Coastal Infrastructure Design, Construction and Maintenance Training: Project Overview

Background

Hurricanes and tropical storms are annual occurrences in the Caribbean. These storms can, and have, caused extensive damage to vulnerable buildings and infrastructure. The capacity of small island states to resume normal economic activity following hurricane-induced setbacks depends on several factors, including the initial level of hazard vulnerability, the size of the internal reserves and the speed with which normal trade patterns can be reestablished.

Hurricane Lenny was a late season storm that began as a tropical depression in the Western Caribbean on 13 November 1999. It moved in an unusual easterly/northeasterly direction. By 17 November, it had become a Category IV hurricane with sustained winds of over 150 mph. The storm caused high waves, which pounded the usually sheltered west coasts of the leeward Caribbean Islands.

The Eastern Caribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada sustained significant damages from hurricane Lenny. Physical damage estimates to coastal infrastructure, coastal communities and businesses in these four countries were estimated to be US$268 million. The cost of restoring the infrastructure alone back to its pre-disaster condition has been estimated by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) to be US$51.3 million for Antigua and Barbuda, US$21.5 million for Dominica, US$94.3 million for Grenada and US$6.6 million for St. Lucia [1]. In response to the damages suffered, the Caribbean Regional Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development-Jamaica (USAID/J-CAR) implemented a 'Special Objective' project to assist these countries in their recovery and in reducing their vulnerability to future disasters. The OAS/UWI Coastal Infrastructure Design, Construction and Maintenance Training Project was one part of this broader USAID/J-CAR Special Objective project.

The Coastal Infrastructure Design, Construction and Maintenance (CDCM) Training Program

This project aimed to reduce the long-term vulnerability of coastal infrastructure in the project countries and in the broader Caribbean region by expanding the capacity for appropriate design, construction and maintenance of coastal infrastructure works, through a series of training courses that were designed and implemented under the project. The target audience for the training included public- and private-sector engineers, planners, architects and environmental officials. The objectives of the CDCM training program were:

• Reduced reliance on external design and construction assistance for coastal infrastructure by building capacity within the participating countries' governments and private sector for the design and construction of coastal defense works.
• Increased emphasis on the proper maintenance of coastal infrastructure and coastal defense works to ensure longevity of investments in sea defences.
• Increased knowledge of beach and coastal processes that result in damage to coastal infrastructure and/or shorelines.

The CDCM training program was executed by the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States (OAS/USDE), in close collaboration with the Engineering Department of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St. Augustine, Trinidad. Furthermore, a strong link was established between UWI and Old Dominion University, a US-based university with expertise in coastal processes and design, with the Coastal Hydrology Laboratory (CHL) of the US Army Corps of Engineers. A description of the individual training courses is available on the CDCM Training Workshops page.

1. Hurricane Lenny Recovery in the Eastern Caribbean: Special Objective Document. USAID/J-CAR, 17 April 2000.