Recent storm events and the growing impact of climate change have forced both the Government and citizens to rethink how buildings and urban centres are designed, says Urban Development Corporation (UDC) chairman Norman Brown.

To this end, the Government is moving assertively to create more resilient communities, climate-proof infrastructure and affordable housing developments across western Jamaica, he said in his keynote address at Tuesday’s launch of the Recover and Rebuild Jamaica Expo in Montego Bay.

“People are looking at building back stronger and better, because, for those of us old enough to remember Hurricane Gilbert and its aftermath, the exact thing transpired during those times,” said Brown. “Climate change is something that is real, and, from the position that I occupy in the public sector, the mandate that we have gotten is quite clear. We have to build units that can withstand Category-5 hurricanes.”