Sustainable Development In The Caribbean

At the International Earth Summit convened in Rio de Janeiro in 1994, all nations of the world were mandated to protect the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. This collection introduces the reader to the major issues involved in the management of a number of resources critical to Caribbean development. The chapters discuss the sustainability of water, fisheries and agriculture in the region from a variety of perspectives. Particular emphasis is also given to the use of energy, recreation and coastal resource management and their impact on the fragile ecosystem. The book makes a contribution to the ongoing debate of sustainable environmental management within the region and the world.

The Caribbean countries, and many other Third World countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, have been under the yoke of structural adjustment measures for more than a decade. Numerous studies have addressed the inequality of North-South relations, the lack of transparency in negotiations that have led to the signature of agreements, the absence of a clear definition of responsibilities of the parties engaged, the inadequacy and inadaptation of policies with regard to the socio-cultural context, and especially the refusal to take into account the social demands of the most deprived. The criticisms formulated in this book can only find a beginning of solutions by the setting up of a solid administrative organization in which the public officials are made accountable and who, once aware of the national and international stakes, can confront the constraints involved in State/international negotiation relations. The book is a very rich presentation of the concept and the problems of structural adjustment and institutional development in the developing countries. Beside the impressive introduction and the convincing conclusion, the articles on these prerequisites for institutional sustainability present the most important empirical research results. The contents is a clear description of problems, failures and results in institutional reforms.

Island Tourism and Sustainable Development examines the relationship between tourism and sustainability in the world's three most significant maritime basins during an era of intense restructuring and globalization.

Since the economic decline in the early 1980s, most countries in Central America and the Caribbean have returned to positive growth rates. The recovery often coincided with or followed extensive neoliberal reforms. The contributors to this book address the crucial question of whether these growth rates are sustainable. Several aspects of sustainability are assessed, in particular macroeconomic, social, and ecological aspects. The book includes both comparative analyses focusing on one of these aspects of sustainability, and country case studies. The conclusion is that these countries have not yet arrived at a sustainable growth path due to, for example, high levels of foreign and domestic debt, worrisome trade gaps, a lack of social integration and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources. In sum, the analysis points to serious weaknesses in the current neoliberal model, the implications of which go far beyond this particular region.

This document contains the conference papers which aimed to design appropriate incentives or disincentives to encourage sustainable development for three key areas: policy-enabling measures, price change policies, and policies directed at the needs of the resource user in Caribbean countries. Papers also cover ideas which would enable these countries to cope with, and respond to, international pressures which are limiting their capacity to design, implement, and regulate sustainable development. These pressures affect policies which concern international agencies and institutions regarding such issues as terms of trade, debt financing, and policing the unsustainable practices of multinational corporations, and other countries.

This multidisciplinary volume dicusses the impact of tourism on sustainable development in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Mediterranean. Bringing together scholars, development practitioners, international experts, and professionals, the contributors discuss the issues from a holistic and transnational perspective. This work provides a much-needed, thorough understanding of the interplay among economic, cultural, environmental, and public health parameters. The contributors provide a workable definition of sustainable development that can be understood, conveyed, and implemented by policy makers, development practitioners, and tourism professionals. Among the special issues addressed here are the role of women in tourism, the contradictions inherent in cultural tourism, the hegemony of tour operators, disease mapping and risk assessment, and island community involvement in tourism-related land-use planning.

The Blue Economy is emerging on the global scene as a powerful and persuasive new concept for sustainable development based on economic activities associated with the ocean. Several regions globally have adopted this concept at national and regional levels, including the Caribbean. Given the complex, multisectoral and multilevel nature of the Blue Economy, it is clear that different approaches will be needed for different regions. Hence, this volume explores the opportunities, threats and risks involved in operationalising the Blue Economy in the Wider Caribbean Region, defined as northern Brazil to the USA and all mainland and island countries and territories in-between. The first part of the book looks at where the region stands in the global picture regarding adoption of the Blue Economy and what is planned. The second set of chapters examines key crosscutting issues such as ecosystem services, climate change and governance at national and regional levels that could make or break the Blue Economy initiative. The book then goes on to explore the main sectoral activities that will constitute the Blue Economies in the region: fisheries, tourism, shipping and transport, renewable energy, oil and gas, seabed mining and waste management are all considered. The book ends with a synthesis of the political and technical requirements to overcome threats and take advantage of opportunities in the Blue Economy.

Special edition for the Mauritius International Meeting for the 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

The Latin American Economic Outlook 2019: Development in Transition (LEO 2019) presents a fresh analytical approach in the region. It assesses four development traps relating to productivity, social vulnerability, institutions and the environment.