Jamaica Battles Rising Seas: Portland Cottage Residents Sound Alarm

PORTLAND COTTAGE, Clarendon — The salty water creeping into the yards and homes of Portland Cottage is not just a nuisance; it's a warning that Jamaica's climate is changing faster than many can adapt.

Residents along the south coast say high tides and storm surges are now a regular occurrence, swallowing sections of roadway and forcing families to raise their floors or abandon homes altogether.

“The sea just tekking over we land, man. Mi grow up here and mi never see it so bad. Last month during the high tide, the water come right into mi kitchen. We had to move mi fridge and stove out quick time,” said Carlton “Cally” Brown, a 64-year-old fisherman and father of seven who has lived in Portland Cottage for over 40 years. “If government nuh do something fast, we nuh have nowhere else fi go.”

According to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, sea levels around the island have risen by approximately 6.8 inches since 1990. The agency projects another 1.5 to 2 feet of rise by the year 2100 if global emissions continue at current rates.

On April 10, 2025, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation released a report showing that nearly 15 kilometres of coastline across St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, and St. Thomas have experienced severe erosion in the past five years. The report identifies Portland Cottage as one of the most vulnerable communities, with over 200 households directly affected.

“We are seeing more intense rainfall events and stronger storms. The combination of sea level rise and land degradation is making life very difficult for coastal communities,” said Dr. Simone Miller, a climate specialist at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. “We need both national adaptation plans and community-led solutions.”

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is currently working on a mangrove restoration project along the Clarendon coast, aiming to plant 10,000 mangrove seedlings by October 2025. Mangroves act as natural barriers against storm surges and help stabilise shorelines.

But for residents like Brown, the pace of action is too slow.

“Dem plant some trees and dem talk about studies, but the water nuh wait fi no study. We need sea wall and proper drainage now. Is we life and we livelihood at stake,” he said, pointing to a nearby boat that now sits half-buried in sand that wasn't there two years ago.

The World Bank has allocated US$25 million under the Jamaica Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project for coastal protection works, but disbursement has been delayed due to procurement issues. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.

What you can do: If you live in a coastal area, check your property for signs of erosion or flooding. Report damage to your local parish council and the NEPA hotline at 1-888-991-5005. Plant native trees or mangroves if you have waterfront land — every root helps hold the soil. And stay informed about weather alerts from the Met Office.

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