In Jamaica, IFRC Disaster Law, Jamaica Red Cross and The Nature Conservancy have begun a legal and policy advocacy initiative focusing on disaster risk reduction and climate change, including ecosystem-based adaptation.
A meeting in 2020 brought together representatives of government agencies, environmental advocacy groups and academic experts, including the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Ministerial department responsible for climate change. The level of interest shown in advancing the policy and legislative agenda for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation signalled a receptive environment for ongoing advocacy by Jamaica Red Cross and IFRC Disaster Law.
IFRC Disaster Law has also submitted a proposal to partner with the University of the West Indies to develop pioneering research and academic programmes in international disaster law, which would initially involve the development of a short course on international disaster law and, ultimately, the development of a Masters level/PhD Programme on international disaster law.
