Flooding of the New River in St. Elizabeth in 2010 (JIS Photo)

Jamaica’s government must fast-track legislation aimed at dealing with the mandatory evacuation of people from disaster-threatened areas, Sen. Desmond McKenzie urged in a resolution tabled in Parliament Friday. According to McKenzie, natural disasters have cost Jamiaca $100 billion (1.1 billion USD) over the past two decades. “The situation is further compounded by the location of human settlements in high-risk areas, environmental degradation and poorly-constructed infrastructure and housing,” he said. “These losses from natural disasters are most devastating to the poorest people, particularly those in developing countries occupying dangerous and less-desirable lands, such as river banks, steep slopes and reclaimed lands.”

–Jamaica Information Service