By Lloyd Gardner   March 1, 2012 Environmental impact assessment (EIA) can be defined simply as a mechanism for identifying the likely environmental impacts of an action.  Within the Caribbean, EIA is used in two basic ways; (i) as an evaluation tool for identifying the environmental impacts of specific projects, and (ii) as a process for facilitating public participation in […]

By John Waugh   January 30, 2012 Hurricanes have always been the dread of Small Island Developing States in the tropics, and nowhere are they feared more than in the insular Caribbean.  Models of our changing climate predict more intense tropical storms, but that isn’t the only thing the future has in store for the Caribbean.  Climate change is also expected […]

By Lloyd Gardner   January 1, 2012 Green spaces were traditionally included in urban development to achieve objectives such as aesthetics (verges and gardens), provision of recreational opportunities (gardens, camp grounds, playing fields, urban parks), and delineation of particular land uses (e.g. green belts used to demarcate residential areas or set city limits).  Green spaces contribute to an urban community’s […]

By Lloyd Gardner   December 1, 2011 One of the supporting elements of environment and development programmes is the establishment of communication and information sharing mechanisms.  Such mechanisms have evolved to include professional networks and the use of internet-based communication tools.  During the 1980s and 1990s, the establishment of national environmental management agencies, the rapid growth in the number of […]

By Lloyd Gardner   November 1, 2011 The Caribbean community is reminded constantly that the tourism industry produces significant economic benefits to Caribbean economies. Less discussed, but of major concern, are the environmental and social costs associated with Caribbean tourism development.  Though there have been previous attempts to identify the environmental impacts associated with tourism in the Caribbean, the costs […]