Linking hurricane disaster recovery to sustainable development strategies : St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.

Includes bibliographical references

On Sunday, September 17, 1989 Hurricane Hugo struck the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Housing loss was substantial to the twin island state, with EC$126 million (US$46 million) in damages and 1,300 residents left homeless. The islands' agriculture sector sustained severe damage, particularly to sugar, the primary export earner. Forests suffered extensive damage mainly by defoliation, which induced severe soil erosion and threatened drinking water quality. Damage to public facilities and businesses, especially tourism, was also extensive. Electric, water and telephone transmission systems were devastated, and most hotels experienced substantial damage. This report discusses findings of an examination of the disaster planning, response, and long-term recovery activities by government and non-governmental organization (NGOs) in St. Kitts and Nevis. The key concern is to analyze planning, response, and recovery activities to gain knowledge that can be utilized to improve future planning and to lessen the consequences of future hurricanes on the islands. The intent is to derive recommendations for developing successful recovery planning programs that make reconstructed localities less vulnerable to future disasters, and to enhance prospects for distributing recovery aid on the basis of need, and to improve local capability to undertake sustainable development efforts. In addition to any usefulness this study may have as a description and evaluation of the planning, response, and recovery experiences in the Eastern Caribbean, it is hoped it will aid in the development of disaster recovery planning programs in countries that have not recently experienced a disastrous event