Mitigation Efforts Implemented to Lessen Effects of Natural Disasters

#Caribbean, August 25, 2022 – With hurricanes a commonplace in the Caribbean, several countries have implemented disaster mitigation programmes to lessen the effects of the disasters.  In St. Vincent, they have built new houses with foundations supported by concrete walls and wood beams cast in concrete.

There has also been the development of wind seed maps that give insight on the correct angle to position roofs and a stricter inspection of building codes throughout the Region.

Most residential houses and structures are susceptible to hurricane damage in the Caribbean, and historically, agricultural workers in St. Kitts didn’t own their houses and most of those homes were built as small and cheaply as possible.

Construction of houses also occurred on poor soil conditions and steep slopes that increased the vulnerability to landslides and soil erosion.  Because of the poor construction and inadequate living areas, there have been numerous efforts to reduce hurricane damage.

The development of technology has aided in disaster prevention too.  Some examples are the introduction of kites and balloons to measure the insides of storms, weather reconnaissance (flying aircraft into a hurricane) and hurricane forecasting to track the path of storms.

These systems have become even more important because of the rise of population during the last inactive period from the 1970s to 1990s.  Hurricane Mitch has been cited as an indication of future disaster for the Caribbean, unless societal vulnerabilities are reduced.

The leading groups of disaster mitigation include: the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project 2011 (CDMP), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response (CDERA) by CARICOM, and the University of West Indies Cyclone Resistant Housing (Caribbean) Project.

The Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project has also been a coordinated effort to promote the adoption of natural disaster mitigation and preparedness practices by both the public and private sectors in the Caribbean region, through a series of activities carried out in recent years.