The dormitory community of Portmore in St Catherine which is said to be vulnerable to natural disasters and other hazards, will soon benefit from a disaster risk management plan courtesy of a €400,000 ((J$60 million) grant being provided by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Jamaican Government.
This was revealed by the Mayor of Portmore, Leon Thomas, during a recent contract signing at the Portmore Municipal Corporation’s (PMC), Portmore Pines offices.
He said just over €300,000 of the amount is courtesy of a grant from the CDB while the Jamaican Government is putting up €68,860 or 17 per cent.
With its coastal areas like Edgewater, Bridgeport, Bridge View and the Port Henderson Road which is more popularly known as ‘Back Road’ being vulnerable to storm surges, and with the risk from an earthquake likely to be exacerbated, the PMC recently signed a contract with IH Cantabria, for consultancy services aimed at minimising said risks.
Thomas explained that the grant will allow researchers from IH Cantabria, a division of the University of Cantabria in Spain, access to analyze Portmore, create a disaster risk management plan, and to formulate a natural hazard risk…
