sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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(ii) Support initiatives to forge closer ties between the productive sector and publicly funded
academic institutions in order to foster research that promotes <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> in
the region.
(iii) Direct the work of researchers and technical staff towards solving problems related to
specific needs, incorporating traditional knowledge from the region’s own cultures.
C. KEY ISSUES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CARIBBEAN
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
The guidelines for integrating the three pillars of <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>, and much of the analysis
relating to the other countries of the region, are also applicable to the small island developing States of the
Caribbean. 9 They have their own particular vulnerabilities, however, which make the transition to
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> especially challenging: their populations’ size, their remote and isolated
position, and the human, financial and technical constraints they face, in addition to their dependence on
scarce natural resources. Their marine and coastal ecosystems are especially vulnerable to natural
disasters and the impact of climate change and their economies are especially reliant on international
trade. They are particularly vulnerable to adverse global <strong>development</strong>s and high transport and
communications costs and some have weak and inefficient infrastructure and public administration. For
all these reasons, international financing is vital for these economies if they are to make headway towards
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> and implement the policies and instruments proposed.
As noted in the assessment, the priority issues for the small island developing States of the
Caribbean include reducing the risk of disasters; adapting to climate change; reducing dependence on
fossil fuels; creating stronger incentives for proper waste and chemical management; protecting marine,
coastal and freshwater resources and biodiversity; and ensuring that the tourism industry is compatible
with <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>.
In order to adapt to climate change, Caribbean countries need economic <strong>development</strong> and fiscal
policies capable of capturing the additional costs associated with the impact of climate change on
infrastructure, public health, biodiversity and water resources, among others due to the effects of
variations in rainfall, temperature and sea level and, especially, of the heightened destructive power of
extreme weather events. If actions to promote adaptation to climate change are to be <strong>sustainable</strong>, they
must include disaster risk reduction strategies.
Given these challenges, the costs of disaster risk reduction measures need to be internalized in
<strong>development</strong> planning. Vulnerabilities must be mapped, along with their differentiated impact on
disadvantaged groups, both in urban and regional planning and in building codes and legislation.
Coverage against the risks of climate change must be diversified through new or broadened insurance
mechanisms or financing for prevention and reconstruction.
These States’ heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels means that fiscal (subsidies and taxes)
and credit incentives need to be realigned to promote energy efficiency, renewable energies and capacitybuilding
in the sector. This includes adopting more efficient forms of transport.
9
As mentioned in Chapter IV, the Caribbean small island developing States considered here are: Antigua and
Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.