Developing Design Concepts for

Climate Change Resilient Buildings:

An Overview

Kwame Emmanuel, PhD Technical Consultant

Institute for Sustainable Development

UWI

Introduction

• “Global climate change is the most serious threat to sustainable development facing CARICOM States” (Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre 2009, 6).

• Vulnerability: geographical location within the “Hurricane Alley”, limited size, concentrated development in coastal areas, poor construction of infrastructure, environmental degradation, limited financial capacity

• Climate sensitive, economic sectors such as tourism and agriculture.

• As a consequence, frequency of events will erode the economic base of CARICOM states.

Climate Change 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.

Vector habitats

Climate Change Resilience • “Simply, 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)

• IPCC definition: social and ecological resilience.

• Capacity of the natural environment to provide regulatory services effectively.

• Wetlands: flood control, storm and surge protection, groundwater replenishment, shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and limits the impacts of sea level rise and droughts.

• Degradation = vulnerability

• Protection = resilience

• Main 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 reduce loss of life and property and enable effective recovery

Developing Design Concepts for Climate Change Resilient Buildings

• PROGRAM STRUCTURE

• Component 1: Policy Analysis & Technical Assessment

– Sub Component 1.1 Technical Assessment

– Sub Component 1.2 Legislative Review

– Sub Component 1.3 Economic Assessment

– Sub Component 1.4 Review of ERA Green Paper

– Sub Component 1.5 Concepts Document

– Sub Component 1.6 Review of Building Codes

• Component 2: GIS Mapping

• Integration of GIS Maps into Design Concepts

• Component 3: Dissemination and Awareness

• Development & Execution of Dissemination Program

Developing Design Concepts for Climate Change Resilient Buildings

Policies

Physical Planning

• The National Physical Plan 1978-1998 which includes the National Settlement strategy

• Development Plans and Orders

• Development and Investment Manual

• Vision 2030

• National Land Policy of Jamaica

• National Housing Policy and Implementation Plan (Draft) 2009

Climate Related

• Caribbean Risk Management Guidelines for Climate Change Adaptation Decision Making (2003)

• Climate Change and the Caribbean: A Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change (2009-2015)

• Draft Implementation Plan for A Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change (2011)

• The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF)

• Vision 2030 • Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy

Framework 2009-2012 • Draft National Climate Change Policy

and Action Plan (2012) • Draft National Hazard-Risk Reduction

Policy for Jamaica (2005)

Policies (Cont’d) Ecological Resilience:

• National Forest Policy and Plan

• National Policy on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management and Action Plan

• Policy for Jamaica’s System of Protected Areas

• Towards A Watershed Policy for Jamaica

These policies seek to maintain the regulatory/ecological services of the natural environment.

Development and Investment Manual: Hazard Mitigation

Recommendations Resilience Planning Principles:

• Sustainability

• Environmental conservation

• Systems approach

• Combination of top down and bottom up approaches

• Integration through technology use

• Decentralization

• Dynamic and flexible

• Support mixed land use (residential, commercial and recreational) with appropriate infrastructure.

• Enforce the construction of high quality design buildings, sustainable use of natural resources and the transition to low carbon development in a changing climate.

• Evidence based

Strategies:

• Political sensitization

• Public sensitization

• Funding and incentives

• Mainstreaming resilience into all sectors

• Integrated planning

• Sustainable community planning (SMART Code)

• Building guidelines revision

• Rating system development

• Squatter management

• Research and data sharing

• Course development and training

• Pilot projects

• Enforcement

• Institutional rationalization

• Capacity building

Integrated Planning • National Spatial Plan (NSP): an integrated planning tool with overall vision, goals,

guidelines, development priorities, future land use requirements

• Dynamic, flexible and web-based Geographical Information System (GIS), which links spatial data with attribute data relevant to planning.

• Overlaying of spatial datasets, which are managed by various entities with the responsibility for environmental protection, infrastructural development etc

• Land use zones:

1. “areas zoned for development”

2. “no build zones” (for example, extremely vulnerable areas and environmentally sensitive sites)

3. “areas zoned for development with conditions” (for example, moderately vulnerable areas)

• Parish or local development plans can then be developed and included in the NSP.

Rating System Examples:

– The Pearl Rating System for Estidama (Sustainability)

– Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

– BREEAM

– Code for Sustainable Homes

• Mandatory minimum rating linked to level of vulnerability in different locations / zones

• Tax incentive to encourage maximum rating

The Pearl Rating System

Institutional and Procedural Framework

Referral agencies, including OPDEM

National Spatial Plan

University Consortium

Private sector planners

Insurance Ministry of Finance

NEPA

UDC

Ministry of Housing

PIOJ JIA, JIE

Local Government

Local/Parish Development Plans

DEVELOPER

Bank

Developing Design Concepts For

Climate Change Resilient Buildings