Build Better Jamaica Presentation to the Jamaica Institution of Engineers, by Brian Bernal

1. BUILD BETTER JAMAICA
Developing Design Concepts for
Climate Change Resilient Buildings
Funded by:
the Inter-American Development Bank
in Collaboration with the
Institute for Sustainable Development, University of the West Indies

2. THE FRONTLINES
Jamaica and the region are not
major producers of the green house
gases that are changing the planet’s
environment; however we are “on
the front lines of vulnerability to
climate change” .
This is due to both, the physical and
geographic conditions typical of the
region and means that we will likely
be some of the first and most
significantly affected parts of the

3. RISK FROM SEA LEVEL RISE

4. COASTLINES = FRONTLINES
For small islands with extensive
coastlines and intensive development
along these coastlines, the changes to
our way of life will be dramatically
affected by climate change.
In the case of Jamaica “25% of
Jamaica’s population lives within
coastal areas and 90% of our GDP is
produced within these areas, makes
this island nation extremely
vulnerable.” FLOODING IN HAITI DUE TO
HURRICANE SANDY

5. CARIBBEAN TERRACE- HURRICANE SANDY
WASHINGTON POST
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESILIENCE
..it is the ability to survive, recover from,
and even thrive in changing climatic
conditions…even unpredictable
conditions”
(The Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network)
Degradation = Vulnerability
Protection = Resilience
Functional Resilience :
a structure's durability, competence to
maintain its integrity, and ability to have its
function restored following environmental
change and natural or human-caused

6. “Global climate change is the most serious
threat to sustainable development facing
CARICOM States”
(Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre 2009)
In addition to our geographic vulnerability
many of our primary economic sectors, such
as tourism and agriculture, are particularly
climate sensitive
Enhancing resilience is therefore a necessary
adaptation or vulnerability reduction strategy
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE
RESILIENCE IMPORTANT TO
JAMAICA?

7. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Hazard Impact Infrastructure Implications
Sea level rise Coastal flooding and erosion,
land lost, seawater intrusion
Damage to coastal
infrastructure and pollution of
underground water resources
Category 4 and 5
hurricanes
Storm surge, inland flooding,
wind related damage
Damage to infrastructure
including electricity and water
Torrential rainfall
events
Inland flooding Damage to infrastructure
including electricity and water
Prolonged drought Limited water resources Water supply restrictions
Increased
temperatures
Heat stress, Coral bleaching
Increased emergence of
vector borne diseases
Increased energy and water
use.
Damage to coastal
infrastructure by coastal
erosion.

8. OBJECTIVES & OUTCOME
Objective: to assess climate-change
related risks and help increase resilience
in the building stock
• develop new design and construction
concepts
• improve the assessment of climate
change related risks as it relates to
infrastructure
• increase awareness, knowledge and
dissemination of information
Overall outcome: development of
approaches and policies that will help

9. ….the project consists of:
• Economic Recommendations
• Legislative Proposals
• Review Of Green Paper No. 2/2010
• Building Code Recommendations
• Geographic Information System
Mapping
DEVELOPING DESIGN
CONCEPTS FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENT
BUILDINGS

10. Summary Findings for
BUILD BETTER JAMAICA
–SUMMARY FINDINGS

11. WHY ARE CODES &
STANDARDS IMPORTANT IN
PROMOTING CLIMATE
CHANGE RESILIENCE?Robust and enforced building codes
are highly effective in ensuring a
better more resilient buildings.
When employed in conjunction with
“green” building standards &/or
practices, will significantly increase
the functional resilience of our
buildings.

12. WHY FOCUS ON CODES?
• Cost effective method to ensure high
quality buildings
• Provide opportunities to leverage collective
knowledge and accepted best practices.
• Have widespread applications across
varied scales of buildings
• Are guides not constraints.
• Methods of understanding and adapting to
increasing complexity in the intricate
systems utilized in modern construction
• Improve transparency in building approvals

13. CODES & STANDARDS
RECOMMENDATION :
Update Of Codes To 2012 Versions
…..the soon to be adopted Building Codes
(2003 International Code Council (ICC) codes
and Local Application documents) be updated
to the 2012 versions of the code.
The local application documents must be
reviewed to ensure that they will seamlessly
complement the 2012 code

14. CODES & STANDARDS
RECOMMENDATION :
Cont….Update Of Codes To 2012 Versions
The updated codes include new or amended
provisions that specifically address climate
change issues. These include provisions for:
Flood Prone Areas, Tsunami-generated Flood
Hazard, establishment of Storm Shelters and
Storm Drainage

15. CODES & STANDARDS
RECOMMENDATION :
Adopt the International Green
Construction Code (IGCC)
• A collaboration of the USGBC, ICC,
ASHRAE and AIA.
• Can be a enforceable code and is
customizable
• The code was conceived as a compulsory
standard
• used in both new and existing building
projects
Professor Anthony Clayton Professor Tara Dasgupt

16. CODES & STANDARDS
RECOMMENDATION :
Support the development of local
versions of green building rating
systems
• Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS)
are voluntary tools for rating the
environmental performance of buildings,
which are typically verified by a third
party, in order to achieve recognition for
exemplary design and levels of
conservation.

17. WEBSITE
www. buildbetterjamaica.com

18. “the next iceberg
that we hit…is
going to be
climate change.
We can see that
iceberg ahead of
us right now, but
we can’t turn”

19. REFERENCES
http://www.pioj.gov.jm/Portals/0/Sustainable_Development/STATE
OF THE JAMAICAN CLIMATE
Images
– Washington Post
– Iccsafe.org
– GoGreener.org
– Flickr, Creative Commons , Sam Rich.
– Flickr, Creative Commons ,S ergioTadula
– Flickr, Creative Commons , UnPhoto
– Flickr, Creative Commons , Fadipasa
– NASA Image