Enterprise and entrepreneurship in peripheral contexts: experiences and prospects from the caribbean small island developing states

PropósitoEste trabajo ofrece un análisis comparativo del desarrollo del turismo sostenible en toda la región del Caribe anglófono desde el período posterior a la independencia de 1962 hasta la década de 2020. Se explora las implicaciones de la insularidad, la inversión turística y el ritmo de adopción de la tecnología en la posible realización de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) en las islas de Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad y Tobago y los Estados del Caribe Oriental.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueEl análisis se basa en datos secundarios bibliográficos a partir de documentos de política gubernamental, literatura académica, periódicos e informes de consultoría para explorar los temas centrales y proporcionar un marco conceptual en este documento.ConclusionesLas conclusiones revelan que los pequeños estados insulares en desarrollo (Caribbean Small Island Developing States, SIDS) están más próximos del enfoque del turismo como único sector económico o sostenibilidad débil para el desarrollo del turismo sostenible. Las conclusiones generales revelan que la fuerte concentración de la región en las prioridades económicas hace que se preste menos atención a los retos de la competitividad, como la gestión medioambiental, la equidad social y las innovaciones tecnológicas.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónLa investigación presenta una visión global de la trayectoria de desarrollo turístico de otros Estados insulares dependientes del turismo. La investigación ofrece lecciones y oportunidades de aprendizaje que pueden ser útiles para los responsables de la toma de decisiones en los SIDS. La principal limitación es que las conclusiones sólo pueden ser transferibles y generalizadas en la medida en que otras jurisdicciones tengan estructuras de gobernanza macroeconómica y características culturales similares a las de los SIDS del Caribe.Implicaciones practicesEste documento ofrece un análisis significativo y contribuye al conjunto de conocimientos sobre la historia del desarrollo del turismo en el Caribe, los retos y el potencial futuro de la sostenibilidad, y se presta a oportunidades para futuras investigaciones en el Caribe y otros SIDS.Implicaciones socialesEl estudio esboza las implicaciones sociales del turismo inclusivo, responsable y sostenible que puede llevar a los SIDS del Caribe de un crecimiento lento a la eficiencia en el desarrollo del producto turístico, incluyendo el entorno tecnológico. Esto puede reducir las desigualdades, contribuir al desarrollo socioeconómico y mejorar el capital humano de la región.Originalidad/valorEste trabajo proporciona un análisis comparativo exhaustivo del desarrollo del turismo en el Caribe, específico para Jamaica, Trinidad y Tobago, Barbados y los Estados del Caribe Oriental. No se ha realizado ningún trabajo anterior para comparar el desarrollo del turismo dentro de esta agrupación. Por ello, este trabajo es esencial para informar a los responsables de la toma de decisiones y sentar las bases para continuar la investigación en este ámbito.

The literature suggests that small island developing states (SIDS) are at a disadvantage compared to their larger counterparts. While larger countries have pursued manufacturing for exports, SIDS have typically focused on commodities, financial services, or tourism. This study explores selected macroeconomic factors and their influence on export manufacturing in SIDS. Using a panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) framework, we find that GDP positively influences manufacturing exports in the Asia-Pacific region and that trade openness is important to resource-rich and Caribbean SIDS. We also find evidence supporting the presence of Dutch disease among the Caribbean and resource-rich SIDS.

This research seeks to develop an urban sustainability framework specific to Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This is relevant given the reality that Caribbean SIDS are becoming increasingly urbanised. The three most urbanised countries within the Caribbean region; namely, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname are more than 70 percent urbanised. If the built environment within urban areas is developed in an unsustainable manner this can result in a number of negative outcomes. For example, a major challenge faced in Caribbean SIDS is that of disaster risk and management due to the location of human settlements and critical infrastructure in low lying coastal lands. If more sustainable outcomes are to be attained in the face of increased urbanisation, there is a need for a change in the way spatial planning is practiced. Indicators can provide planners with an empirical basis for the examination and review of the relevant plans and policies which guide the way in which planning is practiced. There exist a number of urban indicator frameworks, which suggest useful indicators including the World Bank Urban Sustainability Framework (USF) and the Inter-American Development Bank Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI). These two frameworks are critically examined and with the use of Trinidad as a case study island, the ways in which indicators can be useful in efforts toward increased urban sustainability within SIDS is discussed.

BackgroundAdaptation to climate change (CC) is a priority for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean, as these countries and territories are particularly vulnerable to climate-related events. Primary health care (PHC) is an important contributor to CC adaptation. However, knowledge on how PHC is prepared for CC in Caribbean SIDS is very limited. The aim of this paper is to discuss health system adaptation to climate change, with a focus on PHC.MethodsWe explored the perspectives of PHC professionals in Dominica on PHC adaptation to climate change. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in each of the seven health districts in Dominica, a Caribbean SIDS, between November 2021 and January 2022. The semi-structured interview guide was based on the Essential Public Health Functions: assessment, access to health care services, policy development and resource allocation. Data coding was organized accordingly.ResultsFindings suggest that health care providers perceive climate change as contributing to an increase in NCDs and mental health problems. Climate-related events create barriers to care and exacerbate the chronic deficiencies within the health system, especially in the absence of high-level policy support. Healthcare providers need to take a holistic view of health and act accordingly in terms of disease prevention and health promotion, epidemiological surveillance, and ensuring the widest possible access to healthcare, with a particular focus on the environmental and social determinants of vulnerability.ConclusionThe primary health care system is a key stakeholder in the design and operationalization of adaptation and transformative resilience. The Essential Public Health Functions should integrate social and climate and other environmental determinants of health to guide primary care activities to protect the health of communities. This study highlights the need for improved research on the linkages between climate events and health outcomes, surveillance, and development of plans informed by contextual knowledge in the SIDS.

The right to development and the fairness in the application of the burden to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, especially as they relate to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are discussed in this paper. It poses some questions, such as: what are the implications of international trends relating to trade and carbon emissions reduction schemes for Caribbean SIDS’ competitiveness from the perspective of environmental justice and the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities? While there have been several studies on SIDS’ vulnerability to climate change, they focus mostly on the effect of climatic events, especially natural disasters and sea level rise, on island states, and consequent adaptation efforts and challenges. This paper draws attention to one way in which the global fight for a green economy works to the detriment of Caribbean SIDS. Climate regulation in the areas of maritime and air transport make long hauls more expensive and reduce the trade competitiveness of Caribbean SIDS. Both in the case of regulation of international transport, and in the case of carbon border taxes being applied to imports, the special vulnerabilities of SIDS have not led to special treatment for these countries. This paper argues that this aspect of climate change regulation requires specific attention at the international and domestic level. The trade and environment discourse must consider the special development challenges and vulnerabilities of SIDS if the principles of justice, fairness and common but differentiated responsibilities are to be observed.

Current status of solid waste management in small island developing states: A review

Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are qualified as disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, including climate extremes like hurricanes. Yet, there is a paucity of research regarding climate risks that refer to health and human mobility, and there is a need for vulnerability and adaptation assessment in Caribbean SIDS. Our study discusses risks and vulnerabilities including local adaptive capacity in a Caribbean context to inform future adaptation measures to climate change. Our discussion is based on qualitative data collected in the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe. The data emanates from semi-structured interviews organized between March 2020 and January 2021 with people who were either displaced within Dominica following climate extremes that struck Dominica in 2015 (Tropical storm Erika) and 2017 (Hurricane Maria), and also with people who migrated to Guadeloupe in 2017. Interview guides were based on conceptual frameworks on climate change, migration and health, and vulnerability to climate change. Data was analyzed deductively, based on frameworks and inductively to allow new codes to emerge. Participants demonstrated diverse perspectives on climate change. The study highlighted the significance of social ties and resources in supporting local adaptive capacity and mobility in response to climate extremes. Agriculture’s vulnerability raised concerns for long-term economic implications and food security. Some recommendations for building local adaptive capacity to climate change underscore the need for knowledge and information exchange between actors and institutions, and community inclusion; equity; enhanced coordination between government and local actors and decentralisation; and public health programmes and resources. Institutions such as health, education and media should be strengthened to build adaptive capacities for communities in the face of climate change.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are considered to be highly vulnerable to climate change. Our ability to identify where adaptation is most needed is constrained by the outputs of vulnerability assessments to date, which typically produce single aggregate rankings, providing limited information on the underlying factors of vulnerability. SIDS have often been banded together to address common sustainability challenges. However, despite their similarities they are not homogenous and differences between the three SIDS groups (Caribbean, Pacific and Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AIMS)) can be expected. Using a diverse range of relevant indicators and a well-established conceptual framework, we compare the vulnerability of the national fisheries sectors of Caribbean, Pacific, and AIMS SIDS at three levels of decreasing data aggregation: (1) overall vulnerability, (2) across the three components making up overall vulnerability, i.e. exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, and (3) across groups of correlated indicators making up each of the aforementioned components. The underlying components and subcomponents show distinct differences between the country groups. The vulnerability of the fisheries sector in Pacific SIDS is associated with high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity whereas, in contrast, the vulnerability of Caribbean SIDS is driven by high exposure. Our results highlight that what drives overall vulnerability differs fundamentally among SIDS and that the use of a single aggregate score to assess overall vulnerability masks much of the information on specific underlying factors that is needed to guide adequate adaptation strategies to climate change in SIDS.

Known as the grey or underground economy, the informal sector is a predominant feature in the anglophone Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Due to its illegal status, participants and activities in the informal economy are generally criminalized despite the inability of both state and private sector to provide full employment in a context of high unemployment and poverty levels, and the absence of adequate social protection systems for the vulnerable. This context is exacerbated by small size, diseconomies of scale, financial deficits and vulnerability to natural hazards. Yet, the anglophone Caribbean SIDS surpass other developing countries on MDG indicators, and have never suffered crises of starvation and disease. Such achievements demonstrate resilience atypical of the developing world. Contrary to mainstream views, Caribbean SIDS are resilient due to the entrepreneurism of their informal economies which, in turn, reduce vulnerability. If Caribbean SIDS remain sustainable entities due, in part, to an illegal structure, then is it logical to assume that resilience can be enhanced by a government–driven transitioning process of local economic development (LED) interventions that target the informal economy. This paper looks at how LED can facilitate this transition process and increase resilience among Caribbean SIDS.

Patterns of hurricane induced displacement in The Bahamas: Building equitable resilience in small island developing states

This review examines the public willingness to embrace fiscal reforms in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with a particular focus on lessons applicable to the Maldives. The review synthesizes insights from peer-reviewed articles, institutional reports, and relevant case studies to explore the factors that influence public acceptance of fiscal policy changes in developing island contexts. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Literature was sourced from eight databases, including JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, IMF eLibrary, World Bank, ADB Knowledge, and OECD iLibrary. Search terms combined variations of “fiscal reform,” “tax reform,” “public acceptance,” “public willingness,” and “SIDS” or “developing countries.” An initial pool of 3,310 results was narrowed down to 64 studies after screening titles, abstracts, and full texts. Inclusion criteria required relevance to public attitudes toward fiscal reform in SIDS or comparable contexts, while papers with only technical or macroeconomic analyses were excluded. A structured matrix was used to extract data thematically. PRISMA’s four-phase flow was followed to ensure transparency in article selection. Findings reveal that successful fiscal reforms in SIDS are driven more by political-economic factors such as institutional trust and equitable burden-sharing, than by technical design. Caribbean SIDS like Jamaica and Barbados offer practical models through their emphasis on stakeholder engagement and social protection mechanisms. The study highlights a critical gap in empirical research on public attitudes toward fiscal reform in SIDS and underscores the need for locally grounded, people-centered approaches in the Maldivian context.

The sustainability of small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean is fragile because of island size and topography, limited resources, population growth, natural disasters, and climate change. Current and projected sustainability in 2050 were assessed within the framework of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus for 10 of 16 SIDS with the best databases. Values for each WEF sector below either Falkenmark indicators or regional averages were considered unsustainable (failing) for that sector. Overall, SIDS were considered unsustainable if they failed at least two of three sectors. Projected water sustainability for 2050 was based on population growth and climate change effects on precipitation and per capita water availability. All SIDS failed the food sector, and four failed the energy sector. Water was considered the ultimate control for long-term sustainability. Five SIDS currently fail the water sector, but all but the largest two SIDS are likely to fail this sector by 2050. The role of poor governance and associated lack of long-term planning for population growth, disasters, and climate change, adaptative management strategies, infrastructure investment with an emphasis on nature-based solutions, decentralized energy grids emphasizing renewable energy, and local food production are clearly impediments for reaching sustainability goals for Caribbean SIDS.

The Polar Regions (PR) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are distant and relatively undeveloped. They differ in cultures, socioeconomics, geographies, flora and fauna, and annual average temperatures. Despite their differences, they are similar in having small percentages of global population, limited economic and political influence, growing reliance on imported food and goods, and producing relatively small amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. The Arctic encompasses about four million people and 30 different Indigenous Peoples. There, warming has increased exposure to infectious, vector-borne, and mental illnesses; reduced food and water security; and displaced communities through scarcity, rising sea levels, and melting permafrost that damages infrastructure. Combined, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have over 60 million people. Their extensive and low lying coastal areas make them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme weather. Changes in temperatures and precipitation patterns in Caribbean SIDs contributed to outbreaks of infectious diseases including cholera in Haiti, malaria in Jamaica, and H1N1 influenza virus in Barbados. Previously confined to SIDS of the Indian Ocean, Chikungunya (CHIKV) appeared across Caribbean SIDS in 2013, causing significant morbidity. We review health impacts of climate change in the PR and SIDS, contrast the environmental contexts in which these are occurring, and discuss regional and global causes and consequences.

This paper investigates the evolutionary technical efficiency and productivity of ports in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The focus is primarily on Caribbean SIDS, benchmarked against two comparator groups: major top ports and ports in other SIDS in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Both a non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the econometric corrected ordinary least squares (COLS) Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) model are used. The results reveal a significantly lower level of technical efficiency in the Caribbean when assessed against top ports, but higher when compared to other SIDS. Caribbean ports achieved a higher rate of productivity improvement compared to top ports, and thus partially closed the efficiency gap, but not as much as ports in other SIDS. This was primarily the result of higher returns to density due to the rising traffic levels of the latter group. Analysis of both SIDS groups against the top group revealed that there exist two “tiers” in terms of port development, with those in the first representing a level of efficiency that those in the second simply cannot match. In some respects, therefore, this “inefficiency” may be better described as port underutilization. This suggests that, for these ports, maximizing the efficient use of existing capacities, and only then considering port expansion, could be the most feasible option for improving technical efficiency in the medium to long run.

Although the Caribbean's Small Island Developing States (SIDS) minimally contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions, they face disproportionate climate risks and are particularly susceptible to systemic economic threats posed by climate change and subsequent increases in climate variability. Historically, strategic programs and investments have sought to develop more robust and adaptive engineered systems to absorb climate threats. However, such initiatives are limited and under-resourced in the SIDS' context. This article reviews existing climate strategies in the Caribbean and then critically examines current gaps and barriers relating to climate impact knowledge, needs, and implementation. This examination can assist Caribbean SIDS leadership to identify opportunities to transition from a vulnerability-reducing mindset to one of resilience and transformative adaptation to improve long-term economic outlooks, social welfare, and environmental stewardship despite recurring and escalating climate risks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1237-1255. © 2023 SETAC.