THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT (CVA) CONSULTANCY

New ParagrThis consultancy was undertaken by IMC Worldwide Ltd. of the United Kingdom, with local and regional partners FDL Consult Inc. of Saint Lucia and Mona Geoinformatics Institute of Jamaica, and implemented under the Education Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP).

As stated in the Terms of Reference (TOR), the general objective of this assignment (QBS 004) was to determine climate vulnerability of specified educational facilities in Saint Lucia, the possible impacts from climate change conditions, and how to reduce the risks wherever possible.

The main outputs of this assignment were the production of a Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report, and the development of prototype guidelines, enabling some transfer of knowledge to public institutions to assess the adaptive capacity of educational facilities, to produce a GIS database, and to propose adaptation measures for effective climate assessments.

This assignment is expected to contribute to Saint Lucia’s priorities in the education sector by making the school facilities a safer place for their users and communities. The CVA identified and evaluated the effects of potential climate change on the school infrastructure and the contributing topographic effects and geographic location within St. Lucia, and how potential negative impacts can be averted.

The Consultant also proposed resilience measures, both structural and non-structural that could be included in building designs and site plans of buildings either under rehabilitation or as proposed new structures. The information amassed from this consultancy has been utilized on other relevant consultancies under the EQuIP including the design and construction of new Primary School blocks, and the buildings of the northern campus of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC).  The prototype guidelines document provided a training tool for the stakeholders to undertake a CVA on school buildings across Saint Lucia.

The guidelines are based on the experience garnered from this assignment in Saint Lucia, as well as international experience in designing climate resilient school facilities.aph

 THE ACTUAL PROCESS included:

Step 1 - Desk Review

Step 2 - Visual Condition Survey

Step 3 - Environmental / Engineering Tests

Step 4 – Data Analysis and Results Presentation

Step 5 – Recommendations for Vulnerability Reduction

(B) GIS - Based Accessibility Modelling

(C) Adaptive Capacity Assessment: Including an online questionnaire, implementation of the survey and stakeholder consultations

(D) DESIGNING CLIMATE RESILIENT INTERVENTIONS, and

(E) COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS DELIVERABLES.

CONTRACT DELIVERABLES consisted of the following:

DELIVERABLE 1: INCEPTION REPORT. This was accepted to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Education.

DELIVERABLE 2: THE CVA REPORT This was well-articulated to satisfaction of the Ministry of Education.

DELIVERABLE 3: THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPE GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF CVAs FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. This was also performed to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Education and is to be  adopted within the system.

DELIVERABLE 4: THE PRODUCTION OF A GEODATABASE. This was executed to the satisfaction of the Ministry of Education, and will require active data management by the public sector.

The European Development Bank (EIB) under the Cotonou Agreement made a Grant of $125,000.00 USD available to Saint Lucia through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) toward the cost of this consultancy. The final Consultancy Contract Value was - $312, 039.000 USD of which
$183,039 USD from Loan funds.

This contract was completed in mid-2021, and is closed out.