Samenvatting

This research paper was done as part of the final asignment of the Water Management/Delta Management bachelor program of the HZ University of Applied Sciences in Middelburg in the Netherlands. The research was conducted at N.V. G.E.B.E. in St. Maarten, the only water and electricity company on the Dutch side of the island. The main topic of the research was to investigate ways in which the company can decrease risk and increase resilience to hurricanes.

Since satellite imagery shows that warming has increased the likelihood of tropical cyclones to develop into a Category 3 or higher (Fountain, 2020), it is important to realize possible flaws in the system and suggest measures to further improve the resilience of the system after a hurricane. Different methods and literature such as the RAMCAP Plus Process and 5 Pillars of Climate Resilience have been used to investigate and analyze the water distribution system to answer the research question and sub-questions. The assets like the Water storage tanks of the water distribution system has been rebuilt or repaired in a more robust manner where the new tanks can withstand category 5 strength winds. Making the tanks more robust has decreased risk to the company. The plans to build new water storage tanks will increase resilience as there is more water stoarge capacity and therefore provides more water for consumers after a disaster if tanks are not damaged. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. After conducting field visits and desk research, the main recommendation is to improve storage facilities for the materials of the water distribution system. Materials are not properly stored, which causes materials to be damaged before being used and can slow down the recovery process after a passing of a natural disaster moreover, decreasing resilience. Additional recommendations have been outlined in the last chapter of this report. The management of N.V. G.E.B.E. is urged to take these recommendations into account to improve the overall resilience of the company.