Jamaica Now

Jamaica Now

If Jamaica Strikes Oil: Strategic Implications for National Development, Climate Resilience, and Economic Governance

Jamaica Now's avatar
Jamaica Now
Mar 12, 2026
∙ Paid
red and black metal tower during sunset
Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash

Over the past two years alone, the island has faced two major weather events, including Hurricane Melissa, reminders that climate change is no longer an abstract global conversation. It is something we are living through. Roofs have been repaired, roads cleared, businesses reopened, and communities pulled together — as Jamaicans always do.

But beneath the resilience lies a deeper reality: the world is changing, and Jamaica must change with it.

Climate volatility, shifting global politics, rising energy costs, and the uncertain tides of international investment are all shaping the future of economies across the globe. For a small island nation like Jamaica, these forces are not distant storms. They arrive at our doorstep.

Yet at the very moment the country is grappling with rebuilding stronger, another possibility is emerging quietly beneath the waters off Jamaica’s south coast.

Oil.

If the exploration currently being discussed proves successful, Jamaica coul…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Jamaica Now.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Jamaica Homes · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture