facilitating and coordinating the development and implementation of integrated management systems.
ODPEM’s mandate is also aligned to The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, which promotes the taking of urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Why are we doing this audit?

Given Jamaica’s geographic location and its geology, the island is vulnerable to several types of natural disasters including hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. In recent years these risks have been heightened because of climate change and are evident in rising sea-levels, erosion of coastal zones, flooding of coastal areas, coral reef destruction, and the spread of vector-borne diseases. The audit aims to assess whether ODPEM is effectively managing its resources to reduce the impact of disasters and emergencies on the Jamaican population and economy.

Your comments relevant to our audit may be useful and can be communicated by completing the relevant fields on our feedback form or email us at audgen@auditorgeneral.gov.jm. Please note that we may not respond to you directly due to the volume of information we receive.