With Hurricane Melissa, Capitalism and Climate Chaos Bring Devastation to Jamaica – CounterPunch.org

Report on Hurricane Melissa’s Impact on Jamaica and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, recently made landfall in Jamaica, causing extensive damage and highlighting the critical intersection of extreme weather events, climate change, and socio-economic vulnerability. This report analyzes the hurricane’s impact through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating how such disasters threaten progress and exacerbate existing inequalities.

Climate Change and SDG 13: Climate Action

The historic intensity of Hurricane Melissa is a direct manifestation of the climate crisis, underscoring the urgent need for global commitment to SDG 13 (Climate Action). The storm’s rapid intensification, with wind speeds doubling in under 24 hours, was fueled by abnormally warm ocean waters—a condition directly linked to global carbon emissions. This event serves as a critical reminder of the disproportionate climate impacts faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Jamaica, which bear minimal responsibility for the emissions driving climate change.

• The storm’s power was supercharged by unprecedented ocean warmth, a clear indicator of climate change.
• The event demonstrates the failure of the international community to take sufficient action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
• It highlights the necessity for robust adaptation and resilience strategies in climate-vulnerable nations.

Socio-Economic Disparities and SDGs 1 & 10

The hurricane’s impact was not uniform across Jamaican society, revealing deep-seated issues related to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The capacity to prepare for and recover from the storm was starkly divided along class lines.

Preparedness and Vulnerability

Wealthier communities in areas like New Kingston had the resources to secure their properties with storm shutters, backup generators, and hurricane-proof materials. In contrast, a significant portion of the population faced the storm with far fewer protections.

• Housing Insecurity: Thousands in poor and working-class communities reside in ramshackle housing with materials like corrugated tin, which offered little protection against the storm’s winds.
• Geographic Vulnerability: Many marginalized communities are located in high-risk zones, including coastal fishing villages exposed to storm surge, flood-prone areas near waterways, and hillside settlements susceptible to landslides.
• Resource Disparity: The ability to stockpile essential supplies like food and water was limited for low-income households, directly impacting their resilience.

Impact on Infrastructure and Basic Services: SDGs 6, 7, 9, & 11

The hurricane caused widespread failure of critical infrastructure, representing a significant setback for multiple SDGs. The recovery process has further exposed inequalities, with services being restored more quickly in affluent areas.

1. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): Over 70% of the island lost electricity. The slower restoration of power to poorer neighborhoods highlights energy inequality.
2. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The disruption to the power grid and infrastructure led to a loss of running water for numerous communities.
3. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The destruction of homes and community infrastructure, particularly in informal settlements, undermines the goal of creating safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements.
4. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Damage to roads and telecommunications networks has isolated entire communities, crippling relief efforts and economic activity. Rebuilding this infrastructure to be more resilient is a critical challenge.

Challenges to Food Security and Livelihoods: SDGs 2 & 8

The storm’s impact on Jamaica’s agricultural and fishing sectors poses a direct threat to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

• Farming communities reported that their crops were entirely wiped out, jeopardizing local food supplies and income.
• Coastal fishing villages suffered damage to boats and equipment, destroying the primary source of livelihood for many residents.

Post-Disaster Economic Recovery and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The financial aftermath of Hurricane Melissa raises critical questions about the nature of international aid and its alignment with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). While Jamaica is set to receive a payout from a $150-million “catastrophe bond,” this amount is insufficient to cover the total cost of rebuilding. The nation will likely need to acquire additional debt from global financial institutions.

This situation presents risks, including:

• Disaster Capitalism: The potential for private interests to exploit the disaster for profit, displacing vulnerable communities for new investment opportunities.
• Neocolonial Debt: Loans from institutions like the World Bank often come with conditions that can hinder long-term sustainable development, such as privatization and cuts to public services.
• Unsustainable Financing: The reliance on catastrophe bonds and high-interest loans for recovery places an unsustainable financial burden on nations least responsible for the climate crisis, challenging the principles of a fair and equitable global partnership.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Hurricane Melissa’s impact on Jamaica addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis reveals connections to the following goals:

• SDG 1: No Poverty: The article highlights how the hurricane disproportionately affects poor and working-class communities, exacerbating their vulnerability and poverty.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The destruction of crops in farming communities is explicitly mentioned, which directly threatens food security and the livelihoods of farmers.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The loss of running water in poorer sections of Kingston following the storm is a key issue discussed.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article details widespread power outages, with over 70% of the island losing electricity, and notes the disparity in power restoration between wealthy and poor neighborhoods.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The destruction of critical infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications networks, and housing is a central theme.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: A core argument of the article is the grotesque inequality evident in the preparation for, impact of, and recovery from the hurricane, both within Jamaica (rich vs. poor) and globally (rich nations causing climate change vs. vulnerable nations suffering its effects).
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article focuses on the impact on urban and rural communities, including Kingston, Portmore, and coastal villages, emphasizing their vulnerability to disasters and the need for resilient housing and infrastructure.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the foundational SDG for the article, which frames Hurricane Melissa’s unprecedented strength as a direct consequence of the “climate crisis” driven by fossil fuel emissions and warming oceans.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article links the hurricane’s intensification to the “unprecedented warmth of ocean waters,” a key concern of this goal. It also mentions the impact on coastal fishing villages.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The discussion on international finance, including “catastrophe bonds” and “World Bank loans,” and their role in post-disaster recovery and potential for creating debt, relates to global financial partnerships.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
   • The article directly addresses this by describing how poor and working-class communities in “ramshackle housing” and “shanty neighborhoods” were far more vulnerable to the hurricane’s impact than the wealthy.
2. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • The article illustrates the exclusion of poorer communities from resilient infrastructure and services, noting the stark contrast in preparation capabilities and the speed of recovery (e.g., power restoration) between the rich and poor.
3. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The entire narrative is about the impact of a major disaster on a nation, with specific focus on the “flattened homes,” “widespread structural failure,” and the particular vulnerability of the poor.
4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • The article’s central theme is the impact of a climate-related hazard (a Category 5 hurricane intensified by climate change) and the varying levels of resilience and adaptive capacity within the Jamaican population.
5. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
   • The text explicitly mentions the failure of infrastructure, including “destroyed telecommunications networks and roads that have been washed away,” and the lack of a resilient power grid.
6. Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
   • This is directly referenced by the statement that “farming communities whose crops have been wiped out by the storm.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several qualitative and quantitative pieces of information that can serve as indicators to measure the impact of the disaster and the progress towards resilience:

• Indicators of Disaster Impact and Vulnerability (Targets 1.5, 11.5):
  • Number of fatalities and people affected (mentioned as “fatalities are yet to be known”).
  • Extent of structural damage (“widespread structural failure,” “flattened homes,” “roofs sheared off”).
  • Disparity in housing resilience (“ramshackle housing, with corrugated tin roofs” vs. “hurricane-proof glass”).
  • Economic loss (damage estimated to “total far more than $150 million”).
• Indicators of Climate Hazard Intensity (Target 13.1):
  • Hurricane strength: “Category 5.”
  • Wind speed: “185-mph sustained winds.”
  • Rate of intensification: The ability to “double its wind speeds in under 24 hours.”
  • Cause of intensification: “unprecedented warmth of ocean waters.”
• Indicators of Infrastructure Resilience (Target 9.1):
  • Proportion of population without electricity: “more than 70 percent of the island remains without electricity.”
  • Disruption to services: “destroyed telecommunications networks,” “roads that have been washed away,” and lack of “running water.”
  • Inequity in service restoration: Wealthy areas with generators are “among the first communities with restored grid power.”
• Indicators for Food System Resilience (Target 2.4):
  • Impact on agriculture: The report of “farming communities whose crops have been wiped out.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: counterpunch.org