Disaster-Resilient Building and Economic Development in Emerging Nations

Build Change is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise that saves lives in earthquakes and windstorms by working with people in emerging nations to build houses and schools that don't collapse in them. Dr. Elizabeth Hausler Strand, Build Change's Founder and CEO, will describe the organization's work with governments in Asia and Latin America to develop easy to implement building guidelines for new construction and retrofitting. Build Change trains all stakeholders in disaster-resistant design and construction, including engineers, government officials, builders, vocational students, and homeowners. Build Change creates jobs and promotes economic development by building capacity of local building materials producers to make and market higher quality products. And, Build Change partners with the financial and insurance sectors to facilitate access to capital for construction, using it as an incentive for complying with building standards and limiting opportunities for corruption. Build Change currently operates in Guatemala, Colombia, Haiti, Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Speaker: Elizabeth Hausler Strand, Build Change