Climate Assessments Flag Roof, Flood and Evacuation Risks at Antigua and Barbuda Schools

All six Antigua and Barbuda schools participating in a regional climate resilience project have undergone infrastructure and safety assessments, with preliminary findings identifying risks that could affect their ability to withstand extreme weather.

The schools are Bendals Primary, Urlings Primary, T.N. Kirnon Primary, Pares Secondary, Princess Margaret School and Sir McChesney George Secondary School in Barbuda. Their preliminary resilience ratings ranged from 51 to 61 per cent under the project’s assessment criteria.

Integrated Health Outreach Inc. (IHO), which is leading the initiative with Eco Supplier Foundation, said the findings point to needs including hurricane-resistant roof upgrades, flood mitigation and standard fire detection systems.

The assessments are part of a project launched in December 2025 to examine 21 primary and secondary schools in Antigua and Barbuda, the Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia. Fieldwork has also been completed at the nine participating schools in the Dominican Republic. Assessments at Saint Lucia’s six schools are scheduled for completion around the end of December 2026.

Dr Nicola Bird, IHO’s executive director, said the work has revealed problems extending beyond storm damage.

“In the schools assessed so far, our early assessments have revealed critical vulnerabilities, from structural deterioration to a severe lack of barrier-free emergency evacuation routes,” Bird said.

She said the data would help guide improvements that protect students when major storms or heatwaves strike.

The project places particular attention on the needs of young children, girls and people with disabilities. That approach also matters because schools often serve as shelters during disasters, IHO said.

In the Dominican Republic, assessments flagged serious infrastructure risks at four schools, including weakened load-bearing columns, corroded roofing and inadequate stormwater drainage.

The project also examines how schools can cope with extreme heat through improved ventilation, cooling and shade. Its next stage includes community workshops to review the findings and the development of costed plans for school improvements.

The initiative, formally titled Socially Inclusive Strengthening of Climate Resilient Infrastructure and Action in Caribbean SIDS, is funded by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure through its Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund. It is being carried out with the support of education, finance and other authorities in the three participating countries.