Costs and benefits of hazard mitigation for building and infrastructure development: a case study in small island developing states

Many factors determine the ability of a facility to withstand the effects of natural hazards. Decisions made throughout the life of an infrastructure project or a building - from design and construction through ongoing maintenance - affect the resilience and, consequently, the life span of these investments. To better understand the causes of building and infrastructure failure, the Caribbean disaster mitigation project undertook a retrospective analysis of public and private projects in the Caribbean that have suffered damages from tropical storms.
 
The purpose of this study is to examine the decision making process underlying the design and construction of these facilities, to determine whether the failures could have been prevented by appropriate design and construction principles and by effective use of hazard and vulnerability information in the planning of the project. From this study, it is clear that incorporation of hazard and vulnerability information into the earliest stages of project design or reconstruction is essential to ensure both hazard resilience and the lowest costs over the life of the project.