Sustainable Development Goal 11 and a New Urban Agenda for Caribbean Small Island Developing States: Policy, Practice, and Action

Michelle A Mycoo,Keisha Bharath

doi:10.3389/frsc.2021.554377

Abstract

Many Caribbean Small Island Developing States face the daunting task of fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. As signatories to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, their governments committed to embark on a roadmap to achieve sustainable development within this time frame. In this context, Caribbean Small Island Developing States have embraced Sustainable Development Goal 11 in pursuit of creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities as articulated in various governance, spatial, socio-economic, and environmental policies. Notwithstanding this commitment, a tension exists between policy and practice. Several barriers to policy implementation have stymied efforts to make progress in fulfilling Goal 11. Enabling the impact of sound policy through well-informed practice is pivotal, if these states are to make advancements in ensuring that their population has access to basic services and live in safe, resilient, and sustainable cities without leaving any citizen behind. This paper firstly seeks to critically review existing policies and practice that impact on the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 11. It highlights the drivers of unsustainable urbanization that are undermining progress in achieving this key sustainable development goal. In keeping with the United Nations declaration of a Decade for Action, this paper secondly makes recommendations for action that are fundamental to putting Caribbean Small Island Developing States on a trajectory leading to the fulfillment of Goal 11. It specifically recommends strategic actions within the context of a New Urban Agenda that are relevant to Caribbean Small Island Developing States that are encountering similar challenges. The experience of Trinidad is drawn upon to provide a narrative of gaps between policy and practice, and to distill key actions for attaining SDG 11 by 2030 and beyond.

Highlights

In the small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean transforming cities to become inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable is challenging and calls for innovative action
Post 2016, Caribbean policymakers are examining what role a New Urban Agenda can play in fulfilling Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) and what are the key components of this agenda that are actionable to put their countries on track in meeting SDG 11 and its main targets by 2030 and beyond
A central question is how can the transition from underdeveloped rural areas to rapidly expanding urban centers be managed while achieving inclusive urbanization? This paper presents recommended actions for fulfilling SDG 11 in alignment with a New Urban Agenda, aspects of which may be transferable to Caribbean and Pacific SIDS

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In the small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean transforming cities to become inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable is challenging and calls for innovative action. Unlike other SIDS, the country’s earlier economic fortunes derived from oil and petrochemical exports, provided ample opportunities to plan inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban settlements Despite these differences some islands may benefit from the mistakes and lessons learnt from Trinidad’s challenges in spatial planning and policy implementation in their effort to attain SDG 11. The Greater Port of Spain Metropolitan Region (GPOSMR) is the focus of review as it faces challenges in providing housing and affordable land, in containing informal urbanism and addressing water and sanitation, traffic congestion and environmental degradation which impact on the achievement of SDG 11 These issues are common in the cities of both large and small Caribbean islands but differ in terms of scale.

72 Petroleum and Petrochemicals

Findings

CONCLUSION