Inter-American Development Bank , 2023
Implementing Partners: Ministries of Health of Latin American and Caribbean countries
Published In: COP28 Prospectus of Climate-Health Solutions, 2023
Inter-American Development Bank , 2023
Implementing Partners: Ministries of Health of Latin American and Caribbean countries
Published In: COP28 Prospectus of Climate-Health Solutions, 2023
Climate change is threatening health systems throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). More than 60% of health infrastructure in LAC is already vulnerable to climate change. Between 2007 and 2017 around 24 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean were unable to receive medical care due to extreme weather events because of infrastructure damage, disrupted access to basic services, and disrupted supply chains. Additionally, the health sector is also a contributor to climate change. Emissions from the healthcare sector accounts to more than 4% of global green house emissions, and LAC contributes 6% of the health sector’s global carbon footprint.
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB) provides Ministries of Health in the region with technical expertise and financial resources to design, build and operate climate resilient and sustainable health care facilities.
A key enabler of the technical expertise provided by the IDB has been the creation of the Social Infrastructure Group within the IDB, which provides both internal and external support to the design and execution of infrastructure projects. The Social Infrastructure Group is a team of architects and engineers, including specialists in sustainable and resilient infrastructure that collaborates with the Bank’s climate change and health specialists and client countries counterparts in health infrastructure projects, including the incorporation of innovation, sustainability, and resilience criteria into the projects that are financed by the Bank.
The Social Infrastructure Group has enabled a sustained increase in health sector projects that include climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in infrastructure. In every IDB project, the Social Infrastructure Group works with a multisectoral team composed of specialists (e.g., from the Social Protection and Health Division, the Climate Change Division) to provide support to LAC countries as they incorporate green standards into their health infrastructure.
Additionally, the IDB uses tools such as the “Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies” (EDGE) to recommend the most effective ways to save energy and water. EDGE allows users to enter building parameters, location, typology, among others, then choose from a list of design measures and evaluate the different design options in the performance of the building. The IDB has also developed a knowledge bank on this topic to support dialogue with counterparts in advancing green health infrastructure solutions, including a series of technical notes on green hospitals, green supply chains, and use of renewal energy, among others.
Since 2013, the IDB has invested USD 494 million in green health infrastructure projects, which represents 42% of IDB spending on health infrastructure from 2014-2022. During 2021 and 2022, 90% of investment in health infrastructure was on green infrastructure. The IDB aims to further include sustainability and resilience KPIs in its loan financing of infrastructure. For example, one KPI for the infrastructure is to realize a minimum of 20% reduction in the operational use of energy, water, and energy consumption through building materials.
The following case studies illustrate the impact of green hospitals in LAC:
The Hospital de Roatán in Honduras is being renovated with IDB support. Originally, the hospital building had no sustainability and resilience measures. Now, the IDB is financing renovation of the hospital with a new architectural program. Specifically, the plans will: improve temperature control by external thermal insulation and a double metal skin; install green spaces to improve the user experience; save water by implementing rainwater collection and water treatment systems; and save energy costs by installing photovoltaic water heaters and high-efficiency lighting.
The IDB funded a similar project that improved designs in primary care health units in El Salvador. The project improved the layout of the buildings, increased ventilation, made the building accessible for those with disabilities, installed efficient ceiling fans and LED lights.
New health sector buildings that follow green standards in their design, construction and operation could obtain average annual savings of 109 kWh, 0.9 m3 of water, 0.6 GJ of energy embodied in materials and 0.044 tonnes of CO2 for each m2 of construction with an average incremental cost that does not exceed USD 20/m2. For existing hospital buildings, an annual saving of 72 kWh and 0.86 m3 of water could be obtained for each m2 of construction with an average incremental cost that does not exceed USD 49/m2. Depending on the measures implemented, that cost could drop to USD 13.25/m2. Furthermore, these investments can be profitable in a period of less than 7 years if the savings in public service rates in the operation phase are considered.
