BY: Denise Antonio, Resident Representative, UNDP

The Context

Except for Haiti, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Jamaica and the Bahamas are middle to high income countries with a total estimated population of 44 million. These islands with their open economies and geographical location make them highly vulnerable to natural hazards such as storms and hurricanes, floods, storm surge, tsunamis and droughts. Some islands such as Jamaica and Haiti are also prone to earthquakes. The catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 is forever etched on our minds. The impacts of climate change, economic and social challenges and ongoing degradation of the natural environment have exacerbated the effects of natural disasters in the countries.

When they occur, natural disasters, have significant impacts on the economies of island states. For example, Average Annual Loss due to hurricanes for Jamaica is estimated at US$67.3 M^[1] (0.5% of GDP) and damage and losses for Hurricane Dorian alone in The Bahamas in 2019 was about US$2.5 billion^[2] (1% of GDP). Based on the continued assessments of climate scientists, hydro-meteorological events are becoming more intense and frequent and have resulted in extensive damage to coastal zones, causing significant losses to property, infrastructure and lives.

High Vulnerability – The Case for Resilience

The high vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters impels Caribbean countries to change the paradigm by improving resilience. Resilience is not just a buzz word or the common terminology of the day, but it has become an essential ingredient in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and each country’s national development priorities. Without resilience, countries will be unable to ‘bounce back’ from shocks and this will stifle economic and social prosperity. More elaborately defined, “resilience is the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions”.

Arguably, high reliance on imported oil to meet energy demands and the continued impacts of natural disasters have been blamed for stymied economic growth in many Caribbean countries.  According to the World Bank, the region is extremely vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, and the damages can surpass the GDP of some nations. How can a country grow when it is severely affected by at least one storm event per year that may damage critical infrastructure and facilities? Resilience must permeate everything we do, from homes, to schoolrooms to boardrooms. Our infrastructure, systems, behaviours and practices must be imbued by and exude resilience.

The economic, social and environmental setting in many Caribbean countries provides many opportunities for enhancing resilience. For example, Jamaica is susceptible natural hazards; social and economic development are inextricably linked to its natural resources; 50-60 percent of economic assets and up to 70 percent of the population resides in the coastal zone;[3]a strong institutional framework exists for disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation and mitigation and potential is there for accessing innovative financing for resilience building.  Also, in Jamaica there are several vulnerable groups, including children, youth-at-risk, the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), women, and poor families that are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.  The list also includes both men and women living in rural communities, coastal zones and low-lying areas, people with poor housing and the homeless[4]. Although not exhaustive, these conditions provide a suitable case, although challenging milieu for enhancing resilience. The proven way of addressing vulnerability is to build resilience. The United Nations (UN) encourages us to take a broader approach when developing resilience to include emphasis on the close links between reducing vulnerability and advancing human development, i.e. building resilience.  At the core of UN’s work is reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience. Vulnerability threatens human development and must be addressed by changing policies and social norms (HDR 2014). Vulnerability is often managed in silos but human development and resilience theory call for a holistic approach.

In the Caribbean there are many aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and environmental factors (Figure 1).

[1] Country Disaster Risk Profile, World Bank 2016

[2] Damage and Loss Assessment (DALA) Report, UNECLAC, 2019

[3] Planning Institute of Jamaica

[4] United Nations Development Programme, 2009.

Figure 1: Vulnerability: Some Risk Factors

Given the multi-level and multi-dimensional nature of vulnerability, an integrated and holistic approach must be used to enhance resilience. This means that building resilience to climate change and natural disasters requires addressing social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. A country with strong economic development is more likely to recover faster than one with low economic growth. Similarly, a country with an effective and proven system for DRR at the national, local and community levels is likely to return to normalcy sooner than one that has a weak system.

The climate predictions are clear from the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The impacts of climate change are being felt across the world and SIDS are likely to be disproportionately affected. The effects are already being felt by Caribbean countries.

UNDP’s Human Development Report 2019 identifies technology and climate change as two forces that seem set to shape human development outcomes into the next century. The report makes it clear that the region remains vulnerable to climate change, especially in the small island states of the tropics.  In the Bahamas in 2019, Hurricane Dorian was the strongest hurricane to strike the country since recordkeeping began in 1851. The communities hardest hit included shantytowns populated mostly by poor Haitian immigrants, some of whom had fled the devastating 2010 earthquake in their home country.

It is therefore clear that the lives of people hinge on improving resilience. The fate and future of the Caribbean are entwined with resilience. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been supporting Caribbean governments in enhancing resilience using an integrated approach. For example, work is being done in improving climate change adaptation at the national, local and community levels, with emphasis on vulnerable communities; policy and legislative frameworks for DRR and climate change are being enhanced and opportunities for economic development and poverty reduction are being maximized. With a wealth of lessons learnt and experience from dealing with natural disasters such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 with catastrophic impact on Dominica, Turks and Caicos Islands and Barbuda and Hurricane Dorian on The Bahamas, UNDP is positioned to adeptly support countries in recovery planning and enhancing resilience. Of course, this has to be done in an integrated manner involving many partnerships including government, international development partners, private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

Recipe for Resilience

According to the HDR 2014, resilience underpins any approach to securing and sustaining human development. At its core, resilience is about ensuring that state, community and global institutions work to empower and protect people. While a system-wide approach must be employed to enhance resilience, emphasis on investing in human development must be a priority. Improving resilience will require governments to do the following:

1.      Ensure that all relevant policies, legislation and plans take into account adaptation to climate change and reducing risk to disasters

2.      Invest in systems and technology to enable and improve risk-informed planning and development

3.      Integrate funding to support DRR and climate change adaptation (resilience building) into the national budget process

4.      Invest in human development at all levels of the society; this means ensuring a diversified and competent workforce supported by an effective educational system  

5.      Ensure provision of adequate social services for all citizens and social protection for the most vulnerable

6.      Advance opportunities to significantly reduce poverty, especially in rural and remote areas  

7.      Strengthen crisis prevention, response and recovery systems and ensure responsive institutions

8.      Amass, learn and apply lessons from other countries in managing disasters and building resilience using the “build back better” approach.

9.      Protect and sustainably manage natural ecosystems to ensure livelihoods and lessen the direct impacts of natural disasters. For example, healthy coral reefs are known to reduce wave energy caused by storm surge, thus protecting shore lines and coastal infrastructure.

Conclusion

Enhancing resilience is important for achieving the SDGs and improving the quality of people’s lives. Leaving no one behind hinges on a holistic approach to resilience, this means strengthening economic, social and environmental resilience. Attracting foreign direct investments and other types of investments will more and more require countries in the Caribbean to show that they can withstand external shocks such as natural disasters.  Improving resilience requires an integrated, sustained, multi-dimensional and multi-partner approach. Government commitment and adequate funding are imperative. Investing in human development is critical: resilient individuals make resilient communities; resilient communities make resilient nations; resilient nations make a resilient world.