Amid a changing climate, the increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as floods and hurricanes is threatening lives and livelihoods in Nicaragua like never before. In November 2020, Hurricane Iota made landfall near the community of Haulover along the country’s Caribbean coastline as a powerful category 4 hurricane. Coming on the heels of Hurricane Eta just weeks before, Iota left a trail of devastation in its wake, including to the wooden homes that housed more than 100 families in Haulover.

Recognizing the need to protect its housing stock from natural hazards like hurricanes Eta and Iota, the government of Nicaragua has been working to make homes across the country, including in Haulover, more resilient. GFDRR has supported those efforts.

A major focus of GFDRR’s engagement has been to support the delivery of technical assistance designed to inform the government’s ongoing reconstruction and repair of homes to be more resilient to disaster. Drawing on insights from site visits and international best practices, technical assistance has highlighted several areas of improvement that could help ensure that the government’s efforts not only bring about more resilient homes, but also improve the quality of life and social mobility of the local population.

At the most basic level, technical assistance has paved the way for a more resilient and livable reconstruction design. For instance, it has highlighted the need to consolidate the foundations of the government’s model resilient homes to ensure their resistance to strong winds during storms and has emphasized the need to include features to improve livability, such as access to an electrical system and a wastewater treatment system.

The technical assistance has also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the owners of new homes in Haulover are properly trained in their use, care, and maintenance, which should help ensure the sustainability of the delivered assets. Site visits revealed gaps in awareness of some future owners about how to maintain the homes.

The technical assistance also revealed the need to ensure that reconstruction and repair of homes is part of a broader effort to heal and rebuild communities after a disaster. For instance, social infrastructure such as common spaces that can provide ways to build community is critical.

GFDRR’s latest support builds on a long history of engagement with Nicaragua as it strives to build a more resilient future. For instance, efforts are currently underway to support resilient reconstruction of rural roads. The facility had previously provided technical assistance for development of a comprehensive roadmap for modernizing hydromet services in Nicaragua.