Donna Parchment Brown | Time to reinvest in Western Jamaica 

It has been almost nine months since Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica, and the western part of the island still remains broken. I speak of the people of St Elizabeth who are in need of consultation, information, respect, and compassionate action. I have seen the need for advocacy for the people of our parish.

In December 2025, the IOM, UN Migration did a study: Impact of Hurricane Melissa Damage Assessment Western Jamaica.

    The study found that approximately 25,000 homes were moderately or severely damaged or destroyed. We do not know if they have been repaired by the owners or with outside help. What is certain is that in over 65 of the 80=plus districts, clear evidence of loss remains.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica, in March, based on a Damage and Loss Assessment (DALA) prepared by the United Nations looking mainly at the six worst-affected parishes, including St Elizabeth, estimated damage and loss as four times that of Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

On April 18, the St Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation hosted a consultation of key stakeholders at Luana. We developed the Luana Declaration from this consultation and research. This declaration's focal objective is the rebuilding and development of St Elizabeth within the principles of the green, blue, and orange economies and with the people of the arish at the centre of all planning and action. 

The declaration is a starting point and recognises the devastating combined impact of the Category 5 hurricanes, Melissa in 2025 and Beryl’s outer bands in 2024, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 years, and 100 years of underinvestment in St Elizabeth.

The declaration, among other things, calls for

• Socio-Economic empowerment. 
• Human development and public safety. 
• A three-year programme for hardship reduction, household and business recovery, including grants and tax relief.
• Special Economic Zones in the parish.

The declaration has been sent to the prime minister, the leader of the parliamentary Opposition, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the Urban Development Corporation, the Development Bank of Jamaica, and presented to the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation's Civic Committee. 

The foundation has also undertaken a business survey in Black River, recognising that data must drive policy and planning for the towns and parish overall. It is worth noting that for over six months, many business operators have not earned any money They have had to lay off staff, and they have been unable to service loans, unable to repair homes or rebuild and restart their businesses due to financial loss coupled with uncertainty about national plans for the town.  

It is noteworthy that Black River, the capital, was moved from the inland town of Lacovia in 1773 to take advantage of the river, the coast, the sea, the port, and the ability to ship various products. In the 1900s, it was second only to Kingston in importance with state-of-the-art buildings that have survived and flourished for 300 years.

It is time to reinvest.

In modern times, many calls have been made for the port to be redeveloped to allow small cruise ships to enter.  There is talk of tourism, which is very welcome in St Elizabeth. The Treasure Beach area has developed a distinctive style of community tourism, which has received awards. Likewise in Accompong; there is a particular type of cultural tourism, which has caught the attention and the interest of vast numbers of visitors.

How do we go forward? Taking advantage of the sea and river meeting in Black River as we have taken advantage of the Caribbean sea in Kingston, Montego Bay, Savanna-la-Mar, Ocho Rios, and other towns across Jamaica and  all across the world, we have seen capitals and important towns where normal life goes on right on the coast.

We hope for that for St. Elizabeth, a style of tourism with Airbnbs, small hotels not on the sea but nearby, small businesses that rebound, offering services not only to the residents of the town but also to those who come to visit and to enjoy the culture of the historic town and parish as well as the modern life of the farmers and other businesses in St Elizabeth.

Marketing and investment in YS Falls, Lovers Leap, Appleton Rum Tour, Black River Safari, Pelican Bar, Holland Bamboo, offshore medical schools, iconic bakeries and food spots, there is much to offer in St Elizabeth to a visitor. Such investment using a public-private model and prioritising locals will benefit not just Black River but the parish in general. This ties into a concept that we have long spoken of, which is parish-based development.

 St Elizabeth compares well to some other countries that are very successful around the world. What lessons can be learned from Singapore, from Barbados, where successful economies are being run in similar spaces and with similar population sizes? It is important to think out of the box and ensure that those services and that investment that is needed in the parish to rebound as a modern St Elizabeth are in place. The renewed towns of Black River, Santa Cruz, Balaclava, Junction, and others should be growing and flourishing, bringing prosperity and progress to the people. in those towns. Let us use our great imagination and use the financial investment opportunities that are available. Remember this is the parish that led the way with electricity, motor car, indoor plumbing, and horse racing and agriculture.

However, at the centre of everything must be consultation with and agreement by the people of the parish. It is very hard for them to be able to consult or to agree to anything while still nine months in not having roofs on their houses, not having been able to clear up all the rubble of the destroyed buildings, and being uncertain of the future. 

A future that pushes Saint Elizabethans to the side is doomed to failure.  A future that  limits by design or accident the capacity of its great gifts to deliver financial well-being is doomed to failure.

Meanwhile, all across the parish, many homes, businesses, schools, churches, remain without roofs. The users and the families are unable to function decently.

 Please do not forget our brothers and sisters. Their quiet does not mean they have recovered. They are suffering terribly. The powerful outreach from local and foreign donors and state actors after Melissa was a timely act of love and compassion.

We ask, what next for St Elizabeth and other western parishes? How soon will we be seen? Who will listen? 

The neglect is heartbreaking.

Donna Parchment Brown is the chair of the St Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation and former political ombudsman of Jamaica.