Social Impact with Emma » sustainable development : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

COVID-19 and the “Digital Divide”

April 4th, 2020

We are supposedly “on lockdown” at this time. Nevertheless, with businesses and schools closing, we are turning inwards, and many have obeyed the instruction to “Tan Ah Yuh Yaad” (stay home). Many have not, but that’s a different matter. There is so little for them at home. Now, this is where social divides are highlighted. […]

WASH Your Hands in the Time of COVID-19

March 16th, 2020

I know we have all been overwhelmed by the news and the latest developments, both globally and locally. I have been veering from one press briefing to another; from late-night updates tweeted by Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton, to alarming global news on the virus. Europe seems to be the new epicenter. I […]

Tourism’s Fragility Exposed

February 29th, 2020

I am not an economist (and I may well be corrected by my friend and fellow blogger Dennis Jones, who is!) but recent developments have given me the sense that Jamaica depends too heavily on two areas: Tourism and Bauxite Mining (an unsustainable activity – how much longer do we plan to go on mining? […]

Development Dramas and Urban Issues

February 9th, 2020

Issues surrounding housing and land in Jamaica seem to go round and round, spinning in ever-decreasing circles, while those affected seek “solutions” that are rarely arrived at. Here are a few examples… In Port Royal, the Government postponed plans late last year to relocate the long-standing (or sitting) squatter community in the town. Now, Member […]

Port Royal: A Rebirth or a Reinvention?

January 27th, 2020

I have mixed emotions about the little town of Port Royal. It is now undergoing some kind of transformation, due to the development of a (floating) cruise ship pier in the mangroves just north of the town itself. What is the future for the town, its beleaguered environment, and the livelihoods of its residents? It […]

Road Safety Seems to be More About Roads Than People. Correct Me If I’m Wrong.

January 17th, 2020

I tuned in to a live stream of a two-day conference co-hosted by the World Bank and the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities in Washington, DC this week. It is an annual event under the umbrella of Transforming Transportation 2020. This year’s theme was “Connecting People for Sustainable Growth.” So, how did the agenda look? […]

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