/library/oar/handle/123456789/130246 2025-12-25T19:23:43Z 2025-12-25T19:23:43Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/140272 2025-10-17T13:12:36Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Volcanic risk reduction in the face of multiple hazards in Caribbean SIDS : examining St. Vincent and Dominica Abstract: N/A Description: Ph.D.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/135385 2025-05-13T13:30:38Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The management of the blue economy in the Eastern Caribbean small island states : a focus on Grenada Abstract: Small Island Developing states are encumbered with inherent vulnerabilities largely due to their small physical size, lack of a diversified economy, susceptibility to exogenous factors such as adverse weather events, climate change natural disasters and environmental degradation. These factors combined with poor traditional practices and cultural habits, uninformed decision making along with economic factors such as fluctuations in market prices of the mono export crops, oil and shipping prices, down turns in the economies of the tourism source markets such as the USA and the EU, continue to further exacerbated the problem. Most SIDS are further burden by the economic system inherited from the mainland that largely favored an extractive, profit oriented and even exploitative economic system, given that the islands were merely seen as production outposts for the mainland and therefore were entrusted with an economic and social system that was fit for purpose and which still exists in certain instances or heavily influence the current system in use today. This economic system has left many SIDS with depleted lands that are susceptible to erosion, floods and inundation and over fished marine areas. But in spite of the many vulnerabilities and challenges SIDS must to be progressive and must carter to the needs of their mostly young and growing population, guaranteeing their safety and prosperity and to avoid at all cost the problem of mass or environmental migration away from the islands. But how are SIDS to accomplish this amidst the gloomy reality previously outlined? Transitioning to a Blue Economy with the myriad of benefits that it proffers seem to be the new beacon beaming on the horizon for SIDS and especially given that they are surrounded by the sea and are signatories to the United Nations Conventions on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS) and so possess jurisdiction of marine spaces that are several times larger than their terrestrial size and also have ownership of the marine resources, both living and nonliving that are contained within that space. Many SIDS therefore see transitioning to the blue economy as a path way to achieving sustainability, resilience, equity, stability, economic growth and development, clean and reliable energy and even wealth creation among many others. The clarion call has therefore been sounded and heeded by SIDS to transition to this new paradigm to be able to reap some of its many benefits that are so urgently needed for the overall survival, growth and prosperity of their citizens. But what does transitioning really mean and what are the means, structures and mechanisms that must be employed to bring about an effective transformation? Using Grenada as an example, this paper shows the pros and cons of the blue promise and examine some of the tools that are available to SIDS to manage this transitions. Some of the mechanisms discussed include, the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). Many of these mechanisms are already in use by SIDS, often times having been developed with assistance from a developed country such as Japan or an international organization such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). However, the drawback faced with the use of theses mechanisms often include lack of maintenance, poor regulation and enforcement of legislation, and damage or destruction from hurricanes and sea surges, with the latter increasing in intensity and frequency in the recent years. Another mechanism for the transmission to the blue economy is the use of renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuel thus ensuring cleaner air, reduction in the energy cost and the creation of sustainable jobs. Many SIDS including Grenada have established renewable energy plants, among which include solar, wind farms, geo thermal, hydro and marine energy plants in this regard. In Grenada’s case a solar PV plant was established in Limlair on the island of Carriacou with funding provided by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (5C’s), the Government of the United Kingdom, and the European Union at a cost of US$ 3.2 Million. The Limlair plant was successfully established and operational and was recently expanded due to its outstanding performance, but was unfortunately decimated by Hurricane Berryl in July of 2024. The Blue transition also carters to the circular economy and the reduction and recycling of waste. Plastic waste management is of paramount importance to SIDS especially because a large percentage of the plastics end up along the shorelines and in the sea, thus proving detrimental to the vital tourism and fishing industries that most SIDS heavily depend on. SIDS are therefore encouraged to develop long-term policy documents, sector plans and budgets in an effort to guide the transition and to ensure the sustainable management of the blue economy. Among these crucial plans that are air marked include, National sustainable development plans, energy policies, Bio diversity and Climate resilience plans and policies and annual budgets that are sensitive and supportive of the blue economy discourse. With the aid of the NVivo software, and using the saliency theory of analysis, an examination of Grenada’s National Sustainable Development Plan 2035, The Grenada Energy Policy of 2011 and the 2024 budget was undertaken. The result shows that blue economy considerations were prevalent and significant and deemed supportive of the blue economy transition and would hence inform the agenda or influence the policy decisions in that regard. The analysis also found that while it was also true for the budget document, it was not as pronounced in the context in which they were used and that the document in question still displays a subtle dichotomy of support for traditional production, taxation and economic growth over sustainability and development. The conclusion could therefore be made that SIDS are poised to transition to a blue economy having most of the tools and mechanism at their disposal and have developed supportive policy documents and development plans in this regard. The budget however needs to be more supportive and in line with the blue initiative and should provide greater support in being a bedrock for the development, production and use of renewable energy in SIDS. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z