Transcript MINISTRY OF HEALTH ACTION PLAN

CLIMATE CHANGE
SITUATION
-OVERVIEW-JAMAICA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH, JAMAICA
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.
International Obligations

Jamaica is a signatory to the United
Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto
Protocol. As a developing country (nonAnnex 1), Jamaica does not have GHG
emission targets under the Kyoto
Protocol.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
Jamaica’s Energy Consumption
in 2008 and to 2030
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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
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
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.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!!