‘Frequency of storms, storm threats up’

DR PARRIS LYEW-AYEE, director of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute, indicated that Jamaica is situated in one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, and during the past century, faced the highly destructive 1907 earthquake; the deadly Hurricane Charlie in 1951; and subsequently, the even more powerful Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

“Along with earthquakes and hurricanes, Jamaica also faces natural hazards such as landslides, floods and drought,” Lyew-Ayee, explained. “It is when these events affect people and their property that we have a disaster.

“From Ivan in 2004 to Matthew in 2016, the frequency of storms and storm threats has gone up for this century,” he stated. “The looming and persistent threat of climate change will make this the new normal going forward.

“Technologies we have developed at Mona GeoInformatics assist state and private-sector organisations to cope with such challenges,” the scientist said. He pointed to the development of digital technologies to bring the built environment into the virtual realm so insurers and the insureds can better appreciate the impact of disasters on their properties, as disasters result from the interplay of hazards, the built environment, and people.

REGIONAL COVERAGE

Regional insurance can also serve entire countries, explained Orville Johnson, executive director, Insurance Association of Jamaica. He said that Jamaica participates in the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, which pays out funds to its 16 member countries after a catastrophic event.

“However, the challenge facing this facility is that: payouts currently are made for severe destruction at this time based on the present structure, which is why Jamaica has not had a payout since its inception in 2007. However, it is an important start, which has been helpful to those who have had to access the facility,” Johnson said.