Just weeks after the official launch of the Livelihood Protection Policy (LPP) in Jamaica, Mr. Horace Smith, a long‑standing tour and taxi operator, became the first person in the country to purchase the new microinsurance product. For Mr. Smith, who has spent more than a decade transporting visitors and residents to and from the Norman Manley International Airport, the decision was simple: climate change is making his livelihood more unpredictable, and he needed a safety net.
 

Mr. Smith explained that his work depends heavily on weather conditions. Heavy rainfall often slows traffic, reduces visibility, and limits the number of trips he can complete in a day. “When the rain comes down hard, everything slows up,” he shared. “Sometimes I can only make half the trips I normally would, and that means half the income.”

The passage of Hurricane Melissa in 2025 brought these challenges into sharp focus. Not only did the intense rainfall and strong winds make it impossible for him to leave home safely, but the temporary closure of the airport meant several days without work. “Melissa reminded me how quickly everything can shut down,” he said. “No flights, no passengers, no income.”

The LPP, which provides fast cash payouts within days of extreme rainfall or wind events, offered exactly the kind of protection he had been hoping for. Designed for individuals whose livelihoods are highly sensitive to weather disruptions, the policy gives workers like Mr. Smith the ability to recover quickly after climate‑related shocks.

Mr. Smith is also encouraging others in his cooperative, JUTA Tour Operators, to follow his lead. He believes the LPP can make a meaningful difference for anyone whose livelihood depends on daily earnings. “Taxi men, farmers, fishers, hotel workers, all of us feel it when the weather turns bad,” he noted. “This policy is something that can help us bounce back faster.”

As the rollout of the LPP continues across Jamaica and preparations for expansion start in other Caribbean countries in 2026, Mr. Smith’s story reflects the policy’s core purpose: protecting livelihoods, strengthening resilience, and ensuring that vulnerable groups are not left behind in the face of climate change.