Responsible and Sustainable Development
Okay, I have a feeling this one’s going to be controversial. However, one thing about science is that it’s just about the facts; it’s how we use it that matters.
The issue about the Palisadoes highway has kicked up a bit of a storm, but it’s caused me to think about some development issues and trends we’ve been seeing lately. I think one of the good things about Jamaica, whether we like it or not, or believe it or not, we’re a pretty regulated country when it comes to the environment. I’ve met with developers and environmental professionals in different parts of the world, and they wonder/complain that Jamaica’s over-regulated environmental regime prevents it from attracting Dubai-style investments etc.
I don’t think that’s a bad thing! We cannot let people come in a change our world to suit their economic demands, and leave us with whatever mess if it ever tanks. The global economy isn’t totally out of the Great Recession now, and we see those mothballed skyscrapers in Dubai and Las Vegas as reminders of the hubris of development at any cost. And we shouldn’t sell our souls just for some short-term bucks.
Now I fully support sustainable development, and am opposed to rabid, obstructionist environmental activism. And sustainable development is facilitated by good, hard science. The fact of the matter is that unless environmental obstructionists realize that part of the solution to the problems associated with wild and uncontrolled development lies in the human side of the equation – controlling population growth and our insatiable appetites for the good things in life at the expense of the environment – we’re fighting a losing battle. And that’s not a license for developers to prey on our need for jobs and economic growth. We need to balance all this out with science.
Science here is a proper environmental assessment, not emotions or unquantifiable sentiment. Science is a systems approach that appreciates that understands that upstream/upslope places are connected to downstream/downslope places, as well as places to the sides as well. That nature and the land are connected. And don’t disconnect the people from the place either.
There’s another issue brewing that I’m compelled to bring to the fore, which illustrates the type of complexity we need to consider properly. Font Hill in St Elizabeth is tapped for development for mass tourism, and there is considerable, and not unreasonable concern, with this. Without getting into any specific detail (check out the Friends of the Font Hill Nature Reserve to learn more about specific concerns), my issue is with a one-size-fits-all approach to tourism and economic development. Let’s start with the issue of scale and place; the south coast isn’t the same as the north coast, and the south coast is more than Font Hill, no more than the north coast is more than Ocho Rios (think about how different Portland is). No where is better than another, but admittedly, some areas have greater aesthetic appeal than others. But this doesn’t mean that you have to pave over that area just to be on top of the pretty place! What’s worse is when you chop down the natural vegetation to replace it with landscaped vegetation to give the appearance of still being in a tropical paradise!
My other concern is that which affects pretty much any coastal development in this day and age, but moreso in the Black River area. And no one can deny this one: climate change and sea level rise! Black River, like Savanna-la-Mar, Portland Cottage, and a good number of southern coastal communities, stands to lose a fair amount of of land area to sea level rise by 2100, certainly more than Montego Bay or Ocho Rios. So the economic feasibility studies better take that fact into consideration. These types of investments aren’t short-term, certainly not when we’re talking about the type of money involved, but also the environmental costs. So let’s get all the facts and not go rushing in!
I believe that proper environmental engineering, informed by science, can bridge the gulf between hard-nosed developers and environmental opposition, both with sound and just ideas, just not on the same wavelength! Then let common sense take over, based on proper knowledge.
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8 Responses to “Responsible and Sustainable Development”
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As a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, accredited professional and an architect, I agree with your position on sustainable development. The learning to live in harmony with your environment is something that much of the developed world has forgotten. We been conditioned to believe that our industrial and technical prowess will solve any problems with the environment but this is only half true. To swing completely the other way would be to turn our back on the achievements we have made over the past centuries–it would be foolish to not leverage we have learned.
What I believe you are pointing to is that we need to be responsible stewards of our envorinment respecting its diversity and uniqueness. Accounting for the strengths and weakness of the environmental systems in effect is the next great ‘technology’ boom. As alluded earlier, the bigger challenge is for us to relearn to live within our environmental means. The best tool to overcome that is education and our biggest asset in this regard is in the experience of our elders and those who live in rural areas because, out of necessity, live within their means. We can live happily and comfortably with the best of both worlds.
Jamaica’s advantage is that of its current regulations already in place. Here in the United States government regulation is slow to change, even if it’s for the better. People that have profited from the regulatory systems currently in place fear the loss of their profits and investments for a lack of vision or commitment to seeing how to ‘live within their means’ or to redefine who they are in the context of responsible stewards within the world that we live.
As for the planned tourist development in the article, I cannot speak other than to say that I would hope it considers its local impact…all impacts, costs, and consequences–not just the bottom line. As a tourist, I come to Jamaica for what Jamaica is. I seek out the ‘off the beaten path’ and enjoy the local markets as much as the mountains, forested paths, and turquoise waters. If I wanted to shop at a shopping mall or go golfing, I have too many choices as it is here in the states.
Respectfully,
Mark Wagner
As one smmaddy suggested, I have never seen a traffic jam on Palisadoes Highway…De fish at Gloriana’s is very good, but does it merit the widening of the road? Perhaps is the bammy…
Beware of Asians bearing gifts! Beware of Spaniards bearing gifts! Beware of Euro/americans bearing gifts. Tourism is a curse and too much of a burden for this land and its people. If you think it’s bad now just wait until the Spaniards are done. Jamaica will then be THE wasteland of the world, a salutary example for all to see the dangers of tourism.
You should all go to Lanzarote and see what the spaniards have done to it in the name of tourism. It is foul, grotty, cheap and nasty. And as for the Costa Del Sol in Spain, I have been told that the spaniards themselves would not be seen dead there. Believe me this is not the kind of tourism you want for Jamaica.
Jamaica has lost the chance to make tourism work and bring home the bacon for Jamaicans. Instead it has served mainly to enrich many foreign “investors”, bankrupt our country (Air Jamaica and imports) and be the engine of social unrest.
CIA Factbook remarks on the pollution in the seas off Jamaica due to inadequate treatment of waste from tourism hotels. Once figuratively, now literally, seabathers there are swimming in s**t.
Sustainable development – we have not begun to scratch the surface of this. The wonderful peaks that we have that enables wind generation of electricity. Have we begun this as yet. Agricultural products – are we adding value to them through manufacturing and exporting them. Are we feeding the tourists with our homegrown products. No – very little of these we do. Import,import and IMPORT. Even to the food that we give the tourists. So we fly them in polluting the air and impacting on the climate, and we fly in the food for them too, doing more damage. We then send out of the country the little that we earn as a consequence of these tourists being here, to the Foreign Investors. Where is our Private sector Investors in this. Nowhere – sorry – importing for us cheap goods they say, rather than being part of the ownership of these hotels, or investing in the generation of wind power electricity. Sustainable development needs a new mentality, both from the Government and the so called engine of growth, the Private Sector. And the fact is, if that happened then crime would be reduced remarkably as it would be Jamaicans serving Jamaicans, first, and many more being involved in this – so employment and jobs for that is what jobs are – and then others. That is sustainable. Sustainable development.This to me is the way to go.
I too am a LEED AP with strong interests in Jamaica and the Caribbean. My family is Jamaican and we’ve lived in Barbados and St. Lucia and Ive seen quite a bit of what development looks like across the board in most Caribbean territories. While I agree with most of the comments put forward by this post; I must disagree with the statement of Jamaica’s rigid economic policy as the development of our North Coast since the turn of the century. I am not sure we have good policies or just unnecessary beurocacy, integrated with corrupt motivations which have long plagued our island.
A long drawn out and difficult process does not mean we are adminstering sustainability, which is where foreign investors maybe frustrated. I think it is hard to compare the lush vegetation of Jamaica to the barren deserts of Dubai and while Dubai has come up quick they certainly haven’t sold out their country as much as Jamaica has for little or no economic benefit. Dubai is a world leader in innovative sustainable development and the governmenthas a hand in every major investment – so when Donald Trump builds his tower there, the project is owned by the people, Mr Trump has only sold them his name – this means that when successful the people benefit. This unfortunately doesn’t occur in Jamaica.
One might argue about Dubai’s current debt crisis, but trust that 60 billion in debt for Dubai makes it no worst of than Jamaica, for a place with little or no taxes and limited borrowing – if you notice Dubai’s failure was not going to hurt the international economy and in fact they haven’t failed. But back to the point, our North Coast is being ravaged by totally unsustainable resorts – best example Iberostar – sustainability is about building for the future. When projects of that scale are allowed to come in and destroy our beaches and land with no remorse and then shut down, what’s the benefit to the future generation? Who will occupy these monstrosities? These projects make no effort to be environmental stewards in any way and NEPA needs to assert this change. I am not an environmentalist either and I believe in sustainability but what is happening in Jamaica is totally unsustainable. I would love to hear from Mark and Parris personally if you see this please contact me khamil24@gmail.com. Thanks
I agree…. the widening of that road is unnecessary
Spanish tourism along the Costa del Sol is cheap, ugly, devastating to the natural environment. It is a non-ending concrete jungle patronized mostly by low-end European tourists who know no better–but who want sun. All of this is just perfect for Jamaica, which seems incapable, with few exceptions, of planning and managing anything it owns for but a short time–seeking the quick buck for corrupt politicians and their friends in business. On a personal note, I have been to the Costa del Sol and was glad to leave early to see the other beautiful faces of Spain. But those are not the sides that successive governments want Spain to invest in Jamaica. No, it is trashy, cheap, destructive tourism to wallow in.