Road Town, British Virgin Islands, 27 February 2023 (PAHO) – Under the technical guidance of PAHO, the Government of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has been rebuilding its critical infrastructures with greater resiliency and with specific emphasis on disaster risk and climate-smart mitigation, and adaptation design and construction standards that address an all-hazard approach.
Commencing in September 2019, this 30-month project entitled ‘Support to resilience building in the British Virgin Islands’, in which 4 community centres/emergency shelters were retrofitted to improve national emergency response and disaster preparedness, was made possible through financing by the European Union (EU).
The West End Community Centre, Valarie O’ Thomas Community Centre, Emile E. Dunlop Community Centre and the Gertrude and Christina Warner Community Centre were made fully functional and disaster resilient, using safe and green building strategies and standards.
On 27 February 2023 there was an official handing over ceremony for two of these SMART Community Centres/Shelters the Valerie O. Thomas Community Centre and Gertrude and Christiana Warner Community Centre.
In his remarks, Dr. The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley, Premier and Minister of Finance described the occasion as a milestone in the recovery of BVI after the devastating hurricanes of 2017 and their journey of development for sustainability and resilience. He said that Community centres have long been an essential and intrinsic part of the Virgin Islands.
“They are places where many of our golden citizens meet for their cultural activities and to socialize. They are the venues where community meetings happen and where non-profit organisations come together to support different community members. They are the venues where birthday parties, wedding receptions and other social gatherings take place. Most importantly, and as already implied, community centres throughout the Virgin Islands also serve as emergency shelters during natural disasters.”
Premier Wheatley thanked PAHO for the assistance and support during the implementation phase of the repair works on all the community centres, and for their continued support in the health sector.
“The presence of the PAHO Representative, Dr. Amalia Del Riego today demonstrates their commitment to our continued partnership. The Government of the Virgin Islands looks forward to a continued working relationship with the PAHO as a development partner.“
Dr. Amalia Del Reigo, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries in her remarks congratulated the Government of the BVI for reaching this significant milestone. She also acknowledged the support from the EU and their ongoing partnership with PAHO.
“We know it is a reality that countries in this region will have increased vulnerabilities and we need to be prepared to mitigate and adapt.”
“The four community centers and emergency shelters being handed over today are two-fold, one is resilience in building to be better prepared for when the hurricane season starts. Also, outside of the hurricane season and any other event of disaster they operate as community centres, which are very important to provide safe and adequate spaces for the community. That is health, when we talk about health, we talk about health promotion and having community engagement.”
Dr. Del Riego noted the importance of private sector engagement. A meaningful public and private partnership builds a society of resilience and promotes corporate responsibility for the private sector. This was noted as an important feature of the project.
Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, Head, European Delegation in Barbados admired the resilience and fortitude of BVI in wake of the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 which brought back-to-back devastation across the region.
“While the climate predictions for the region are concerning, the work in the British Virgin Islands stands as an example of what it means to prioritize national action to adapt to our changing climate in order to safeguard its people and to reduce the vulnerability of its citizen.”
Ambassador Wasilewska acknowledged the ongoing efforts of PAHO in providing the technical support and guidance to ensuring that investments on disaster risk management and mitigation strategies are robust and relevant.
“PAHO continues to be an invaluable partner in supporting development in the region and a fore runner in highlighting linkages between climate change impacts and human health.”
On Tuesday 28 February 2023, the Emille Dunlop Community Centre at Anegada was handed over. In November 2021, the West End Community Centre was the first SMART centre/shelter to be officially handed over in the BVI.
