Disaster risk reduction or disaster risk production: The role of building regulations in mainstreaming DRR

Abstract

Whilst it has not experienced any major disasters in recent years, Barbados is prone to a number of hazards and has the highest proportion of its urban produced capital at risk in the Caribbean due largely to the island's high population density. One of the main challenges that Barbados faces in coping with the possible impacts of natural hazards is the enhancement of construction practices, and consequently, the quality of building stock. This is however hard to achieve due to the lack of enforced building codes. Using a qualitative case study methodology, that includes semi-structured interviews with a broad range of public and private stakeholders in Barbados, this paper aims to explore how the lack of such codes affects the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction across the island. This paper demonstrates that whilst the awareness of the hazards among the population is high, the willingness to proactively deal with those hazards is low due to general complacency. The case of Barbados, despite good intentions and limited resources, is a good example of why it is essential to improve communication of DRR principles to a wider set of stakeholders including the general population and the construction sector. Such activities may positively influence the uptake of the best practices despite the lack of regulations.

Compliance with the building byelaws and earthquake safety in urban areas of Bihar: progress, constraints and challenges

“…van der Heijden & Meijer, 2007, 2010a, 2010b, 2010cMay, 2003May, , 2007May & Wood, 2003). Chmutina and Bosher (2015) explore the factors influencing building code implementation in Barbados tentatively conclude, on the basis of 15 interviews, that include: lack of capacity, human resources and coordination at the national level and a lack of understanding among the general public that the compliance with the code would significantly improve the safety of the dwellings. Bilham (2013) suggests that broader societal factors are at play in his assertion that in developing nations three factors -poverty, corruption and ignorance -conspire to reduce the effective application of seismic resistant codes.…”

The timing of storm awareness in the Caribbean: the utility of climate information for improved disaster preparedness

“…Collymore (2011) has offered broad insights into the reform and development of the institutional capacity to inform disaster management within the region, noting that fundamental changes were needed especially in terms of internal capacity development rather than a reliance on external interventions, as well as to be less mono-focused and response-oriented. Preparedness, then, or the development of 'knowledge and capacities developed by governments, response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current disasters' (UNDRR, 2022b), is considered to be an essential element of disaster risk reduction that still requires further effort within the region (Charvériat, 2000;Rasmussen, 2004;Pelling, 2010;Kirton, 2013;Chmutina and Bosher, 2015;Murray and Watson, 2019;Wilkinson et al, 2021a).…”

Climate Change Adaptation on Small Island States: An Assessment of Limits and Constraints

“…Negative impacts of floods often occur mainly due to the lack of public understanding about the crucial role the drainage systems play during wet seasons. There is often a lack of regulatory frameworks for the construction sector [27].…”