The Caribbean is getting additional support to improve the way homes are built and reconstructed as countries across the region continue to face hurricanes, floods, landslides, earthquakes and other natural hazards.
CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean has approved a US$200,000 grant for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to implement a Regional Resilient Residential Construction and Reconstruction Project.
According to a joint CAF-CDEMA press release, the project will run for 18 months and build on CDEMA’s existing Safer Building Programme.
The initiative is designed to help Caribbean countries strengthen residential construction by improving the skills of builders, supporting technical training institutions and encouraging the wider use of resilient building standards.
The project will focus on the people and institutions involved in determining how well homes are constructed, including builders, artisans, contractors and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Participants will receive training in resilient construction techniques, while TVET institutions will be supported in incorporating the Regional Code of Practice for Residential Construction into their programmes.
The project will also seek to increase awareness of resilient housing standards among homeowners, financial institutions, policymakers and other stakeholders, with the aim of encouraging greater adoption of safer construction practices.
Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF’s Regional Manager for the Caribbean, said the focus on preparation is critical to reducing the impact of disasters.
“Rebuilding after a disaster will always be necessary, but preparing before one strikes is where we can make the greatest difference. Resilience begins with the way residential infrastructure is designed and built,” Richards-Kennedy said.
She said the initiative reflects CAF’s commitment not only to financing resilient infrastructure, but also to investing in knowledge, technical capacity and practices that can help build a stronger culture of disaster preparedness across the Caribbean.
Richards-Kennedy added that CAF is pleased to partner with CDEMA and provide technical assistance grant funding for the project.
CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley said the lessons from disasters point to the importance of making resilience part of the decisions taken before an event occurs.
“Every disaster reminds us that resilience is not built in the aftermath of an event, but through the decisions we make before it occurs. Strengthening the way our homes and communities are designed and built is therefore a critical investment in protecting lives, livelihoods and our development gains,” Riley said.
She said CDEMA’s partnership with CAF will help strengthen resilient construction practices, build technical capacity and promote greater disaster preparedness across the region.
Riley added that partnerships such as this are important to helping Caribbean communities better withstand disasters while protecting the development gains made over the years.
The project is intended to strengthen the region’s capacity to prepare for disasters before they occur, with safer residential construction forming part of broader efforts to protect lives, property and communities.
