Beginnings Issue 12.pub - Planning Institute of Jamaica

PIOJ—Sustainable Development & Regional Planning Division 

Beginnings 

Issue 12 

Planning Institute 

of Jamaica 

Assessing the Impact of Tropical Storm Gustav 

on Jamaica 

By 

Sustainable Development & Regional Planning Division (PIOJ) 

October 2008 

Issue 12 

Inside this issue: 

Assessing the Impact of 

Tropical Storm Gustav on 

Jamaica 

Off the Bookshelf 5 

Development Trends in 

Jamaica’s Coastal Areas 

and the Implications For 

Climate Change 

Part 2 

1 

6 

Over the past two decades, the nation has been 

affected by numerous hurricanes, storms and 

floods. This year was no exception with the 

passage of Tropical Storm Gustav on August 

28. The repeated occurrence of these extreme 

weather events has had significant impact not 

only on our environmental assets, living 

conditions and services but also our economic 

performance (see Table 1). 

In more recent years, the impact of these 

events has been captured by using an 

assessment methodology designed by the 

Economic Commission for Latin America and 

the Caribbean (ECLAC). The methodology 

essentially assesses the direct and indirect 

effects of an event and their consequences on 

the social well-being and economic 

performance of the affected country or area 

(ECLAC Handbook, 2003). The assessment 

seeks to cover comprehensively the effects of 

the event and their implication for economic 

and social sectors, environmental assets and 

physical infrastructure. With this information, 

the government is able to obtain data on the 

cost of the damage to these sectors and 

identify areas which need priority intervention. 

The following summarizes the impact of 

Tropical Storm Gustav and outlines 

recommendations to improve our resilience 

(Continued on page 3) 

Develop a global partnership 

for development— A 

Review of The Worlds 

Progress on MDG 8 

MDG Watch 11 

8 

Table 1: Economic Impact of Extreme Weather Events (1998-2008) 

E V E N T 

Y e a r C a teg o r y C o st 

($ J B ) 

Im p a c t 

(% G D P ) 

D ir ec tly A ffe cte d 

P o p u la tio n 

H u rric a n e G ilb e rt 1 9 8 8 3 ~ 8 .3 6 5 .0 n /a 

H u rric a n e M ich e lle 2 0 0 1 4 2 .5 2 0 .8 n /a 

M a y/J u n e F lo o d R a in s 2 0 0 2 - 2 .4 7 n /a n /a 

In Focus– Energy Matters 

Part 2 

Beginnings 

13 

H u rric a n e C h arle y 2 0 0 4 4 0 .4 4 0 .0 2 n /a 

H u rric a n e Iv a n 2 0 0 4 4 3 6 .9 8 .0 3 6 9 6 8 5 

H u rric a n e s D e n n is & 2 0 0 5 4 5 . 9 8 1 .2 1 2 2 5 9 0 

E m ily 

H u rric a n e W ilm a 2 0 0 5 1 3 .6 0 .7 3 6 2 0 0 2 

H u rric a n e D e an 2 0 0 7 4 2 3 .8 3 .4 1 7 9 5 5 2 

T ro p ica l S to rm 

2 0 0 8 - 1 5 .2 4 p 2 .0 4 4 6 0 0 8 

G u sta v 

T O T A L 9 9 .2 5 2 .0 

n /a: no t a v aila b le 

p : p relim in ary 

S o u rc e : C o m p iled b y th e P IO J fro m v a rio u s re p o rts o n a sse ss m en t o f th e so cio -e co n o m ic a n d en v iro n m e n tal im p ac t o f n a tu ral 

d isa ste rs

P a ge 2 I s s u e 12 

Editorial 

Inasmuch as we 

would have liked 

to have an event 

free hurricane season it was not to be. 

On August 28 and 29, Jamaica was 

battered by Tropical Storm Gustav 

leaving in its aftermath a total of ten 

persons dead and hundreds displaced. 

As in the case of previous hurricanes, 

Gustav highlighted the need for a 

more proactive approach to disaster 

preparedness as well as the need for 

the full enforcement of building and 

environmental standards. Despite the 

extensive and costly damage caused by 

Gustav (a total of $J15.51 billion), we 

still have a lot to be thankful for as the 

effects could have been more 

devastating had the storm hit us as a 

hurricane. 

The cover story in this issue focuses 

on the assessment of the impact of 

Tropical Storm Gustav and makes 

some recommendations to strengthen 

our resilience as a nation. 

In this issue we conclude our series 

on the Millennium Development 

Goals with a contributed article from 

my colleague in South Africa, Mr. 

Adlai Davids. Mr. Davids article 

gives a succinct review of the World’s 

progress on MDG 8 - Develop a 

Global Partnership for Development, 

the only goal explicitly linked to global 

financial systems. Our features on 

Development Trends in Jamaica’s 

Coastal Areas and the Implications 

For Climate Change and Energy are 

also concluded in this issue. 

As we approach the start of a new 

year it is predicted that with the 

downturn in the larger world 

economies we, as a developing 

country, will face significant 

challenges. In order to surmount 

these challenges, let us do all we can 

as a people in our own small way to 

conserve energy, spend wisely, invest 

wisely, treat the environment with a 

little more respect, and love our 

neighbours as ourselves. Let us enter 

2009 with the hope and resilience that we 

are known for as a Jamaican people. I 

look forward to providing you with even 

more relevant and interesting features in 

the new year and hope that you will 

continue to provide me with useful 

feedback and contributions as well. 

Many Thanks to the Beginnings 

editorial team and all our contributors for 

2008. 

H a v e a s a f e , 

s u c c es s f ul a n d 

prosperous 2009. 

Nadine Brown 

Editor/Desktop Publisher 

Beginnings Editorial Team 

Toni-Shae Freckleton 

Marcia Blake-Hall 

Kim Hoo Fatt 

WE NEED TO HEAR FROM 

YOU!! 

The Beginnings team would like 

to get your valuable feedback and 

response in order to provide 

relevant information and links 

about issues important to YOU! 

Send us your input on sustainable development related 

websites, events, projects, articles, workshops etc. and we will 

gladly include them in our publication. 

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and 

colleagues who may find the information useful. Past issues 

of Beginnings are posted on the official website of the PIOJ 

at: http://www.pioj.gov.jm 

credits 

http://www.undp.org/mdg/goal8.shtml 

PLANNING INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA 

MISSION STATEMENT 

The Planning Institute of Jamaica is committed to 

leading the process of policy formulation on economic 

and social issues and external cooperation management to 

achieve sustainable development for the people of 

JAMAICA. 

Beginnings is a bi-annual newsletter of the Sustainable Development & Regional Planning Division, Planning Institute of Jamaica. The opinions expressed by 

our contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Beginnings. Please send comments to: The Editor, Beginnings, 16 

Oxford Road, Kingston 5. Tel: (876) 935-5058-4 Fax (876) 906-4465 Email: njones@pioj.gov.jm

P a g e 3 I s s u e 12 

Tropical Storm Gustav... 

(Continued from page 1) 

and reduce our exposure to future events. The full impact 

assessment report can be accessed at the Documentation 

Centre of the PIOJ. 

Damage to Infrastructure & Productive Sectors 

Damage and losses in the infrastructure sector represented the 

greatest portion of impact accounting for over 77.61 per cent 

of the estimated total (see Figure 1). As in the case of 

previous hurricane and tropical storm events, the country’s 

infrastructure took a battering from Tropical Storm Gustav. 

There was extensive damage to the road network, bridges, 

water mains, and to a lesser extent some electricity and 

telecommunication facilities. Damage was estimated at 

Figure 1: Sectoral Cost of Damage and Losses 

0.09% 

0.08% 

10.68% 

11.55% 

of communities due to damaged bridges and impassable roads; 

destruction of property including houses, crops and livestock; loss 

of livelihood; and loss of life. At the peak of the event, a total of 

102 shelters were opened across all parishes housing 1,952 

persons. The parishes with the highest number of persons in 

shelters were Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas and 

Clarendon with 387; 346; and 331 persons respectively. By 

September 1, four days after the event, 248 persons remained in 

10 shelters in 5 parishes. 

There was some dislocation in the provision of utility services; 

however, these were restored in a relatively short time. As at 

Tuesday, September 2 all of the National Water Commission’s 

major facilities were restored with the exception of the Rio Cobre 

system and transmission main from the Hope Water Treatment 

Plant. For those areas without water, the Rapid Response Units 

and private trucks were utilized especially to facilitate institutions 

that provide essential services. Service was restored to all Jamaica 

Public Service customers by September 15, 2008 and the main 

telephone providers indicate that there was very little disruption 

to their services. 

77.61% 

Social Productive Infrastructure Environment Emergency Operations 

$11,410.38 million while losses stood at $630 million. 

There was also widespread damage to agricultural crops and 

loss of livestock across the island. Preliminary estimates of 

damage totalled $1,757.44 million. The most heavily impacted 

crops were bananas and plantains with an estimated loss of 

between 70 per cent and 85 per cent of the existing crop 

estimates. The most affected parishes were Portland, St. 

Thomas, St. Mary, St. Andrew and St. James. The western 

end of the island did not experience as much damage as the 

east, with St. Ann and Trelawny being the least affected. 

Substantial damage to agriculture infrastructure including farm 

roads serving coffee producing areas was also experienced. 

Affected Population 

While the entire population experienced some impact from 

the storm, close to 450,000 residents in 76 communities were 

most directly affected with the impact ranging from isolation 

Farmers, as a group, were particularly affected with 22, 710 

domestic crop farmers and 1,545 livestock farmers suffering 

damage and loss amounting to approximately $550 million. 

Banana producing communities and workers in the banana 

industry are among those expected to experience the greatest 

long-term impact from the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav. 

This is as a result of the Jamaica Producers Group Ltd decision to 

cease production of bananas for export to the United Kingdom 

and to make 460 workers redundant. Workers in the construction 

industry were also affected as the industry was disrupted up to 

September 12 since heavy duty vehicles transporting construction 

materials from the eastern end of the island into Kingston were 

unable to cross the Hope River. 

In the most affected communities, there was considerable 

damage to the housing stock with approximately 7, 000 units 

being damaged. Close to 40 per cent of the houses assessed (as 

at the end of September), have been verified as being either 

severely damaged or totally destroyed. These housed an 

estimated 2,115 families (6,154 persons) see Table 1. 

The estimated cost of the damage based on replacement cost for 

a starter unit of 216 sq. ft., is $1,080 million. It is to be noted 

that some communities will have to be relocated, among them 

(Continued on page 4)


Tropical Storm Gustav... 

those along the banks of the Hope River. The exercise will require 

significant outlays for land and support infrastructure. 

The storm struck just before the beginning of the new school year, 

as such school children island-wide were affected as the re-opening 

of school was delayed by two days to facilitate clean up 

Table 1: Families and Individuals Affected by 

Source: MLSS 

Damage to Housing, by Parish 

Parish 

and emergency repairs. Children enrolled in the 56 primary and 

secondary schools that were damaged were particularly affected. 

Once schools re-opened, children travelling the Bog Walk Gorge 

were affected by higher fares, longer waiting time and lengthened 

commute. In some communities in the Hope River Valley, parents 

reported that children lost school books, supplies and uniforms 

when houses were flooded. 

Lessons Learnt 

Totally Destroyed 

Severely Damaged 

Families Individuals Families Individuals 

Clarendon 4 16 6 26 

Hanover 38 152 

KSA 205 797 371 1339 

Portland 106 282 687 2268 

St. Ann 9 38 

St. Catherine 32 76 173 379 

St. James 1 1 11 45 

St. Mary 20 74 101 363 

St. Thomas 33 99 302 905 

Westmoreland 2 10 14 64 

Total 403 575 1712 5579 

There was evidence that the country has continued to improve its 

handling of hazard events. This was apparent in the speed with 

which basic utilities and services were restored. However, the 

experiences of Tropical Storm Gustav showed that the already 

fragile ecosystems provided little resilience to the above normal 

rainfall intensity experienced during the storm. Close to 20 

collection stations on the south coast recorded rainfall levels of 

between 100 and 400 per cent above the 30-year mean and Mavis 

Bank, with 495 per cent above the 30-year mean also recorded 306 

mm of rainfall in a 12-hour period. This fact coupled with the 

continued degradation of the watershed and settlement along the 

banks of rivers and gullies contributed to much of the flooding and 

associated devastation seen. 

While the direct result of Tropical Storm Gustav was for 

the most part localized and its impact on the affected 

families is obvious, there are long-term implications for the 

entire society. The combination of natural hazards, poor 

planning decisions, and abuse of the natural environment 

will continue to increase vulnerability, particularly among 

the poor, and adversely affect the country’s goals towards 

economic development. In this regard, some previously 

recommended measures bear repeating. These include the 

need to: 

• declare and enforce “No Build Zones” across the 

island; 

• develop and implement a comprehensive and 

integrated watershed management plan; 

• prohibit removal of natural coastal barriers such as 

sand dunes, especially in areas prone to flooding, 

and to rehabilitate coastal buffer systems including 

mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs; 

• preserve the natural drainage systems and retrofit 

and maintain man-made drainage systems to 

accommodate increased run-off and debris flow; 

• effect preventative maintenance of civil structures 

to preserve the structural integrity; 

• strict monitoring and stringent enforcement of 

environmental standards and rules; and 

• review, update and enforce setback standards. 

In addition to the implementation of these 

recommendations, it is believed that the Jamaican society 

needs to take on a culture of prevention in order to 

improve our resilience to these extreme weather events.

P a g e 5 I s s u e 12 

Off the Bookshelf 

Solutions for the Poorest Countries in the 

World 

■ In The Bottom 

Billion, Paul Collier, 

speaks of the 

p r o b l e m s 

experienced by 

minority developing 

countries that are at 

the bottom of the 

global economic 

system. Many of 

these countries, he 

states, “are not just 

falling behind, they 

are falling apart”. He 

states that change in 

these societies will 

not come solely 

from an influx of 

cash or aid, change has to come predominantly 

from within. He defines the role of the 

international community as one which will require 

the use of tools such as military interventions, 

international standard-setting, and trade policy. The 

agencies that control these tools will need to 

become more intimately associated with the 

problems of the bottom billion in order to give 

relevant support to those within those nations who 

strive for change. Collier proposes that the 

problem can be solved by building a unity of 

purpose. This will require, however, a change in 

thinking on the part of developing agencies and 

among the wider electorate. 

Hardcover: 224 pages 

Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1st edition (April 

27, 2007) 

Language: English 

ISBN-10: 0195311450 

ISBN-13: 978-0195311457 

Delivering on Goal 8 

■ This report is an output of the 

MDG Gap Task Force which was 

appointed by UN Secretary 

General, Ban Ki Moon to improve 

the monitoring of MDG 8 and to 

assess whether the global 

partnership for development is 

being put in place, and whether 

international commitments are 

being fulfilled. 

The Task Force, which includes 

over 20 United Nations Agencies, 

reports in this document that 

although a lot of progress has been 

made, there is still much more to be done. The delivery on 

commitments has been deficient and has fallen behind schedule and a 

globally concerted action is now required in order to achieve a shared 

future for all. They propose that all partners accelerate their efforts to 

deliver on the promises they have made. 

United Nations publication 

Sales No. E.08.I.17 

ISBN 978-92-1-101172-2 

Copyright © United Nations, 2008 

Dynamic World Politics 

■ This fifth edition of the United 

Nations and Changing World Politics 

provides an introduction to the United 

Nations and how its operations and 

objectives relate to contemporary and 

future global challenges. It outlines 

and discusses the difficulties, dilemmas 

and opportunities of reaching 

international agreement on the 

problems that the world faces and the 

role that the world organization can 

play in helping to resolve them. The 

book is geared towards educating 

decision-makers, diplomats, 

international activists and students 

about the world organization and to 

engage greater involvement and 

discussion on the issues related to 

multi-lateral decision-making. 

Paperback: 480 pages 

Publisher: Westview Press; Fifth Edition (January 1, 2007) 

Language: English 

ISBN-10: 081334347X 

ISBN-13: 978-0813343471


Development Trends in Jamaica’s Coastal Areas and the Implications For Climate Change 

Part 2 

by Allison Richards 

In Part 1 of this feature an overview of the environmental and 

socio-economic importance of coastal areas in Jamaica and some 

development trends in coastal areas were explored. Climate 

change impacts on emerging trends were also examined. 

To conclude this feature, Part 2 will continue to look at climate 

change impacts on emerging trends and propose adaptation strategies 

that need to be implemented in order for Jamaica to deal effectively 

with the issue of climate change. 

The tourism sector has been severely affected by the more frequent 

and intense storm events. The impact on the industry has 

been threefold. First, the coastal ecosystems on which the industry 

depends have suffered extensive damage. For example, during 

Hurricane Ivan 2004, beaches and coral reefs in western Jamaica 

sustained damage due to the action of the storm surge that in some 

places reached three metres in height. Second, damage to the 

infrastructure and the consequent reduction in visitor arrivals have 

resulted in considerable economic loss. Flood rains in 2002, in 

addition to Hurricanes Dennis (2005), Emily (2005), Ivan (2004) 

and Dean (2007) resulted in direct loss to the sector of $1.6 billion. 

Third, the livelihoods of many tourism workers have been impacted 

due to disruption in their employment. 

SEA LEVEL RISE/STORM SURGE 

Jamaica’s ability to predict storm surge activity is limited by lack of 

data. However, some analysis has been done by Mona Geo- 

Informatics, University of the West Indies (UWI). Mona Geo- 

Infomatics modelled the impacts of storm surge and sea level rise 

for Jamaica (see Map 1). The model revealed that there will be 

“critical loss of land in the several parts of the island” from sea 

level rise and storm surges (see Figure 1). The predicted loss of 

land area is 101.9 km 2 if the sea level increases by a 0.18 m rise and 

Land Area (Km 2 ) 

Figure 1: Sea Level/Storm Surge Impact Scenario: 

Change In Land Area 

11000 

10900 

10800 

10700 

10600 

10500 

10400 

10300 

101.9 114 127.1 

252 

416.4 

Change in Land Area 

0.18 0.59 1 5 10 

Sea Level/Storm Surge Scenario (m) 

Source: Prepared by the PIOJ based on data provided by Mona-Infomatics 

Institute, UWI 

a 1-2 metre rise in sea levels in the KMA would impact critical 

infrastructure which includes buildings, roads, airports, port 

facilities and manufacturing and service industries, putting all at 

risk from flooding in the event of sea level rise and intensive 

precipitation activities caused by changing rainfall patterns 

and/or hurricanes. The concentration of human settlements 

and infrastructure within the coast has, therefore, increased their 

vulnerability to not only flooding, but also storm surges and 

hurricane events. 

ADAPTATION 

Jamaica needs to implement adaptation strategies assuming that 

climate change is inevitable. Some useful adaptation strategies 

should be to: 

• Guide strategic development to locations offering greater 

protection from impacts such as flooding, erosion, storms, water 

shortages and subsidence. 

• Ensure that new and existing building stock is more resilient 

to climate change impacts.


Development Trends in Jamaica’s Coastal Areas ... 

• Incorporate sustainable 

drainage measures and high standards 

of water efficiency in new 

and existing building stock. 

MAP 1: 

• Increase flood storage capacity 

and develop sustainable 

new water resources. 

• Protect coastal ecosystems 

i.e. mangroves and coral reefs 

from further degradation. In the 

case of mangroves – implement 

afforestation programmes in 

relevant areas along the coast. 

These measures can help to stabilize 

the coast and restore the 

protective function of coastal 

ecosystems. 

• Construct multi-purpose shelters throughout the coastal area. 

These shelters should be large enough to hold humans, animals and 

property during extreme events. 

• Construct embankments in low-lying coastal areas. Embankments 

prevent water from penetrating. If water rises over the embankments, 

energy of water is reduced and so does the potential 

damaging impact of the water. 

Focus on traditional community adaptation practices/strategies. 

Over the years, people may have developed their own strategies to 

cope with hazards and disasters. These may be enhanced. 

reefs, mangroves, swamps) which act as defense mechanisms 

for the shoreline against impacts such as hurricanes, storm 

surge and flooding have been compromised by the encroachment 

of development. This has further exacerbated the vulnerability 

of coastal areas to the likely impacts of climate change. 

More research is required to determine more reliable assessments 

so that effective response mechanisms can be developed. 

Some adaptation options have been identified. These 

will be critical in reducing the impacts of climate change on the 

sustainable development of the country. 

CONCLUSION 

Many of the economic and social infrastructures of Jamaica are 

located in the coastal zone and are, therefore, vulnerable to climate 

change. This paper discussed the possible implications for climate 

change of developments in Jamaica’s coastal areas with particular 

reference to hurricanes and storm surges. Coastal ecosystems (coral 

Mrs. Allison Richards is the Urban and Regional 

Planner in the Sustainable Development and 

Regional Planning Division at the PIOJ.

P a g e 8 I s s u e 12 

Develop a global partnership for development. 

A Review of The Worlds Progress on MDG 8. 

By Adlai Davids & Nadine Brown 

goal at a global level as well as in the local context of Jamaica 

External Debt Service Payment 

MDG 8 is the one goal explicitly linked to the global financial 

system and in the most recent (2008) UN Millennium 

Development Goals Report, some trends in the achievement of its 

six targets were mostly not encouraging. External debt service 

payments by developing and heavily indebted countries’ have been 

The current global financial and economic crises are 

threatening the realization of the MDGs. In an October 

statement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, stressed 

the need for global leadership on the MDGs, so that 

wealthier member states do not forget the 2015 targets as 

they address the failures of their own economic and 

financial systems. In the MDG 2008 Gap Task Force, 

the UN chief stated that while there has been a number 

of UN inter-agency processes tracking goals one to seven, 

it has been somewhat challenging to assess whether the 

targets stated under Goal 8 — Develop a Global 

Partnership for Development, are being fulfilled. Goal 8 

has six broad targets related to: 

• ODA; 

• Market access; 

• Access to affordable essential drugs; 

• Special needs of land-locked countries and Small 

Island developing States (SIDS); and 

• Debt sustainability; and 

• Access to new technologies especially ICT. 

Five of the targets are discussed in this article provides a 

succinct review of the progress towards achieving the 

constantly dropping since 1993 (See Figure 1), and a favourable 

environment for investment has not yet been established. 

Financial resources for foreign direct investment are diminishing 

because of the gobal financial crisis, expected investment in these 

countries are unlikely to increase. As such, gains in dealing 

comprehensively with developing countries’ debt can therefore be 

systematically lost. 

Figure 1. External Debt Service Payments as a Proportion of 

Export revenues, 1990-2006 (Percentage) 

Source: MDG Report 2008 

Official Development Assistance (ODA) 

Total development aid is still below the UN target of 0.7 per cent 

for gross national income (GNI) of members of the Development 

Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD (See Figure 2). For all 


P a g e 9 I s s u e 12 

MDG 8... 


developed countries, development assistance fell to 0.28 per cent 

per cent of their combined GNI for 2007. 

Figure 2: Net Official Development Assistance from OECD- 

DAC countries as a proportion of donor’s gross national 

income, 1990-2007 (percentage) 

as the barriers to exports from developing countries are 

mostly still in place. In some areas, like the 2005 WTO 

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, benefits to some 

developing countries accrued, but at the expense of other 

developing countries. Several unilateral agreements that 

benefited some developing countries were extended to 

regional bilateral trade agreements, but none has been 

extended to benefit developing countries as a whole. In fact, 

levels of duty-free access to developed markets are still at 2004 

levels. 

Figure 4: Proportion of developed country imports from 

developing countries, excluding arms and oil, admitted 

free of duty and developed countries’ average tariffs on 

imports of key products from developing countries, 2000- 

2006 (Percentage) 


ODA continued to play a critical role as a source of external 

financing for the Government of Jamaica (GOJ, particularly to 

fund development projects and policy reforms. However, as is 

the case for other developing countries, Jamaica’s receipt of 

ODA has been on a declining trend (See Figure 3) 1 . 

Figure 3. Loans and Grant Approved, 1997-2007 

US$ Million 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

Source: Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ) 2007 

Market Access 

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 

Loans 

Grants 

Access to markets in developed countries is also little improved, 

Source:: MDG Report 2008 

Access to Affordable Essential Drugs 

Although the assessment of the progress of this target is 

hampered by the lack of quantitative indicators, it is safe to say 

that the MDG target to provide access to affordable essential 

drugs in developing countries has served to mobilize resources 

and improve coordination aimed at increasing access to 

essential medicine and treatments to fight diseases (MDG Gap 

Report, 2008). The provision of affordable essential drugs in 

developing countries is also poor, according to the UN MDG 

report. In a survey of 30 countries, public and private sector 

availability of the essential drugs list were at 35 per cent and 

63 per cent, respectively. 

In the Jamaican context, the government announced in 2005

P a g e 10 I s s u e 12 

MDG 8... 

that its goal was to have universal access to anti-retroviral 

drugs for all persons living with HIV/AIDS who need 

treatment. 2 Anti-retroviral distribution to pharmacies and 

clients are now monitored through a partnership with the 

National Health Fund (NHF) and each client is given a 

NHF card to access their medication. Partnership with a 

local pharmaceutical provider has also contributed to 

increasing the access to anti-retroviral drugs. 

Information and Communication Technologies 

Although internet use is increasing rapidly, the poorest 

regions are still lagging behind. Worldwide, the number of 

internet users rose from 7 to 18 per 100 population 

between 2000 and 2006, whilst in the developing regions, 

those figures were 2 and 11 per 100 population (See Figure 

5). In developed countries, these figures changed from 30 

to 58 per 100 population between 2000 and 2006. 

Figure 5. Number of Telephone Subscriptions and 

Internet Connections per 100 population, world, 1990- 

2006 


On a more positive note, mobile phone use is expanding in 

developing countries, especially in those regions where 

fixed lines were relatively few. During 2006, 60 million 

new mobile subscribers were recorded in all of Africa, 

almost every country having more mobile than fixed line 

subscribers. Similarly, the Jamaican Government has 

invested in and expanded the ICT infrastructure in a bid 

to boost efficiency and production; improve 

telecommunications and increase access to global 

knowledge through the internet. Internet penetration 

within the country has been on the increase reaching 

39.4 3 per 100 population in 2006. 

In 2006 13.7 per cent 4 of households in Jamaica reported 

having a computer. Of those households having computers, 

44.6 per cent reported having an internet connection. 

Households in the Kingston Metropolitan Area have both a 

higher percentage computer ownership and internet 

connection. At the end of 2005, the mobile penetration 

rate was approximately 81per cent and total telephone 

(mobile and fixed) penetration rate was 94 per cent 5 

These figures, plus the advancement of wireless 

technologies, are creating the opportunities to close the 

digital and communications gaps between developing and 

developed countries. 

Positive Outlook 

Despite the fact that progress toward the achievement of 

this goal is lagging somewhat, a few countries, have 

managed to implement measures which have yielded some 

level of success. The UN Department of Public 

Information reported in September 2008 that due to a 

differential pricing agreement and financial support 

received through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, 

Tuberculosis and Malaria, Kenya has increased the 

availability of artemether-lumefantrine, an effective malaria 

drug. In the pricing agreement, the manufacturer of the 

drug, Novartis, sells it at lower costs to public health 

systems in developing countries. Mali and other African 

producers of mangoes benefited from technical assistance 

provided by an inter-agency UN programme called 

Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical 

Assistance. Through a project which facilitated the 

phytosanitary treatment of 2,000 hectares of orchards in 

2006, the export of mangoes from Mali increased by 50 

per cent from 2005 to 2006, generating a profit of $12 

million for the Malian economy. 

UN Recommendations 

In order to steer the world toward the successful 

achievement of MDG 8 the United Nations has 

recommended a number of measures. These challenge the 

OECD and other wealthy nations to:

P a g e 11 I s s u e 12 

MDG 8... 

• Bring commitments on ODA back on track, especially the 2002 

Monterrey Consensus reaffirmation of 0.7 per cent of GNI; the 

ODA commitments of 0.15–0.20 per cent of GNI to LDCs 

included in the Action Plan for LDCs; and the 2005 G8 

Gleneagles summit commitment to double aid to Africa from 

$25 billion in 2004 to $50 billion, at constant price dollars, by 

2010. 

• Accelerate implementation of the Paris Declaration to increase 

the quality, effectiveness, predictability and coherence of ODA. 

• Develop steps and actions to complete the Doha Round of trade 

negotiations to reduce existing trade distortions in favour of 

more equitable mechanisms. 

• Extend the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Country (eHIPC) 

debt relief initiative and other debt relief mechanisms to other 

developing countries with severe debt distress problems. 

• Promote regional and global cooperation to enhance food 

security. 

• Assist developing countries to ensure sustainable productivity 

increases and economic diversification. 

• Form partnerships with civil society, NGOs, the private sector 

and foundations to develop, in a participatory manner, pro-poor 

urban and rural development strategies. 

• Increase funding for research and development of essential 

drugs to treat tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and other 

infectious diseases. 

• Ensure equitable access to health and education services 

including additional aid flows in the order of $10.2 billion per 

year. 

• Introduce measures to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. 

• Improve affordable access to new technologies that enhance 

development, especially information and communication 

technologies and those for agriculture and climate change 

mitigation and adaptation. 

• Initiate innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships to 

facilitate technology transfer, research and development in 

developing economies to achieve the MDGs. 

• Encourage non-government partners, including the private 

sector and philanthropic organizations, to sustain funding for 

MDG projects and programmes. 

• Work with partners to develop infrastructure and services and 

promote their integration into the global economy in 

order to enhance the capacity of enterprises. 

Footnotes 

1. The year 2006 was an unusual year as Venezuela 

emerged as a major bilateral source of concessionary 

loans with which to finance physical infrastructure. Of 

a total of US$532.9 million in bilateral loans, Venezuela 

accounted for 79.5 per cent. 

2. Gov't Increases Access to Anti-Retroviral Drugs 

KINGSTON (JIS), Monday, May 16, 2005 

3. Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2006 

4. Survey of Living Conditions Jamaica, 2004 

5. The Jamaica Telecommunications Policy (Draft) 2007 

Sources: 

United Nations. 2008. The Millennium Development Goals Report 

: Geneva 

www.ipsnews.net (Accessed 10 December 2008) 

End Poverty Millenium Development Goals 2015, UN Department 

of Public Information, Sept 2008 (Accessed 5 January 2009) 

United Nations. 2008. MDG Gap Task Force Report 2008. 

Mr Adlai Davids is a senior research manager in 

the Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health 

(SAHA) research programme of the Human 

Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in South 

Africa. 

Sustainable Development Events 

World Biofuels Markets - Where the 

biofuels world meets to do business 

Brussels, Belgium 

March 1, 2009 

28th Session of the FAO Committee on 

Fisheries 

Rome, Italy 

March 2, 2009 to March 6 2009 

International Scientific Congress on Climate Change: 

Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions 

Copenhagen, Denmark 

March 10, 2009 to March 12, 2009 

For details on these and other conferences visit: 

http://www.sdgateway.net/events/,

P a g e 12 I s s u e 12 

MDG Watch 

TARGETS 

Target 8a: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system 

Target 8b: Address the special needs of the least developed countries 

Target 8c: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing states (through the Programme of 

Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the 

General Assembly) 

Target 8d: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order 

to make debt sustainable in the long term 

Target 8e: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries 

Target 8f: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

P a g e 13 I s s u e 12 

Trade 

The United Nations estimates that unfair trade rules deny 

poor countries $700 billion every year. Less than 0.01 per 

cent of this could save the sight of 30 million people. 

(Source: ChristianAid) 

International trade is worth $10 million a minute. 70 per cent 

of this is controlled by multinational corporations. (Source: 

ChristianAid) 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Did you know that in our world today: 

on aid. If the UK met the 0.7 per cent target by 2008, an extra 1.5 

million people could beat poverty that year. (Source: Save The 

Children) 

To achieve 0.7 per cent, the UK needs to increase its aid budget by £3 

billion. It sounds huge, but it is possible - the UK government found 

£5.5 billion to fund the 'war on terror'. (Source: Guardian) 

Rich Country Aid Commitments: The good the bad and the ugly 

The poorest 49 countries make up 10 per cent of the world's 

population but account for only 0.4 per cent of world trade. 

Their share has halved since 1980. (Source: ChristianAid) 

World trade robs poor countries of £1.3 billion a day - 14 

times what they get in aid. (Source: CAFOD, 2003) 

The prices of many poor countries' key exports are at a 150- 

year low. (Source: ChristianAid) 

It is estimated that rich countries are gaining $141.8 billion 

per year in trade and Africa is $2.6 billion per year worse off. 

(Source: ChristianAid) 

Rich countries spend $100 billion a year to protect their 

markets with tariffs, quotas and subsidies - this is twice as 

much as they provide in aid for developing countries. 

(Source: Oxfam) 

Current trade rules force Mexican farmers who live on a 

dollar a day to compete with American farmers receiving 

subsidies of more than US$20,000 a year. (Source: 

ChristianAid) 

The average cow in the EU receives more than $2 a day in 

subsidies, whilst more than 3 billion people in developing 

countries are struggling to survive on less than this. (Source: 

Cafod) 

The EU gives $86.8 billion a year to its farmers in subsidies. 

Just $5 billion could help give everyone in the world access to 

safe water and sanitation. (Source) 

On average, coffee farmers are getting $1 a kilogram while 

consumers are paying about $15 - a mark up of 1500 per 

cent. (Source: Oxfam) 

Aid 

In 1970, 22 of the world's richest countries pledged to spend 

0.7 per cent of their national income on aid. Thirty-four years 

later, only 5 countries have kept that promise. The UK hasn't. 

(Source: Save The Children) 

In 2002/3 the UK spent just 0.3 per cent of national income 

Debt 

Seven Million children die each year as a result of the debt crisis. 

(Source: DC, 2001) 

For every £1 in grant aid to developing countries, more than £13 

comes back in debt repayments. (Source: World Health Report 2000) 

Every year Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region of the world, 

spends $14.5 billion repaying debts to the world's rich countries and 

international institutions such as the World Bank and International 

Monetary Fund. (Source: DATA) 

If we are to reach the Millennium Development Goal of halving the 

number of people living on less than one dollar a day by 2015, we 

must cancel all the debts of the poorest countries. (Source: Jubilee 

Debt Campaign) 

More than 85 per cent of the debt owed by the world's poorest 

countries has yet to be cancelled. (Source: Cafod) 

Debt cancellation needed by the world's poor: US$300bn. Debt relief 

promised by creditors so far: US$110bn. Debt cancellation delivered 

by July 2003: US$36bn. (Source: Cafod) 

Spread over ten years the cost to the UK taxpayer of cancelling 

£1.3bn debt is £171m a year or £2.85 per UK citizen per year - the 

price of a pint. (Source: WDM) 

Spread over 20 years, the cost of cancelling the debts of the 52 Jubilee 

2000 countries is only one penny a day for each person in the 

industrialised world. (Source: World Centric) 

Ethiopia, a country with one of the highest mortality rates in the 

world, the $197m spent on servicing the national debt in 2001 could 

have fully financed provision of a basic package of health care for 

mothers and children. (Source: Oxfam) 

The money spent on debt repayments could provide water for around 

1.3 billion people. (Source: WaterAid) 

All information sourced from: 

http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&

P a ge 14 I s s u e 12 

IN FOCUS 

Energy Matters (Part 2) 

By Richard Kelly 

In our last issue, the first of this two part feature introduced the 

major findings of a Household Energy End Use Survey, 

commissioned by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) 

and conducted by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) 

and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). The main findings 

highlighted the use of electricity, Liquid Petroleum Gas, and 

charcoal and solar energy among Jamaicans, Part 2 now looks at 

the major findings associated with energy efficiency in 

transportation and energy conservation. 

TRANSPORTATION 

It was found that the Jamaican public mainly used public 

transportation since nearly 75 per cent of households did not own a 

motor vehicle (Figure 1). This gave a measure of energy efficiency 

in the transport sector. More urban households owned a motor 

vehicle than their rural counterparts (31.5 per cent and 18.7 per cent 

respectively). 

Figure 1. Percentage of Households 

3+ 

Vehicles 

1% 

2 Vehicles 

5% 

1 Vehicle 

19% 

with/without motor vehicles 

% of Households 

0 Vehicles 

75% 

Households headed by males had a higher percentage of vehicle 

ownership (32.3 per cent) compared to those headed by females 

(16.9 per cent). The most common motor vehicle owned or 

operated by households was a motor car (67.8 per cent followed by 

pickups (13.1 per cent) and SUVs (6.2 per cent). A higher 

percentage of rural households owned or operated minivans/buses 

(13.3 per cent) compared to their urban counterparts (4.8 per cent). 

Some 53.2 per cent of motor cars were over 10 years old, with 15.5 

per cent being over 15 years old (Figure 2). The mean age was 10.8 

years and about 75.0 per cent of the pickups in the survey were over 

10 years, with 41.7 per cent being over 15 years old (Figure 3). The 

mean age for pickups was 12.8 years. The age of the fleet had 

implications for foreign exchange to import spare parts to maintain 

them, and for facilities to dispose of them when they are finally 

unusable. 

3. 

Figure 2. Average Age of Motor Cars 

11-15 

years 

38% 

Average Age of Pickups 

Figure 

Only Average age 12.6 years 

1 3 . 2 

p e r 

0-5 years 

c e n t 

8% 

o f 

> 15 years 

42% 

>15 years 

15% 

0-5 years 

14% 

6-10 years 

33% 

6-10 years 

17% 

11-15 years 

33% 

respondents stated that fuel economy was not important or 

not very important to them when deciding which vehicle to 

purchase, with little difference between urban and rural 

based respondents, male and female, and age group. 

Public transport was the main means of transport to work 

with 26 per cent taking the route taxi and 14 per cent the 

public buses (Table B). The former was similar to the use of 

own vehicles. About 21 per cent walked to work, and 

another 5 per cent rode a bicycle. 

The average Jamaican travelled 14.1 kilometers to work, 

with the highest proportion being in the 2.1-5 km range 

(25.4 per cent of respondents), and the next highest being 

the 10.1-30 km range (22.7 per cent). In the urban areas, 

workers travelled an average of 14.9 km to work while in 

rural areas it was 13.3 km. 

Students mainly used public transport to get to school, 

predominantly the route taxi (37.2 per cent of households), 

public buses (18.7 per cent), minivans (3.0 per cent) and 

private taxis (4.6 per cent). In total 63.5 per cent of 


P a g e 15 I s s u e 12 


Table B. Transportation to work by 

percentage of households 

Mode of Transport All Urban Rural 

Own/Co. vehicle 26 32 18 

Public bus 14 24 3 

Route taxi 26 21 33 

Other Public 

Transport 

5 5 4 

Walk 21 13 32 

Other 8 5 10 

Figure 4. Energy Saving Practices 

Some 32.8 per cent of urban households used energy saving 

bulbs compared to only 20.0 per cent of rural households; also a 

larger urban percentage said they opened the refrigerator less 

% o f Hou seh o ld s 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

households used public transport to get their children to 

school. Another 22.5 per cent had their children walk to 

school. Not many children travelled on school buses or 

bicycles. In addition, 36.5 per cent of respondents said that 

there was nothing that would make them willing to park their 

vehicle and take public transportation. Reasons that would 

make others consider this option included the cost of gas/toll 

(28.1 per cent of respondents), a good and frequent transport 

system (12.7 per cent) or if their vehicle was at the garage (8.8 

per cent). 

Approximately 47.1 per cent of car owners said that there 

was nothing that would make them willing to park their 

vehicle and carpool with a friend or neighbour. Reasons that 

could make others willing to consider this included 

economical (28.0 per cent of persons), and if they were going 

the same place (9.7 per cent). Traffic congestion was not 

considered an important factor since only 0.8 per cent cited 

this reason. Fewer urban car owners (49.7 per cent) would 

consider the idea compared to their rural counterparts (58.7 

per cent). Those who owned one vehicle were about as likely 

to consider it as those with two or more; similarly those 

living near to their work place (0-5 km) were as likely to 

consider as those travelling further to work (over 5 km). 

Gender differences were not large, while age showed a trend, 

with the older the persons the less amenable to carpooling. 

Energy Conservation 

About 79 per cent of households routinely performed energy 

saving practices. Three quarters of the respondents identified 

the turning off of electric lights and appliances when not in 

use as an energy saving measure (Figure 4). About 40.0 per 

cent said that they ironed less (three persons said that they 

had stopped ironing), while 28.0 per cent reported that they 

opened the refrigerator less. It was important to note that 

only about a quarter of households stated that they used 

energy saving bulbs. The purchase of energy efficient 

appliances was listed by only a few (4.7 per cent). 

0 

Turn off light 

& 

Ap pliance s 

E ne rgy 

E fficie nt 

A p pliance s 

Use Ene rgy 

Sa ving 

B ulb s 

Iron Le ss 

Op en F ridg e 

L ess 

(32.4 per cent of urban compared to 23.1 per cent of rural). 

Fewer male headed households ironed less to save energy than 

female ones (34.7 per cent of males and 46.5 per cent of 

females). Also, it appeared that fewer male headed households 

practiced opening the fridge less compared to female headed 

households (23.9 per cent of males and 32.9 per cent of 

females). It was concluded that while most households routinely 

performed energy saving practices, the use of energy saving 

bulbs by only a quarter of households indicated that the 

programme of encouraging their use was not fully successful. 

This could be due to the relatively high cost. 

There was a low prevalence of water heaters in Jamaican 

households, which could be due to many persons thinking that 

they are unnecessary in the hot Jamaican climate, and/or too 

expensive for the benefits. The NHT solar water heater loan 

programme was known by only 13.5 per cent of respondents, 

more so by persons who were urban, middle aged, highly 

educated and high income earners. The NHT promotion of this 

programme was not being effective, and other strategies for the 

promotion would be needed. 

Data generated from the survey will assist in the formulation of 

more detailed strategies to enhance the achievement of the 

Energy policy objectives and further address the needs of the 

sector. 

Richard Kelly is the Science & Technology Specialist in the 

Sustainable Development & Regional Planning Division at 

the PIOJ.

Beginnings Issue 12.pub - Planning Institute of Jamaica

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