(Jamaica Gleaner) Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, says there is an urgent need for disaster risk financing solutions for countries across the Caribbean.
Johnson Smith made the call as she addressed the 2022 United Nations High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) on July 13.
The minister, who spoke on the topic: ‘Financing for Development: Catastrophe Bonds,’ highlighted the region’s vulnerability to disasters, noting that over the last decade, the Caribbean has had only one year with less than 10 named storms.
In 2020, a historic high of 30 named storms were recorded, while 21 were documented in 2021, which was the third highest.
An above-normal hurricane season is forecasted for 2022.
