Working Paper Series: Special Edition of 2016 to 2018 Interns

income) individuals in the ECCU, it may be difficult for that segment of the population to build weather-resilient houses due to the high costs of construction materials. Consequently, the burden could potentially fall on member governments to provide these types of homes to the poor and vulnerable. Alternatively, governments may face the prospect of granting concession on building materials as a way of mitigating the cost of building such homes. Table 1: Total Damage to Buildings in ECCU Member States during the 2017 Hurricane Season Country Total Damages to Buildings (EC$ millions) Anguilla (Hurricane Irma) 458.38 Antigua and Barbuda (Hurricane Irma) 512.29 Dominica (Hurricane Maria) 1,781.19 Source: World Bank PDNA 2017, United Nations ECLAC 2017 Identification of hazard-prone areas, land-use allocation and control People may choose to live in places vulnerable to natural events because of the benefits they foresee relative to the perceived risk, for example, agricultural activities in coastal areas due to highly productive soils and water accessibility. In other cases, people live in exposed locations because they have limited alternatives. A common example would be squatter settlements that are exposed to risks associated with a natural event. Due to Dominica’s geographic characteristics, approximately 70.0 per cent of the population live in low lying coastal areas. Torrential rainfall across these hazard-prone areas may cause flash flooding and mudslides, creating devastation and forcing the government to embark on a resettlement project which are extremely costly. ii.

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