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Overview

On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Antigua and Barbuda with catastrophic effect on the island of Barbuda. Hurricane Irma made landfall as a category 5 storm (Saffir-Simpson scale), packing winds in excess of 180 mph (277km/h). The storm’s eye passed directly through Barbuda exposing the island to the highest wind velocities in the storm. While out of the path of the eye, Antigua, located approximately 27 miles to the south of Barbuda, experienced major category 5 winds generated in the storm’s inner core. During the event, Barbuda was exposed to the extraordinary eye wall winds for more than 3 hours as the storm passed over the centre of the island. This was accompanied with a significant storm surge (5-11 feet) which provoked flooding reported to reach some 600 meters inland. Compounding the situation, on September 18, Hurricane Maria, another category 5 storm affected the island of Antigua with strong winds and rainfall, without making landfall.

The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) carried out by UN, EU, World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank and Eastern Caribbean Central Bank estimated the total damage (e.g. destroyed physical assets) of the Irma/Maria for Antigua and Barbuda as EC$367.5 million (US$136.1 million), while losses amount to approximately EC$51.2 million (US$18.9 million). Recovery needs amount to EC$600.1 million (US$222.2 million). Approximately 95% of the buildings in Barbuda were damaged or destroyed. Based on the results of the PDNA, with total recovery needs for this sector estimated at USD 79.6 million.

The combined value of destroyed assets and disruptions in the production of goods and services is equivalent to about 9% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP, current terms) in 2016. Hurricanes Irma and Maria will, therefore, have a significant negative impact on the overall performance of the national economy and likewise on the quality of life.

The Government of India has been one amongst the leading donors in responding to the climate crisis in the Caribbean region and intends to continue this assistance towards building climate resiliency. In the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria, the Government of India has been supporting the post-Maria recovery of the devastated island of Dominica. Through the India-UN development Partnership Fund, the Government of India is contributing US$ 1 million for the resilient restoration of pivotal public infrastructures for the recovery and sustainable development of the island of Barbuda. It is in the context of this support, that UNDP is seeking that services described in this TOR, will aim at implementing one of the components in the India-funded project, the rehabilitation of the Barbuda Post Office.

UNDP’s contributions and strategy, from Early Recovery to Long-term Resilience in the Caribbean, include the mobilization of US$25 million and the restoration of over 800 buildings. In Antigua and Barbuda, UNDP has mobilized initial resources to support the substantive assessment of the impact and recovery needs through a PDNA. Additionally, a comprehensive building damage assessment (BDA) was completed in October 2017, which supported identification and classification of priority repairs.  Early recovery of Barbuda post-Irma has witnessed considerable interventions in the housing sector through collaborative efforts of humanitarian and development actors, for example through the Government of Antigua and Barbuda/UNDP Roof Restoration Initiative funded by the Government of China.  Additionally, through a Regional CERF grant of US$300,000, Antigua and Barbuda received support to implement a small Cash-for-Work Debris Management Project, which complemented post-Irma rehabilitation activities.