Operational study ‘Renovation of historical buildings to make the city of Jérémie more resilient’ (Haiti)’

Context

Due to its location in the Caribbean Basin (Grand’Anse department), the city of Jérémie is highly exposed to natural hazards, particularly cyclones and floods. Due to its distance from the capital, it is isolated and often cut off from the rest of the country. The volatility of its location makes its population very vulnerable each time there is a new crisis, whether this is economic, political or climatic.

In 2016, the city of Jérémie was hit by hurricane était Matthew. The torrential rains combined with the powerful winds destroyed many buildings, as well as many crops, wiping out local economic resources.

In this context, the LVil Nou Pi Bèl project (VNPB, financed by the EU and AFD) aims to increase the resilience of the city of Jérémie to natural disasters and reinforce the socio-economic fabric by raising awareness about risks, sustainably restoring housing, and improving access to basic services. Groupe URD will be involved in this three-year project as a learning partner in partnership with Care France and Care Haiti. We will conduct iterative evaluations with feedback sessions (EIMS), studies, and exchange and discussion workshops, and we will organise conferences on the topics studied.

Preparatory study for the renovation of a historical building

The heritage-based part of the VNPB project aims to identify an emblematic building or location that could be renovated. This activity, which is due to begin during 2020, will aim to promote the city’s cultural heritage in order to reinforce local identity, socio-economic inclusion and the attractiveness of the city.

Beyond cultural promotion, this activity should have the following effects:

➢ Social and economic impacts
The construction sector, the production of building materials, and the tourism and culture sector will be boosted, while natural resources and the local landscape will be promoted, etc.

➢ Impacts on the theme targeted by the ‘City of rJérémie Resilience’ project
Renovation and hazard-proofing building skills will be reinforced, awareness will be raised among the population about good construction, renovation and maintenance practices, and places will be created to gather and take shelter in the event of disasters.

➢ Impacts on gender issues and inclusion
The needs of poor and marginal groups (notably young people) will be identified more effectively, the accessibility of buildings (notably for disabled people) will be improved, access to basic services will be reinforced and made more inclusive, and there will be increased awareness about inclusion and respecting differences.