BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) says it has launched a new online dissemination portal providing regional countries with updated rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, which are regarded as an essential resource for advancing climate-resilient infrastructure design across the Caribbean.
The CIMH said that the new initiative is a collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and will provide engineers, planners, and policymakers with access to updated rainfall intensity and frequency information that reflects both historical patterns and changing climate conditions.
Developed under the Rainfall IDF Curves project, the portal delivers reliable datasets to help countries prepare for increasing extreme rainfall events, and CIMH and CDB recently hosted a regional workshop introducing national stakeholders to the enhanced IDF curves.
It said that these updated curves are essential, particularly as increasingly intense rainfall events across the Caribbean continue to damage homes and infrastructure, disrupt businesses, and strain public finances.
Integrating the updated IDF curves into infrastructure policy and design will be fundamental to supporting sustainable development and disaster risk reduction, as embedding these data into national planning processes can reduce flood damage, lower long-term repair costs, minimise economic disruption, and strengthen resilience to extreme weather events.
The evidence is clear that rainfall extremes are increasing across the Caribbean. Designing infrastructure based solely on outdated rainfall statistics exposes countries to enhanced risks,” said CIMH Principal, Dr. David Farrell.
“Through this project, we are equipping the region with updated, climate-informed rainfall data that strengthens disaster risk reduction, protects development gains, and supports long-term resilience planning,” he added.
The impact of this initiative extends across key climate-sensitive sectors. More resilient drainage systems reduce urban flooding, while climate-informed infrastructure strengthens tourism, agriculture, water supply, energy systems, and transport networks. Financial institutions and insurers gain stronger risk intelligence, and communities benefit from fewer disruptions and faster recovery following extreme rainfall events.
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), every one US dollar invested in resilient infrastructure can save up to US$15 in post-disaster recovery costs. By improving the accuracy, accessibility, and usability of rainfall design data, the initiative reinforces sound public investment, advances climate adaptation and long-term risk mitigation, and supports sustainable economic growth across the region.
CIMH chief hydrologist and technical lead for the project, Shawn Boyce, highlighted the initiative’s importance, noting that it is about ensuring that design rainfall data and climate science translate into practical action.
“The dissemination portal provides clear, accessible IDF information that engineers and policymakers can directly integrate into standards, building codes, and infrastructure projects for climate-smart designs,” Boyce added.
The acting division at CDB’s Economic Infrastructure Division, William Ashby, said that this initiative represents a major advancement in strengthening the capacity of the bank’s borrowing member countries (BMC) to make informed, resilient infrastructure decisions.
“By providing access to updated, climate-informed rainfall data, we are equipping practitioners with the information they urgently need to support more reliable engineering design and climate-resilient development, ultimately, strengthening the Caribbean’s resilience by reducing long-term risks associated with increasingly extreme rainfall events,” Ashby added.
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