Lecture 3 Notes The Problem of Insularity PDF

Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences Course Name: Environment and Development in Guyana & the Caribbean Course Number: ENV 1102 Topic: The Problem of Insularity Ms. Donessa David  Presentation Outl...

Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences Course Name: Environment and Development in Guyana & the Caribbean Course Number: ENV 1102 Topic: The Problem of Insularity Ms. Donessa David  Presentation Outline  Definition of Insularity  Introduction to Small Island Developing States (SIDS)  Characteristics and emerging issues of SIDS  National Context (Guyana)  SIDS in the Caribbean  Advancing Action in SIDS  What is Insularity? The concept of ‘insularity’ designates territories separated from a mainland by a body of water, and of limited extent and population when compared to the mainland. It can also be defined through the common characteristic of all islands, namely small size (relative to the mainland), remoteness and isolation, special experiential identity and particular, rich and vulnerable natural and cultural environment. Ecorys, 2022 3  What are Small Island Developing States (SIDS)? Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of 39 States and 18 Associate Members of United Nations regional commissions that face unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. By definition, SIDS have relatively small populations—together, they boast only 0.8 percent of the total world population (United Nations, 2014). SIDS are a group of developing countries facing similar development challenges (social, economic, environmental). (OECD, 2018; UNEP ,2014) 4  What are Small Island Developing States (SIDS)??  SIDS include some of the world’s smallest and most remote states in the world. SIDS are culturally and biologically unique and, due to their size and relative isolation, economically, environmentally and socially vulnerable to shock.  SIDS are at the forefront of efforts to address pressing global issues through ingenuity, innovation, and use of traditional knowledge.  SIDS are a heterogeneous group of countries, spread across the world, with large variations in population size and densities, natural resources and development progress have unique biodiversity and high levels of endemism. (OECD, 2018; UNEP ,2014) 5 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) SIDS are grouped into three geographical regions: The Caribbean The Pacific Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and South China Sea (AIMS)  Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 1. Antigua and Barbuda 15. Haiti* 29. St. Kitts and Nevis 2. Bahamas 16. Jamaica 30. St. Lucia 3. Barbados 17. Kiribati* 31. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4. Belize 18. Maldives 32. Seychelles 5. Cabo Verde 19. Marshall Islands 33. Solomon Islands* 6. Comoros* 20. Micronesia (Federated 34. Suriname States of) 7. Cook Islands 21. Mauritius 35. Timor-Leste* 8. Cuba 22. Nauru 36. Tonga 9. Dominica 23. Niue 37. Trinidad and Tobago 10. Dominican Republic 24. Palau 38. Tuvalu* 11. Fiji 25. Papua New Guinea 39. Vanuatu 12. Grenada 26. Samoa 13. Guinea-Bissau* 27. São Tomé and Príncipe* 14. Guyana 28. Singapore * Also Least Developed Country  Associate Members of United Nations Regional Commissions 1. American 8. Curacao 15. Puerto Rico Samoa 2. Anguilla 9. French Polynesia 16. Sint Maarten 3. Aruba 10. Guadeloupe 17. Turks and Caicos Islands 4. Bermuda 11. Guam 18. U.S. Virgin Islands 5. British Virgin Islands 12. Martinique 6. Cayman Islands 13. Montserrat 7. Commonwealth of 14. New Caledonia Northern Marianas  Timeline Small Island Developing States 1992 1994 1999 2002 2005 June April Sept Sept Jan Un Conference on Barbados UNGA Special World Summit Adoption of the Environment and Programme of session to on Sustainable Mauritius Development in Action appraise Development Strategy and Rio de Janerio progress on the Mauritius implementation Declaration First recognition of of the BPOA SIDS  Timeline Small Island Developing States 2010 2012 2014 2014 2019 Sept Jan Dec Sept Five Year Review The General Third International Review of the Assembly International Year of SIDS SAMOA Of the Mauritius designated Conference of Pathway Strategy 2014 as the SIDS International Adoption of the year of SIDS SAMOA Pathway  SIDS tend to confront similar constraints in their sustainable development efforts, including: Uniquely Vulnerable. Similar Social, Development, and Environmental Challenges. Narrow resource base depriving them of the Characteristics of SIDS benefits of economies of scale. Small domestic markets, heavy dependence on a few external and remote markets. High costs for energy, infrastructure, transportation and communication. High exposure to natural disasters, climate change, and global economic shocks. (International Telecommunication Union, 2022) Characteristics of SIDS SIDS are characterized by their small size. This condition intrinsically implies a series of factors that make these destinations more vulnerable, which are:  Smallness: the population, land area, and/or GDP are small;  Insularity and remoteness: a lack of effective and efficient transport;  Environmental vulnerability and fragile ecosystems; Dependence on foreign economies; and The need for greater flexibility to adapt to global changes. (Puig-Cabrera, 2019) Challenges Faced by SIDS: Socioeconomic Issues Slow and volatile economic growth - While most SIDS’ GDP compares relatively well to other developing countries, economic growth in most SIDS tends to be “fairly sluggish” (OECD, 2018). Economic openness - In general, SIDS are more open to trade than other developing countries. This openness makes SIDS particularly vulnerable to external economic conditions, over which they have no direct control. Lack of economic diversification - Most SIDS have narrowly based economies that depend on just a few products and sectors. Some SIDS are dependent on strategic imports – e.g., energy, fuel, food, and industrial supplies. Common growth sectors include natural resources and tourism. (Herbert,2019)  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Socioeconomic Issues Remoteness from markets leads to “high production and trading costs, limiting investment, competitiveness and the scope for integrating global value chains”. Compared to other developing countries, SIDS are more reliant on Overseas Development Aid (ODA) and remittances, while private financial flows (bank lending, direct investment and portfolio flows) make up a smaller share of total external finance than elsewhere. Small, dispersed populations mean that domestic markets are small, and state capacity is limited, thus limiting economies of scale. This makes various costs higher in SIDS – e.g., production, transportation, service delivery, infrastructure. (Herbert,2019) 14  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital SIDS face multi-dimensional social and human capital challenges. While not an exhaustive list, these are often related to: a) Population demographics b) Labour markets c) Persistent health crises d)Underlying constraints in capacity and resources. 15  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital Demographic shifts influence the quality of human capital.  Many SIDS are experiencing a significant increase in their youth population with the Pacific, for instance, having close to 52% of its population under 25 years (Pacific Data Hub, 2021). Simultaneously, people in SIDS are living longer – in Mauritius and Seychelles, for example, the proportion of the population aged 65 and above is expected to double by 2050. This increases demand for health and care services.  In the SIDS context, this demand is particularly associated with chronic conditions and long-term care, specialized health services and support. Policy actions to integrate health and social care and improve social protection systems can benefit populations across the life course, including the youth and ageing populations. 16  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital Labour markets, migration and ‘brain drain’. Labour market demand and migration patterns are influenced by ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors, such as economic conditions, working environments, infrastructure, and educational and career prospects. Many skilled individuals, usually youth, seek opportunities overseas, which undermines self- sustainability through the attrition of talent and skills. Migration and retention are impacted by differentials in working conditions and wages across and within countries. Migration is a particular issue in sectors where skills are highly transferable, and where domestic skills demand is expected to grow, such as health and education. 17  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital Persistent health crises. The climate crisis, global economic forces and the influence of commercial actors on policymaking are contributing to, and exacerbating, health conditions that undermine human capital.  Current failures in trade and economic systems entrench a reliance on imported health-harming imports such as food and beverages high in saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids, free sugars and/or sodium, including highly processed (HFSS foods). SIDS are disproportionately represented with the highest estimated risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers (WHO, 2021). 18  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital Underlying constraints in capacity and resources. Education: Although there has been significant progress in expanding access to preprimary, primary, and secondary education in SIDS (UNESCO, 2015), access to higher education remains low. Factors such as limited resources, small populations, and geographic isolation affects the development of a skilled workforce. The gross enrolment rate in higher education in SIDS has risen from 20% in 2000 to 29% in 2022 but remains behind the global average of 42%. 19  Challenges Faced by SIDS: Human Capital Underlying constraints in capacity and resources. Employment: In 2023, 57% of the working age population in SIDS were in employment, and 3.5% were unemployed. Overall, the “participation rate” has remained around 60% over the past three decades, slightly below the world average. 20  Challenges Faced by SIDS: The Natural Environment Greater sensitivity to natural disasters: SIDS are disproportionately affected by natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides). Intensification of extreme events; external shocks and increasing vulnerability. Limited fresh water supply: Most SIDS experience increasing shortages of fresh water, poor water quality due to human and animal waste and limited capacity of waste management as well as climate change drivers and impacts (UNEP,2014).  Disproportionate impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Challenges Faced by SIDS: The Natural Environment Loss and Damage Challenges Faced by SIDS: The Natural Environment The World Bank gave an estimate of the availability of freshwater in the SIDS in mᶟ /person/year : (World Bank, 2022) Challenges Faced by SIDS: Cross Cutting Data Limited Institutional Capacity Means of implementation Technology Capacity Financial resources National and Regional Context  Guyana Statistics Land area of 214,969 km2 (83,000 sq mi) Population - 746,955 (2012 Census) Youth Unemployment = 31.9% (3rd Quarter 2021) Exports (FOB)- US$13.2bn (2023 Provisional) Imports (CIF) - US$6.6bn (2023 Provisional) Real GDP Growth Rate (Entire Economy)- 63.3% (2022) Minimum Wage (Public Sector)-G$86,150 (2023) Guyana Bureau of Statistics, 2024. 26  Dependence on Foreign Economies The Government is taking steps to diversify the economy way from Example production of commodities such as gold, bauxite, rice and sugar, towards Guyana offers foreign and domestic value added industries and services. investors investment opportunities in agriculture, oil and gas, construction, The Government actively encourages wholesale and retail, health, foreign direct investment (FDI) and transportation, and agro-processing. offers tax concessions for priority Opportunities exist within the projects through the Guyana Office services sector such as renewable for Investment (GO-INVEST). energy, business process outsourcing According to the Bank of (BPO), call centers, information technology services, hospitality, and Guyana’s Half Year Report tourism. for 2020, Guyana’s FDI increased from $826.4 The growth in FDI was fueled mainly million to $834.7 million. by developments within the oil and (U.S. Department of State, 2021) gas sector and its support industries.  The Coastal Zone Concern over the sea Home to over The coast is the defences is always on 90% of the administrative and The coast the local agenda. The country's agricultural centre itself is under diminishing mangrove population with a for the country, sea level by population along the total area of also a significant about 2 coast, decreases the 16,800km² , area for meters (6.5 natural defences of approximately 7% environmental feet). the coastline against of the total area concern. wave action, erosion of Guyana. and flooding. (Schanzenbächer, 2005)  Prone to Natural Disasters Guyana is most at risk to floods and droughts. Average Annual Natural Hazard Many floods in recent Occurrence for 1980-2022 years were heavily influenced by La Niña events. The low-lying coastline, which in some areas is 2 m below sea level, causes flooding to be an imminent threat. Sea level rise will lead to inundation of coastal areas, saline intrusion into surface and a) Miscellaneous accidents: ground water sources and 9.09% overtopping of existing sea b) Drought: 27.27% defenses. (World Bank Group, 2021) c) Flood: 63.64%  Guyana: Floods - 2021 On 20 May, media reported severe flooding across Region Nine of Guyana that has affected 15,000 people, with evacuations for the communities most acutely affected by the flooding. On 3 June, media reported that high tides and torrential rains in addition to overflowing rivers and creeks have flooded multiple communities across the country and affected over 6,000 people. On 6 June, Guyana’s President called attention to the widespread devastation created by extensive flooding and lamented the loss of livelihood and the destruction of houses and farms. (OCHA, 2021)  Partnerships & Commitments The Barbados Declaration on Achieving Sustainable Energy for All in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (United Nations , 2022)  SIDS: Caribbean The Caribbean SIDS region lies within a tropical hurricane belt and covers nearly 2 million km². The coastal ecosystems are a mixture of mangrove, sea grasses, and coral reefs while the terrestrial ecosystems are made up of 34 ecoregions all with high levels of endemism. Freshwater supplies are highly varied with Barbados being one of the world’s top ten most arid countries. (UNEP, 2014)  SIDS: Caribbean The challenges faced by SIDS cannot be underestimated or considered in isolation from the global setting. Each island is part of a complex, integrated system binding human society with nature and the economy. (UNEP, 2014) Advancing Action in SIDS - The SAMOA Pathway The Samoa Pathway set out new modalities to address the challenges and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS, including in the areas of economic growth, climate change, access to ICTs, and disaster risk reduction. Advancing Action in SIDS - Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Since 1990, AOSIS has represented the interests of the 39 small island and low- lying coastal developing states in international climate change, sustainable development negotiations, and processes. As a voice for the vulnerable, its mandate is more than amplifying marginalized voices as it also advocates for these countries’ interests. In terms of size, AOSIS closely resembles the countries it represents on the global stage, but often punches far above its weight, negotiating historic global commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions, among other achievements.  Advancing Action in SIDS SIDS Action Platform CARICOM-CSME Caribbean Development Bank SIDS DOCK: Aims to facilitate the development of a sustainable energy economy via access to international financing, carbon markets and technical expertise.  Advancing Action in SIDS Economic diversification to create greater economic independence and resilience: Blue Economy. Fostering sustainable consumption and production patterns and integrated waste management strategies. Technology Leapfrogging: rapid technological innovation, especially in information and communications technologies, that will help to overcome island isolation, create new ways of maintaining social and cultural ties across the island diaspora and help evolve new economic activities. Building community resilience to climate change and awareness of the risks and opportunities. Sustainable resource management and improved approaches to marine and coastal zone planning and management.  References  Bureau of Statistics, 2024. Demography, Vital & Social Statistics. Available at: https://statisticsguyana.gov.gy/  Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2014). Trends in Sustainable Development. Washington: United Nations - Division for Sustainable Development.  Ecorys, Thijs Fikken (2022). Islands and insularity. Retrieved from Espon https://archive.espon.eu/islands- and-insularity  Herbert, S. (2019). Development indicators and the Small Island Developing States. K4D Helpdesk Report. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.  Macrotrends. (2022). Guyana GDP 1960-2022. Retrieved from Macrotrends : https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/GUY/guyana/gdp-gross-domestic-product  National Development Strategy. (n.d.). National Development Strategy. Georgetown: Government of Guyana  OECD (2018), Making Development Co-operation Work for Small Island Developing States, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264287648-en  OCHA. (2021, May). Guyana: Flood - May 2021. Retrieved from reliefweb: https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl- 2021-000066-guy  References  Pacific Data Hub (2021). South Pacific Community Population Projections, filtered for 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories, age group 25 and under, as per mid-year population projections of 2021. Retrieved from https://stats.pacificdata.org  Puig-Cabrera, M. (2019). Tourism, smallness and insularity: a suitable combination for quality of life in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Island Studies Journal, 61-80.  Schanzenbächer, M. (2005, July ). The Coastal Zone. Retrieved from The Guyana Environment: https://www.devnet.org.gy/sdnp/gallery/mm/index.html  International Telecommunication Union. (2022). Small Island Developing States. https://www.itu.int/en/ITU- D/LDCs/Pages/SIDS.aspx  U.S. Department of State. (2021). 2021 Investment Climate Statements: Guyana. Retrieved from Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs: https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-investment-climate- statements/guyana/  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2015). Small Island Developing States Overview, Report by the Global Education Monitoring Team UNEP 2014. Global Environmental Outlook for Small Island Developing States Outlook. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya  References  United Nations New York. (2014). Trends in Sustainable Development Small Island Developing States. Retrieved from 1954TR2014.pdf (un.org)  United Nations. (2014). International Year of Small Island Developing States. https://www.un.org/en/events/islands2014/smallislands.shtml  United Nations. (2022). Small Island Development States Retrieved from Department of Economic and Social Affairs:. https://sdgs.un.org/topics/small-island-developing-states  World Health Organization (WHO) (2021). Global Health Observatory: Probability of dying between the exact ages 30 and 70 years from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases (SDG 3.4.1). World Health Organization [online database]. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/probability-of-dyingbetween-exact- ages-30-and-70-from-any-of-cardiovascular-disease-cancer-diabetes-or-chronicrespiratory-(-)  World Bank Group. (2021). Guyana. Retrieved from Climate Change Knowledge Portal: https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/guyana/vulnerability#:~:text=Guyana%20is%20most %20at%20risk,to%20be%20an%20imminent%20threat  World Bank, 2022, ‘Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters)’, in World Bank (ed.)Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ER.H2O.INTR.PC?end=2018&locations=TR-GY-BS-BB-HT- JM&start=2000&view=chart