'Building back better': a resilient Caribbean after the 2017 hurricanes

After a disaster, the concept of 'building back better' is appealing and logical, but it presents complexities and demands a thorough comprehension of the disaster's causes, recovery processes, and future climate and other risks. Crucially, strong dedication is required from policy-makers and technical personnel in national governments, international aid agencies and donors supporting recovery, and communities already involved in recovery efforts. This briefing paper has been prepared to help policy-makers and practitioners strengthen recovery in the Caribbean after the 2017 hurricanes. The challenges for promoting a more resilient Caribbean are significant; this will require a comprehensive disaster impact assessment (to understand what was most affected and why), legal and regulatory reforms, a recovery strategy closely linked to existing development and investment plans, and more participatory forms of planning than many of these countries had in place prior to the hurricanes. It will also require more systematic use of hazard information and climate science in planning decisions, to manage future risks.