Letter of the Day | Geospatial data — the foundation of resilience

THE EDITOR, Madam:

When Hurricane Melissa tore across Jamaica last month, it did more than uproot trees and damage homes — it exposed critical weaknesses in how we plan, build, and protect our island. From unexpected flooding in new housing developments to infrastructure failures and displaced communities, the storm highlighted how deeply our national resilience depends on accurate, up-to-date geospatial data.

Jamaica still relies heavily on analogue mapping and decades-old topographic information at a 1:12,500 scale. Though valuable in their time, these datasets can no longer support modern engineering, land-use planning, or disaster-forecasting and response needs. Our island has changed dramatically since those maps were produced. Without a current national spatial baseline, we are forced to make high-stakes decisions without fit-for-purpose data.

We cannot reliably model floodplains, assess coastal-erosion risk, identify high-hazard zones, or plan climate-resilient housing and infrastructure without high-quality, islandwide geographic data.

Around the world — especially in small island developing states (SIDS) — governments are recognising that robust spatial data is indispensable for risk reduction. Technologies such as airborne LiDAR, which precisely map terrain, landforms, and near-shore bathymetry, have transformed how vulnerable countries prepare for and recover from natural disasters.

Several LiDAR-driven initiatives have been undertaken in Caribbean nations which share similar disaster risk profiles. These efforts have explored how modern geospatial datasets can be used to guide safer development, improve flood modelling, and strengthen national planning systems.

A CALL TO ACTION

Hurricane Melissa presents a pivotal moment. Jamaica now has the chance to shift from reactive reconstruction to proactive resilience. I call on the Government, its agencies, development partners, and the international climate-finance community to support a national-scale, high-resolution topographic and near-shore bathymetric LiDAR survey of Jamaica.

Such a dataset — openly accessible to the public — would serve as a national foundation for more sustainable development, utilisation, and conservation of our natural and built environment into the future, and, importantly, keep our people safer.

THE PROFESSIONALS ARE READY

Jamaica’s land-surveying community possesses the technical capacity, and geospatial expertise to help lead this effort, working alongside allied governmental, GIS, engineering, planning, environmental, utility and disaster-management professionals.

With our local resources ready and willing to support, I urge Government and partners to seize this opportunity. A comprehensive national geospatial dataset will not only help us rebuild better, it will map Jamaica’s future.

TIMOTHY THWAITES

Commissioned Land Surveyor

President, Land Surveyors

Association of Jamaica