Rif background document

Resilient Infrastructure Forum (RIF) for Latin America, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico: Background Document Overview RIF intends to be a developmental forum focussing on resilience of civil infrastructure against natural and man-made disasters. Sustainable development is necessary for long-term resilience and national self-sufficiency.

In the cycle of response to disasters, the notion of ‘Resilience’ encapsulates the first stage. Although all stages are inextricably linked and must be considered in tandem, this summit aims at preparing the communities of Latin America and the Caribbean before disasters occur: Resilience & Preparation  Relief & Emergency Aid  Rehabilitation & Rebuilding This event is designed to supplement the GRV Global Project, Action on Disaster Relief, which focuses on ‘’Relief, Emergency Aid & Rehabilitation’’ from disasters within the region. The longer-term needs are addressed through the ‘’Rebuilding’’ of postcatastrophic environments, as well as preparing disaster prone areas by incorporating ‘’Resilience and Preparation’’ into this strategy.

Resilience is the ‘’the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management.’’

(UNISDR Definition 2017) Disasters are a significant impediment to growth and development. It is more cost effective, both economically and in terms of life damages, to invest in resilient infrastructure to mitigate the negative effects of disasters, than to pay for damage to unprepared communities caused by natural disasters and long-term climate change.

Environmental negligence leads to worsening or causing of disasters, so sustainable development is critical. Modelling by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has suggested that each dollar spent on climate change adaptation delivers four times its value in terms of potential damage avoided. This is an example of reactive mitigation to disasters that will save on downstream expenses.

The Region The geographical region is acutely vulnerable to natural disasters, due to: • El Niño and La Niña climate patterns, causing or contributing to meteorological hazards: Hurricanes, tropical storms, floods and droughts.

• The tectonic plate boundaries of the Caribbean Plate the North American Plate, the South American Plate, the Nazca Plate and the Cocos Plate cause geological hazards: Volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, tsunami and wave surges.

• Potential effects of climate change: will intensify the natural climate patterns, and cause sea level rise. Although natural disasters are inevitable, human activity can affect the rate or mode of disasters through pollution, CO2 emissions and unsustainable resource use, where an obligation falls on the developed world to assist less developed, vulnerable nations.

The human geography of the region intensifies its vulnerability by: • Rapid urbanisation and population growth, meaning the density of life and capital in large settlements (within Gulf of Mexico and Latin American countries) are acutely vulnerable to catastrophes.

• Poverty, unemployment, social-political challenges translate to lack of response capacity at times of disaster.

• The settlements on small, low lying Caribbean islands and waterfront cities (e.g. Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Ares) are susceptible to ocean surges and sea level rise.

• Significant resource impact within some parts of the continent. Whereas the Caribbean is relatively underdeveloped, Brazil is a ‘BRIC’ country, currently recognised as one of the fastest developing nations that will, in turn, contribute to global CO2 levels. This includes the deforestation of the Amazon Basin, which has a significant role in global C02 regulation. Although national development is positive, they should be incentivised to develop and industrialise sustainably in global long-term interests.

Key Sectors Housing, Education, Health, Electricity & Energy, Water Supply & Waste Treatment, Telecommunications, Transport Industries involved will be any of the key sectors that specialise in developing or maintaining infrastructure with resistance to geographical hazards and of long-term quality. Also construction, storm proofing, coastal treatment and barriers, irrigation, locks and dams, dredging for waterway navigation, early warning systems and emergency telecommunications, geological surveying, weather predictions and sensors, ecological monitoring and restoration.

Objective The summit aims at linking public and private sectors, and to utilise international resources to create a coordinated effort towards disaster mitigation. Government and

policy makers will be introduced to practical and technological solutions from the private sector, consultancies and goods and service providers. These will help the region prepare for the challenge of disasters through financing and developing resilient infrastructure.

Participants Participants in RIF will be Government Ministers and regional bodies in charge of policy making within the key sectors of infrastructure. This is in addition to investors, the private sector and development partners; national and regional financial institutions, national experts, stakeholders and partners; World Bank, EU, UN Agencies; Agencies for investment promotion in the Region; Regional Economic Communities (RECs), research institutions and universities.

Within Latin America and the Caribbean there is already a major role played by Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) and National Development Banks (NDBs) in financing resilient development activities, placing equal emphasis on international and national actors.

Expected Outcome The desired outcome is that key stakeholders will become further informed of issues that inhibit policy makers effectively preparing for disasters, through the high-level presentations. This platform will then allow parties to negotiate plans and projects to take effect through pre-scheduled, efficient business meetings. It is expected that stronger ties and partnerships will be achieved as a result of this interactive format, supported by numerous networking opportunities.

Format This summit will be held over two days with participants having the option to take part in any industry-specific sector spanning the two days. The Summit features: • Plenary sessions to address major issues and opportunities: Public sector leaders will present on their major needs from the private sector, proposed plans and projects for the development of resilient infrastructure within the key sectors.

• Bilateral meetings between the public and private sector: Roundtable prescheduled, one-to-one meetings throughout the summit between government officials and the private sector, financial institutions, development partners and international organisations.

• Networking opportunities at coffee breaks, lunch, a formal Gala dinner, as well as informal social sessions to reinforce relationships made.

• Exhibition: Developers in the fields of technology will be invited to showcase their equipment, materials, services, innovation, new knowledge and other practices. The exhibition will enrich the discussions by helping to inform policy makers and developers of the various solutions and potential investment opportunities through a tangible and visible element.

Some implications of disasters on key infrastructure sectors Housing • Areas struck by poverty, urban slums, living spaces made from temporary material or exposed settlements are most vulnerable to volatile weather. Lives are at most risk when people are not protected in their homes, highlighting the pressure to make housing affordable for all and incorporating disaster risk management into the construction process of housing. This is a key strategy recommendation of the World Bank-GFDRR report “Investing in Urban Resilience”.

Education • Short term: Having populations educated on their regions’ vulnerabilities, strengths, as well as emergency action plans to protect themselves and their families during time of disaster is critical for protecting lives (e.g. reaching higher ground in a tsunami warning). When storms are forecasted, people can take measures to protect their private property, crops and businesses.

• Long term: With schools, universities and education institutions disabled by disasters for prolonged periods, this will eventually stunt the economic growth and productivity of a nation.

Health • Hospitals and emergency medical facilities are key pieces of infrastructure that need to be resilient to disasters, in order to take immediate action throughout or after a catastrophic event.

• In the short to medium-term period after catastrophic events, populations are particularly vulnerable to disease. This is largely through interdependence on water supply and sanitation as well as food security.

Electricity & Energy • Power transmission and energy sources are typically vulnerable to disasters, which are high-cost sectors. They are essential for the relief period as well as efficient rehabilitation, and therefore need to be robust.

• In contributing to global climate change, renewable energy sources are a crucial factor for long-term resilience. Development plans should utilise natural elements to harvest energy that will contribute to a region’s robustness.

Water Supply & Waste Treatment • This is a key sector of infrastructure that has led to impacts of disasters worsened, and therefore a critical focus for resilient development. Fresh water scarcity is already apparent on island nations, and when polluted (for example by sea water, sewerage leak or waste) will create serious issues for the period of “Relief & Emergency Aid” as well as “Rehabilitation & Reconstruction”.

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Dysfunctional water and waste systems also holds production facilities for goods and services, agriculture and stagnates the economy.

Telecommunications • The lines of communication between vulnerable regions and the outside world are essential for the “Relief & Emergency Aid” period. Backup lines of communication and warning systems need to be robust enough to withstand extreme events.

• During the reconstruction and development process, other sectors depend on means of communication and internet access.

Transport • Functional airports, roads and ports are important for transporting aid supplies and recourses to affected populations. Alternative means, such as drones and helicopters can be used to some extent.

• For the longer-term reconstruction and development process within all key sectors, major and reliable transport infrastructure is essential.

Major Economic Implications • Employment: Jobs or workplaces may be destroyed or temporarily disabled.

• Agriculture: This is a high stake-hold industry affecting both the economy and domestic food security if crops are destroyed.

• Tourism: Disasters will considerably affect tourism, so national income dependant on this is high-risk and unsustainable.

• National Security: If correctional facilities or security infrastructure breaks down, this may threaten political and economic functioning.

How to achieve resilient infrastructure New infrastructure can be disaster resilient by ensuring that an asset is located, designed, built and operated with potential hazards in mind. Most existing infrastructure can be adapted or maintained to extend an asset's durability and lifetime.

Hazard mapping to understand the most likely extreme elements will assist in understanding risks and incorporating this into upgrading, maintaining or building resilient infrastructure. Mapping disasters by type and frequency at a local level is essential to accurately encapsulate the vulnerabilities of precious assets and population centres, because hazards do not uniformly affect territories.

Achieving resilient infrastructure requires the impacts of disasters to be a key consideration in the way that all sectors of infrastructure are planned and commissioned, designed, built and maintained. It is important to establish what the needs are in the medium term and long term, by incorporating the elements of the relief cycle into development plans, whilst utilising and embracing technological developments. The result will be a more resilient and robust infrastructure network

able to cope with projected hazards, most importantly through increased capacity to cope with uncertainty without massive failure and economic cost.

Commercial opportunities There are potential business opportunities in adapting to anticipated hazards if early action is taken and expertise developed. This includes new skills, research and technologies to enable infrastructure to be adapted. There are four key groups: • Financial services (e.g. nuanced risk-based investment assessments) • Engineering and construction (e.g. using international experience in strong urban construction) • Professional services and consulting (e.g. private sector expertise utilised to inform urban planning and policy decisions) • Life sciences and technological development (e.g. forecasting, IT based solutions, agricultural and health resilience) Investors Investors in infrastructure include banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, investment/development banks and public and private pension funds.

Infrastructure Owners & Operators Owners and operators of national infrastructure have an important role to play in adapting national infrastructure by: • Embedding adaptation throughout their organisation and the organisation's decision making.

• Integrating adaptation into the maintenance regimes of existing infrastructure.

• Considering how the impacts of disasters may affect new infrastructure developments, and addressing affected operational procedures supply and chains, and whether their workforce have the right skills and working practices to adapt.

Insurers & Re-insurers The insurance sector has a significant stake in timely adaptation of national infrastructure. Insurers have a role in: • Working with clients to consider resilience as a way of reducing their exposure to weather events.

• Investing in, and developing, context specific hazard information to help them model risks and, where appropriate, share the information with investors, owners and operators to enable further planning and action. This includes developing systems that monitor the weather and anticipate potential incidents with expected rainfall, wind speeds and gust levels tracked daily.

• Encouraging greater disclosure of hazard risks and responses by companies to increase understanding and catalyse adaptation action by both insurer and investor in infrastructure.

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As investors in their own right, ensuring their own investment portfolios factor in disaster resilience.

Engineering Profession Engineers and engineering companies have a key role to play in delivering well adapted national infrastructure. A geographically volatile region presents engineers with a wide range of challenges.

The engineering profession has a role in: • Looking for engineering solutions to limit the consequences of failure from severe weather.

• Developing new ways of designing and building infrastructure e.g. to plan, design and monitor infrastructure at national and local levels to deliver resilience at least cost.

• Developing new engineering design practices to increase the resilience of infrastructure assets and networks.

• Developing new skills and expertise in adapting infrastructure to create marketable engineering skills and solutions.

Research Community The research community plays a critical role in advancing knowledge on the hazard risks to infrastructure. Focus should be on nationally funded research addressing the challenges of environmental volatility towards critical infrastructure. It is important that the research community, policy makers and the private sector work together to ensure that these research projects have a genuine role in improving the knowledge on risk, turning this into practical action.