THE Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) has approved a US$200,000 grant to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to strengthen residential construction and improve the region’s preparedness for natural disasters.
The funding will support the Regional Resilient Residential Construction and Reconstruction Project, which will be implemented over the next 18 months and build on CDEMA’s existing Safer Building Programme.
The initiative is aimed at helping Caribbean countries reduce the vulnerability of homes and communities to tropical cyclones, floods, landslides, earthquakes and other natural hazards.
It will focus on strengthening the skills and technical capacity of builders, artisans, contractors and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions involved in residential construction.
Under the project, training will be provided in resilient construction techniques, while TVET institutions will receive support to incorporate the Regional Code of Practice for Residential Construction into their programmes.
The initiative will also seek to increase awareness of resilient housing standards among homeowners, financial institutions, policymakers and other stakeholders, with the objective of encouraging wider adoption of safer construction practices.
CAF Regional Manager for the Caribbean, Dr Stacy Richards-Kennedy, said greater emphasis should be placed on preparing homes and communities before disasters occur.
“Rebuilding after a disaster will always be necessary, but preparing before one strikes is where we can make the greatest difference,” Dr Richards-Kennedy said.
She said resilience begins with how residential infrastructure is designed and built, adding that the project reflects CAF’s commitment to supporting not only resilient infrastructure but also knowledge, technical capacity and practices that promote disaster preparedness.
“CAF is proud to partner with CDEMA and to provide technical assistance grant funding to support this important project to build more resilient communities,” she said.
CDEMA Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, said the initiative would help strengthen the region’s ability to protect lives, livelihoods and development gains from the impacts of disasters.
“Every disaster reminds us that resilience is not built in the aftermath of an event, but through the decisions we make before it occurs,” Riley said.
She said strengthening the design and construction of homes and communities was a critical investment in disaster preparedness.
Riley added that CDEMA’s partnership with CAF would support efforts to strengthen resilient construction practices, build technical capacity and promote greater preparedness across the Caribbean.
The project is expected to contribute to efforts to ensure that communities are better equipped to withstand disasters while reducing the potential damage to homes and protecting development gains across the region.