Higher Education Resilience Task Force

HEDE unites Jamaica’s top universities UWI, UTech, CMU, and NCU to support national recovery and resilient rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa.

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

Jamaica enters the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season still recovering from Hurricane Melissa's ecological damage, including battered reefs, stripped hillsides, degraded mangroves, and silted waterways, while a developing El Niño brings a second and different set of pressures: reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, drought risk, and heat stress on environmental systems already weakened by the storm.

Event 3 of the National Resilience Dialogue Series focuses on the climate and environmental resilience lessons Jamaica must learn from Hurricane Melissa. Each event in the Series is designed to interrogate what must be done differently and generate policy-relevant insights to guide Jamaica's recovery.

The Higher Education Task Force for Disaster Resilience (HEDE) brings together The University of the West Indies, The University of Technology, The Caribbean Maritime University, and The Northern Caribbean University to provide scientific analysis, policy advice, and civic engagement in support of Jamaica's post-disaster rebuilding and long-term resilience.

Join us this Thursday at 4:00 pm (EST) on YouTube at https://t.co/YE3s4hY1ul

#NationalResilienceDialogue #HEDETaskForce #HurricaneMelissaRecovery #JamaicaResilience #ClimateResilience #HurricaneSeason2026 #ElNinoJamaica #EcoRecovery #ClimateActionCaribbean #BuildBackBetter #SustainableJamaica

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

In Focus: HEDE Driving the Conversation on National Resilience.

The inclusion of the HEDE National Resilience Dialogue Series on TVJ News underscores the growing importance of our mission. The series is proving to be a powerful platform for leaders to connect, share progress, and discuss actionable solutions for our nation's resilience.

From our recent dialogue, JPS Senior VP Ricardo Case provided vital updates on the final leg of restoration post-Hurricane Melissa and, most importantly, the proactive steps being taken to fortify our grid for the future. We're not just discussing problems; we are charting a path for a stronger, better-prepared Jamaica.

Missed the segment? Watch the FULL dialogue below.

Link: https://t.co/dVdAv0uPpg

#HEDEResilience #NationalDialogue #InTheNews #JamaicaResilience #ClimateAction #Impact
#HEDETaskForceJa #TVJNews

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

When disaster strikes, our utility infrastructure is the first to suffer. How do we rebuild stronger before the next storm?

Join the HEDE National Resilience Dialogue this Thursday, May 21, at PM as we tackle the future of Jamaica's critical systems.

Watch live: https://t.co/OZY8o3Y1f2

#HEDETaskForce #ClimateResilience #JamaicaGrid #DisasterRecovery

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

Thoughts?

@hedetaskforceja
@UWIWJC
@CMUniversityja
@UTechJamaica

https://t.co/KX8CDhrLvl

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

What questions would you ask about how we need to improve our energy, water & telecomms systems for future hurricanes?

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

Within hours of landfall, Hurricane Melissa severed Western Jamaica's energy, water, and telecommunications systems - the nervous system of national life. Already fragile before the storm, this infrastructure was not built for the climate conditions Jamaica now faces.

The Higher Education Task Force for Disaster Resilience (HEDE) was established to support recovery from Melissa and strengthen resilience to future climate-related disasters. It brings together The University of the West Indies, The University of Technology, The Caribbean Maritime University, and The Northern Caribbean University, providing scientific analysis, policy advice, and civic engagement in post-disaster rebuilding.

The National Resilience Dialogue Series is one of HEDE's flagship public contributions to that effort. Each event is designed to interrogate what must be done differently, and to generate the policy-relevant insights that can guide Jamaica's recovery and rebuilding process.

Join us for the second event this Thursday at 4:00 pm (EST) on YouTube.

YouTube Link: https://t.co/OZY8o3Y1f2

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

Should some of Hurricane Melissa re-construction funds be used for public education to support re-building better?

Listen to engineer David Allen at a HEDE National Resilience Dialogue!

[Smile Jamaica @Smilejamtvj]

Co-Chair, Higher Education Taskforce for Disaster Resilience (HEDE), Dr. Kahuina Miller, gave insight into Jamaica’s top universities uniting to support national recovery and boost resillience after Hurricane Melissa.

#SmileJamaica #1MorningShow

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

What do you think of this idea? UTECH Professor Carol Archer is suggesting that in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica should start to look at innovative ideas to facilitate land tenure – like the Community Land Trusts used in Puerto Rico

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

Wd this help? Civil engineer & UTECH Dep. Dean Dr. Omar Thomas says Jamaica’s problems enforcing standards on development projects cd be eased if govt used private sector professionals to help!

This at a Higher Education Task Force for Disaster Resilience (HEDE) discussion

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

Experts advocate for robust infrastructure and policy frameworks to bolster Jamaica’s resilience against hurricane threats during the HEDE "Stronger by Design" National Resilience Dialogue Series.

Read the full article feature:
https://t.co/rE9W58AjoE

#HEDE #DisasterResiliience #Jamaica #HuricaneMelissa

[Dionne JacksonMiller @djmillerJA]

Wld this help? Civil engineer & UWI Engineering Deputy Dean Dr. Omar Thomas says Ja’s enforcement problems cld be eased if govt brought in private sector professionals to help!

@hedetaskforceja
@UTechJamaica
@CMUniversityja
@UwiMonaWjc

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

We are launching the first HEDE National Resilience Dialogue: 'Stronger by Design.' Join us as the experts discuss housing & infrastructure in post-Melissa Jamaica.

Thu, Apr 30th | 4:00PM

Live: https://t.co/jeG7qzbDxe

#ResilienceDialogue #HEDE #Jamaica #HuricaneMelissa

[Higher Education Resilience Task Force @hedetaskforceja]

The National Resilience Dialogue Series is here. Seven conversations. Evidence-based policy. Real action.

Don’t miss the live sessions on YouTube beginning April 30, 2026. Let’s build the future together.

#Jamaica #Resilience #HigherEducation #FutureProof #NationalDialogue