Foreword
The threat of climate change presents unique challenges to the
Caribbean region, with smaller island nations like The Bahamas
particularly vulnerable to the chaos of natural disasters and the impact
they have on developing economies.
The Inter-American Development Bank is proud of its long-standing,
rich history with the islands of The Bahamas, solidified in meaningful
partnerships with the nation’s Government, the private sector and its
citizenry. During this time, the Bank has witnessed first-hand the
increasing intensity of natural disasters and the disruption to lives and
the livelihoods within our member country.
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew passed through the chain of
islands, varying between category 3 and category 4 intensity levels that
left widespread damage in its path. Nearly a year later, Hurricane Irma
tore through the country as a category 4 storm in September 2017,
rendering many smaller islands uninhabitable in the short-term and
changing daily life in those areas in the long-term. In September 2019,
the world watched as the category 5 Hurricane Dorian rained havoc
down on The Bahamas islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco and their
communities, erasing any evidence of life in some neighborhoods and
leaving behind a trail of heartbreak, sorrow and death.
The catastrophic damage to livelihoods and billions of dollars of
infrastructure on this archipelago present significant challenges to the
preparedness of its tourism-dependent economy and its rescue and
recovery capacity.
As the leading multilateral Bank, The IDB committed itself to a
restoration effort that would be far-reaching and strengthen the island
chain against future natural disasters. Through a partnership with the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Bank
deployed a research team of experts – both local and international – to
the affected sites to collect pertinent data that could be integrated in a
more sustainable framework for disaster risk management, policy
preparedness and reconstruction methods after a natural disaster.
Within this report is a comprehensive overview of the toll Hurricane
Dorian had on the islands’ economies and an accounting of the losses,
broken down throughout the sectors. It analyzes key vulnerabilities and
threats and compiles findings from assessments with recommendations
to build resilience in a way that honors the nation’s past while
advancing the present and preserving its future. This report, together
with the reports on Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma, provides
The Bahamas with data that supports meaningful policy reforms to
promote strategic decision making regarding natural disasters.
As we forge ahead, there is a new reality developing and it is that we
are now living in uncertain times where climate change and its impacts
require us to have tactical plans in place that protect and foster stability
in the nation’s economic and cultural systems. The Inter-American
Development Bank is honored to continue to partner with the
Government of The Bahamas and present this Damage and Loss
Assessment report to help strengthen national initiatives for a more
resilient Bahamas.
Daniela Carrera-Marquis
Country Representative
Inter-American Development Bank
Country Office Bahamas
The Caribbean is among the regions of the world most vulnerable to the
impact of extreme weather events, with countries of the subregion
experiencing among the highest rates of damage relative to their gross
domestic product (GDP). Indeed, considering the ratio of affected
population to total population and the damage-to-GDP ratio, Caribbean
small island developing States (SIDS) have been more significantly
affected than those in other regions of the world. The gravity of this
situation is brought into even sharper focus by the fact that SIDS are
already bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change and will face
even higher economic and social costs if the projected scenarios of sea-
level rise become a reality.
Within the Caribbean subregion, the negative impacts of extreme
weather events over the years have been most vividly illustrated in the
Bahamas. Since 2015, the Bahamas has been devastated by four large
hurricanes, three of which have been classified as category 5 events.
Hurricane Joaquin affected the Family Islands in 2015 and Hurricane
Matthew hit Nassau and Grand Bahama in 2016. In 2017, the country
was not spared the ravages of Hurricane Irma, one of the Atlantic
Basin’s most powerful storms, which affected primarily Ragged Island,
Grand Bahama and Bimini. Most recently, following a brief reprieve in
2018, Hurricane Dorian unleashed devastating force on the beautiful
Abacos and Grand Bahama islands in 2019. Dorian left in its wake a
swathe of destruction surpassing the loss and damages of the three
previous hurricanes combined, costing an estimated US$ 3.4 billion.
These events have taken an overwhelming toll on the tourism sector,
the country’s main engine of growth. As a result, these vulnerabilities
significantly diminish the capacity of the Bahamas to finance its
recovery and resilience-building.
ECLAC has conducted Damage and Loss Assessments (DaLA)
following each of the events mentioned above, measuring their
economic, social and environmental impacts on the Bahamas. The
assessments were jointly undertaken with the support of the Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pan American Health
Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Great care is
taken to ensure the completeness and accuracy of these assessments,
given the important role the reports serve in estimating the extent of
loss and damage suffered; to describe the critical areas of need for
governments in the aftermath of these events; and to guide the
country’s resilient reconstruction efforts. The DaLA reports have also
found wider application in strengthening national policies by
integrating key recommendations in the disaster risk management
(DRM) policy framework of the Bahamas.
I am very pleased to submit for the judicious use of the Government of
the Bahamas the report on the Effects and Impacts of Hurricane Dorian
on the Bahamas. It is my hope that this assessment will serve as a
valuable guide for decision makers in the design of resilient
reconstruction and redevelopment on the affected islands. Such
development, however, requires low-cost long-term development
finance which is not currently available to the Bahamas because of its
income status. The hard evidence in this report should prove to the
international community that the Bahamas needs external financial
support to strengthen its resilience to disasters and to build back better.
I therefore propose it be used as a robust point of reference and I also
encourage DRM experts, international development partners and civil
society to embrace its specific recommendations for rebuilding with
resilience.
Alicia Bárcena
Executive Secretary
Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)