http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140109/lead/lead4.html

Failure to incorporate environmental planning as an integral part of national development will have disastrous consequences for Jamaica and increase the chances for climate-related disasters.

Ambassador Paola Amadei, head of the Delegation of the European Union in Jamaica, issued the warning yesterday at a ceremony commemorating the completion of the retaining wall and river-training work at Dallas Castle in St Andrew.

"Climate-related disasters trap people into poverty, and urgent action must be taken to mitigate Jamaica's risk. Climate change is already exacerbating inequality, and its impact tends to be most severe in already impoverished areas," Amadei said.

She said procrastination increases risk and perils and reduces the ability to respond.

"Unless we act now, we will see more and more disasters due to unplanned development and environmental degradation."

"In a world of ongoing population growth, rapid urbani-sation, and climate change, ... the potential for future losses is enormous. This is why the European Union is supporting the Caribbean islands in their efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change at regional as well as national levels," she added.

Robert Pickersgill, minister of climate change, echoed the call for Jamaica to become climate-resilient now.

"It is no secret that climate change poses the biggest threat to our livelihoods and our sustainability as a country ... . Every unusual event, every flood, every storm, every drought, every incident where extremes of temperatures are registered should serve as warnings for us all," he remarked.