Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica and the challenges of misinformation during crises, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean on 6 December launched a regional training program to strengthen disaster communication across the region. The initiative aims to equip Caribbean media professionals and emergency communicators with advanced technological tools for accurate and ethical disaster reporting.

The 30-hour course, funded through UNESCO's Media Development Program (MDP), is going ito be online and will provide training on the practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), drone operations, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Twenty-three participants from ten Caribbean countries and territories were selected for the program, representing both English- and Dutch-speaking Small Island Developing States.

The program, delivered with GeoTechVision/Jamaica Flying Labs, will combine hands-on training and real-world disaster simulations to teach participants how to use geospatial mapping to visualise impacts, gather aerial evidence, and apply AI-supported verification tools to counter misinformation, a persistent challenge during emergencies. This capacity-building initiative intends to respond to some of the needs exposed by recent disasters.