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
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
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.
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you the work of the Build Better Jamaica Team.Build Better Jamaica is the public face of the *long title*FundedPrimary InvestigatoryProfessor Anthony Clayton Professor Tara DasguptaCredit the IADB with including in the project an allocation for public dissemination.
The FrontlinesAs we all know to well from visiting many of our favorite beaches…that we are running out of sand to lay towels our towels onThese coditions are typical of SIDS….Low elevations, extensive coastlines, limited fresh water supplies, location is zones with frequent storm events………….. and low economic capacity to respond to disasters
What do we see ….lots of blue and green which represent medium to high riskHAiti
That quote seems to characterize not just resilience these types of hazards but our resilence as a people ….sometimes I think of day to day life in our wonderful island as an adventure in thirving in unpredictable conditionsIn the context of engineering Functiuonalresilence is a familiar term…It is of significant importance in the Note function restored
Economic stats
State of Jamaican Climate 2012:hotter The overall picture is one of Jamaica initially being slightly wetter than current conditions but then transitioning to a drier state by the end of the century.2nd National Communications:By 2050: Length of the rainy season – down by 7-8 percent; Length of the dry season – up by 6-8 percent; Increased frequency of intense rains –projected to increase 20 percent; Strongest hurricanes more intense, increasing disaster losses. Thus, the climate projections are indicating a general increase in the frequency of extreme events such as droughts, floods and increased intensity of heavy rain events.
which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Institute for Sustainable Development, UWI, Mona. The objective of the project was to research the impact of climate change on the development and physical infrastructureof the Jamaican society, with particular emphasis on evaluating the strength of Jamaica’s building stock in managing the effects of climate change. The results of this research would then be used to produce recommendations for development practitioners and policy makers for effectively combating the short and long term impacts of climate change in order tosafeguard the future development of the nation. This brochure acts as one of the many outputs of the project that is geared at providing recommendations that will promote climate change resilience building in the built and natural environment.
Now to our particulary areas
ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN CONSTRUCTION CODE(IGCC)The IgCC was developed by the ICC in collaboration with the US Green Building Council(USGBC) and other international standards organizations. The code was conceived anddesigned to be a compulsory standard. This compulsory application will have the effect ofraising the mandatory minimum standards for all projects and commensurately will improve thelevel of sustainability. It is intended to be used in both new and existing building projects andfunctions as an “overlay” to existing ICC codes
ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN CONSTRUCTION CODE(IGCC)The IgCC was developed by the ICC in collaboration with the US Green Building Council(USGBC) and other international standards organizations. The code was conceived anddesigned to be a compulsory standard. This compulsory application will have the effect ofraising the mandatory minimum standards for all projects and commensurately will improve thelevel of sustainability. It is intended to be used in both new and existing building projects andfunctions as an “overlay” to existing ICC codes
ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL GREEN CONSTRUCTION CODE(IGCC)The IgCC was developed by the ICC in collaboration with the US Green Building Council(USGBC) and other international standards organizations. The code was conceived anddesigned to be a compulsory standard. This compulsory application will have the effect ofraising the mandatory minimum standards for all projects and commensurately will improve thelevel of sustainability. It is intended to be used in both new and existing building projects andfunctions as an “overlay” to existing ICC codes