KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 26, CMC – Jamaica’s first laser-capable Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) Drone and a new Forest Inventory system have been put into operation to strengthen the country’s forest recovery and expansion programmes in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the NDC Partnership Action Fund (PAF), the state-of-the-art J$33.2 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) technology will support the Forestry Department’s national ReLeaf initiative, while accelerating action on Jamaica’s forest-related commitments outlined in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
The new fixed-wing drone, renowned for its longer flight times and detailed laser-quality field data, will support expert teams in validating conditions and changes across Jamaica’s forests. Complementing the VTOL drone, the new National Forest Inventory (NFI) programme, now integrated into the Department’s current Forest Management System (FMS), features real-time dashboards and the latest visualization and reporting tools, creating a more connected, integrated, and efficient approach to monitoring Jamaica’s forest resources.
The acquisitions will transform how Jamaica monitors and manages its forests, supporting Jamaica’s NDC commitment to “no net loss of forest cover”. This will help achieve the Forestry Department’s modernization vision and strengthen data collection and analysis to inform its sustainable forest management programmes.
“This technology is particularly important as Jamaica responds to the impacts of extreme weather events, forest degradation, and other environmental pressures. The ability to assess affected areas and monitor changes over time will strengthen our capacity to plan restoration efforts, prioritise interventions, and make evidence-based decisions,” said chief executive officer and Conservator of Forests, Ainsley Henry.
He added that equally important is the Forestry Department’s investment in digital transformation through its Forest Management System, as historically, forest data management has presented challenges, including manual data downloads and processing, risk of errors, and limited opportunities for real-time data sharing.
“When combined with the new drone technology, these digital capabilities create a stronger foundation for data-driven forest management. The drone captures detailed aerial information, while the Forest Management System provides an integrated environment for managing, analysing, visualising, and reporting on forestry data.
“Together, these tools will help the Agency monitor forest conditions more consistently, assess changes over time, and make better informed decisions about conservation, restoration, and resource management,” said Henry.
UNDP Resident Representative Dr Kishan Khoday said, technology solutions can drive innovation in green recovery and ecosystem restoration, given the US$1.3 billion in hurricane loss and damage to the environment, including destruction of forests and critical watersheds. He said that by improving how data is collected, managed, analyzed, and used to direct recovery actions, this project stands as an example of a future-ready solution to modernize national recovery systems.”
“Taken together, the investment in technology, institutional capacity building, and practical field application will support more informed decisions on ecosystem restoration, climate resilient approaches to land management and spatial planning, watershed and biodiversity conservation, and other priorities under the Jamaica national NDC climate plan and Vision 2030,” Khoday said.
NDC Partnership-In-Country Facilitator for Jamaica, Taneque Heslop, said the project not only leaves behind hardware, digital infrastructure, and trained national staff, but data systems that can inform Jamaica’s broader climate monitoring and reporting, and the next National Forest Management and Conservation Plan.
“The Partnership stands ready to support next steps”, Heslop said.
UNDP’s collaboration with the NDC Partnership through the Partnership Action Fund (PAF) complements ongoing work in Jamaica under its climate resilience portfolio. Through its Climate Promise, UNDP leads the UN system effort to advance climate-resilient pathways to development, while supporting ecosystem recovery in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Under the Reforestation, Ecological Enhancement and Landscape Framework (RE-LEAF), which is Jamaica’s national initiative to restore forests and strengthen climate resilience in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, the Agency is replanting 300,000 seedlings, prioritising 170,000 in key watersheds, 50,000 in urban and peri-urban areas, and 30,000 fruit trees to support food security and community livelihood, under Phase 1 of the project.
CMC/hj/ir/2026