Donna Parchment Brown | Hurt people, blue tarpaulins and broken businesses

Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, do business and raise families, is inspirational and attainable. – Vision 2030

Hurricanes Beryl and Melissa have given us an opportunity to do some new things and to do some old things in a new way. St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, and other affected parishes all deserve an opportunity to be at the forefront of Vision 2030. Let us focus on those aspects that relate directly to relief, recovery, and rebuilding. No one is asking that we remain as we always were, but we are asking that what we have be honoured, transformed, conserved, and strengthened in a way that is inclusive and productive.

– How many homes were damaged or destroyed?

– Has a robust consultation plan been designed and implemented?

–Who has the data to guide planning and response?

Despite the grave delay in the national response so far, we urge the Government to be considered, not hasty.

The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the Social Development Commission (SDC), and the National Works Agency (NWA) should be tasked with developing options for consultation and implementation.

These may include:

Public-private models with special economic zones such as a modern-day port authority similar to the highly successful model in Freeport, Bahamas, but developed using local, international, and government resources.

Construction of an appropriate seawall, such as was done at the Palisadoes; resuscitation of the morass; and development of a modern fishing, yachting, and cruise-shipping port in Black River through public-private partnerships.

Making Black River a learning city with multiple local and international academic institutions and partners to drive a greater community-tourism thrust.

Implementing a social, cultural, and economic development approach similar to that employed in Japan after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake.

Such efforts will benefit the capital, Black River, the parish of St Elizabeth, and western Jamaica. We expect and require no less for dear St Bess.

LOCAL CAPACITY

As we move forward, we do have local capacity for planning. What should our towns be like? What should our villages be like? What are the minimum requirements for a decent life for people living across Jamaica? What should we expect to see when we go to Treasure Beach, Elderslie, Middlesex, Ridge Pen, Aberdeen, Accompong, Balaclava, Santa Cruz, and Black River?

Should we expect there to be a health centre? Ready access to a police station? Ready access to the fire service? Ready access to government services, some of which could be offered through post offices? What should we expect from our towns in St Elizabeth?

Let us remind ourselves that the capital was once inland at Lacovia. Today, Lacovia is, perhaps, best known for its historic tombstones and Holland Bamboo Avenue. These are wonderful.

Wise men of means saw Black River, the longest navigable river in Jamaica, and recognised the potential for a port there. Black River is now a historic port with stories, some of them sad. We have seen the Zong memorial still standing in the town, while the washhouse, in which Africans were scrubbed before being sold into enslavement, was destroyed by Melissa.

As we walk along High Street in Black River and through the town, one important observation is that while quality buildings were constructed, no seawall was built to protect them. Consequently, the buildings became their own buffer, and when faced with a Category 5 hurricane, proved inadequate.

Will the authorities develop a standard that is more suitable? Are we building to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, or is it more rational to build for the more likely Category 3 or Category 4 event? These are important matters to be decided, and they need to be decided as quickly as possible. The standards should then be approved and published so that permits may be issued to those interested in investing in and developing areas of Black River near the Caribbean Sea. We have seen the work at the hospital, and commendations are in order as progress is being made.

CAN’T BE KNEE-JERK

Our national decisions cannot be simple knee-jerk or opportunistic reactions based solely on what we are seeing. We saw massive damage from both Beryl and Melissa to schools and buildings inland, including Black River Primary School, Maggotty High School, Hampton School, Munro College, AAIMS, St Elizabeth Technical High School and other buildings, as well as to properties located on the coast in Treasure Beach and Parottee.

This is the time for proper consultation. It is time to use the pre-Hurricane Melissa smart-city funds and post-Melissa funds to renew an inclusive Black River, which was founded more than 340 years ago by farsighted businessmen. Broken business operators, after waiting for 10 months, should not now be confronted with Jamaica’s options of either sale by private treaty or compulsory acquisition.

We should stand on hope for a better, more inclusive future, not be divided into small interest groups. Let us remember our collective rights and ownership of dear St Bess and the Jamaica, land we love.

Donna Parchment Brown is a justice and development consultant and chair of the St Elizabeth Homecoming. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com