UNDP and partners assess progress and challenges for Caribbean recovery six months after massive hurricanes

UNDP has mobilized nearly US$22 million to build back better in the Caribbean following the back-to-back hurricanes in September 2017. Photo: Zaimis Olmos / UNDP

New York, 7 March 2018 – Six months after two of the most powerful hurricanes recorded over the Atlantic wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, women and men in island countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, British Virgin Islands and St. Maarten are working around the clock to build back better, with another hurricane season only four months away. In the immediate hurricane aftermath, governments requested the UN Development Programme (UNDP)’s technical support to recover, while boosting climate resilience.

In Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda—Barbuda being the most affected of the two sister islands—in partnership with the national Governments, UNDP joined forces with civil society organizations, using Microsoft-provided tablets and a tailored app to assess the comprehensive post-hurricane damages. While in both islands all buildings were damaged to some extent, the Building Damage Assessments conducted by national authorities with UNDP´s support provided crucial data for planning and for a more resilient recovery. In Dominica, 44 percent of the buildings were severely damaged or totally destroyed, while 51 percent of all the private buildings have suffered important roof damages. In Barbuda, where such assessment was completed in five days, field surveys revealed that 92 percent of private structures were damaged. In both countries, UNDP also worked with national counterparts to beef up the construction standards, supporting more resilient building code amendments. Read More>>