The Challenge

CORE aims to deploy community-led engineering solutions in Sint Maarten to address hurricane vulnerability, drought, and food insecurity. Before going to Sint Maarten, we are conducting research to understand the problems. This research will be the basis of our work there. Four main problems were highlighted during the research. Many people avoid emergency shelters during severe weather due to deportation fears. Waste from Hurricane Irma in 2017 remains unmanaged, leading to many fires. 70% of the buildings were destroyed or damaged from Irma because the roofs are not suited for the extreme climate conditions. Finally, Sint Maarten imports 99.3% of its food, leaving the population severely exposed to supply chain disruptions.

The solution

By pairing technical innovation with local collaboration, the project aims to deliver high operational feasibility and long-term resilience. We aim to engage in a collaborative process with the end user by adopting an approachable, listening, and flexible mindset. First, we will go to Sint Maarten for two months, where we aim to develop a deep understanding of the context through interviews and workshops, and then finalize the design brief. The project aims to strengthen the resilience of communities to hazards and crises, meaning their ability to withstand or rapidly recover from disruptions. Rather than offering a one-off fix, we aim to build systems that beneficiaries can sustain, adapt, and expand themselves.

Mission

CORE works with communities facing climate change and natural disaster to design and build technical solutions together.