DAA President Claude Lauture tells Planning not to allow construction in disaster prone areas in future

​Claude Lauture, President of the Dominica Association of Architects, is calling on the government’s Planning Division to prevent construction in areas that are prone to disasters. He is of the view that Dominica is vulnerable to multiple disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and landslides, to name a few, but there is construction taking place in areas such as hillsides, close to precipices and flood zones.
 
Using what happened in Checkhall Valley as an example, he said “The river was dredged because of what happened with (Tropical Storm) Erika, and with (Hurricane) Maria, the river got back to where it was before Erika and even further, and it destroyed more houses in that community”.
 
Lauture noted some concrete retaining walls were built, but all fell because of the power of the water, as the river moved to reoccupy its original bed. He is therefore advising that the “Planning Division should ensure that no buildings are allowed to be built in such zones, because it is high risk, and it can destroy a lot of lives”.