Following the 2017 El Niño floods, UK experts are supporting Peru to deliver 140 resilient infrastructure projects, including schools, healthcare, flood defences and early warning systems.

Following the devastating 2017 El Niño Costero, the UK and Peru Governments signed an agreement to support the repair, rebuild and enhancement of damaged infrastructure. The UK Delivery Team (UKDT), of Arup, Mace and Gleeds, was selected in 2020 to accelerate and assure the delivery, to international standards, of 140 critical infrastructure projects across the 13 regions most vulnerable to extreme weather events. As part of the UKDT, Arup colleagues in Peru, London and offices worldwide, are providing strategic and technical advice and assurance to the National Infrastructure Authority (ANIN), for the construction of 74 schools, 18 healthcare facilities, flood defences for 17 river basins and five gullies and urban drainage in seven cities. London-based experts are leading the installation of a new integrated early warning system that will help protect new infrastructure, communities and businesses from extreme weather events.

Throughout, the UKDT has proactively transferred knowledge, tools, technology and skills to build the capacity of Peru to deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure for generations to come. The UKDT also established a BIM-enabled structured transition to operations, with the partnership extended to the end of 2026 to support the readiness of completed projects.
More than 50,000 pupils are already learning in new sustainable and resilient schools built to a new lifecycle design model that is now being applied to the rebuild of thousands of schools.

International standard healthcare is benefitting more than one million people through UKDT hospitals and healthcare centres, establishing a benchmark for speed and quality in the delivery of healthcare facilities across the country. Hundreds of thousands of residents are now protected by an integrated water management programme which introduces innovative nature-based solutions and whole water-basin approach and, when completed, will benefit 16 million people. More than 20,000 jobs have been created and 20,000 learning sessions delivered to 2,000 Peru officials, alongside detailed technical guides and an online training platform, building national capacity to deliver major infrastructure programmes.

“Our London-based specialists working locally and travelling regularly to Peru have introduced and embedded a strategic approach to planning and designing resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Our London team are as passionate about helping to make Peru stronger and safer as our team in Lima, regularly leading and contributing towards technical client meetings and projects, alongside hosting training events for public officials.” – Nick Merridew, Arup Global Host Cities Leader, UKDT Deputy Director 2020-2024.