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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Monday, October 11, 2004 - The Caribbean Hazard Mitigation Capacity
Building Programme (CHAMP), is to implement a building and training
certification programme at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, in an effort to
encourage artisans, builders and home owners to subscribe to higher building
practices. The wider region is also to be included in training programme.
Mitigation and Research Officer of CIDERA, Ms. Evan Inniss said that the pilot
project was being backed by several international organisations, which recognise
that reducing the vulnerability of the region to natural hazards, was directly
linked to the use of safer building practices.
“When it comes to low income housing, persons are not so concerned about the
safety building techniques; they are more interested in the bottom line - how
much it would cost; so to get those carpenters and masons actually wanting to
build those homes to those particular standards is what we are trying to get”,
Ms. Inniss said.
The pilot project is targeting Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Grenada and
Saint Lucia. Ms. Inniss informed that the programme was primarily designed for
persons who work in the informal building sector. She emphasized that the
training was critical, in light of the extensive damage to homes by Hurricane
Ivan.
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