It was encouraging to read (see related story) that utilities provider GEBE is continuing the second phase of its Water and Electricity Underground Infrastructure Project. Since last month’s kick-off on Waterfront Road in Cole Bay, work has progressed to Wellington Road and is expected to conclude on Well Road, although mention was made of abandoned cars and wrecks parked on the roadside slowing things down.
The government-owned company has been able to do this despite various issues it faced during the past few years, including an administratively debilitating ransomware attack. In addition, there is the current public dispute on consumer relief for high bills between the shareholder’s representative and supervisory board.
This initiative is one example of making good use of means from the Dutch-sponsored Trust Fund administered by the World Bank and implemented via the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB). It will extend to South Reward, Point Blanche, Lower and Upper Prince’s Quarter, the final major districts targeted.
Needless to say, switching to underground instead of overhead power cables greatly enhances the country’s resilience to extreme wind events such as tropical cyclones. The effort began in earnest after the devastating impact of Hurricane Luis in 1995, when areas were left without power for weeks and even months. Notably, this was not so much the case following comparably destructive Hurricane Irma in 2017, to a large extent because of going below the surface.
At the time it also became clear how the importance of Internet had grown, especially with disrupted cellphone service due to damaged transmission towers. That matter is also being addressed with – among other things – the laying of a fibre optic cable network. In any case a situation where there was hardly any communication possible both internally and with the rest of the world for days following Luis 30 years ago is unlikely to repeat itself.
All this is important not just for living conditions of residents but also the local tourism economy that provides – whether directly or indirectly – most of their livelihoods. Travellers increasingly know that St. Maarten has the ability to bounce back quickly from even the severest of storms, so there is less reason to stay away afterwards.
