Resilience and sustainability in building codes in Latin America and the Caribbean

This publication presents the results of comparative analysis and interviews with experts on construction codes on earthquake, wind, flood, and sustainability certifications and ratings of the 26 IDB borrowing countries. Building codes are a crucial factor for increasing the resilience of infrastructure, incorporating disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change. The existence, quality, legal character, and level of compliance with the codes define the basis on which the built environment and the reliability of services based on physical infrastructure must be developed.

The analysis concludes that the region has made significant progress in the development of seismic and wind codes, while the flood hazard is little integrated into building codes and is dealt with reactively. It is also concluded that the region has been taking accelerated steps to incorporate sustainability aspects of building infrastructure projects, which have not yet been integrated into building codes. The study includes recommendations to move towards resilient construction in Latin America and the Caribbean.