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

THE FRONTLINESJamaica 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 planet.

RISK FROM SEA LEVEL RISE

COASTLINES = FRONTLINESFor 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.”State of the Jamaican Climate, 2012 PIOJ

FLOODING IN HAITI DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY

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 = VulnerabilityProtection = 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 disaster

“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 to minimize the economic, social and environmental impacts.

WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE IMPORTANT TO JAMAICA?

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTSHazard Impact Infrastructure

ImplicationsSea 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.Vector habitats

OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMEObjective: 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 reduce loss of life and property and enable effective recovery

….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

Summary Findings for

BUILD BETTER JAMAICA –SUMMARY FINDINGS

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.

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

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

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

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• functions as an “overlay” to existing

ICC codes

Professor Anthony Clayton Professor Tara Dasgupt

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.

WEBSITEwww. buildbetterjamaica.com

“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”

(James Cameron, Director of the Titanic).

REFERENCEShttp://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