July/August 1995 Yol.7 No.

5 rr$3olus$e

crc
A Caribbean Information Systems & Services Ltd. publication
@ 1995
 coArIE rls 7

f U.S. gross The Credibility of ISO 9000 r33

lI goods pur-
At the same Michael Lqu, Ken Joachtm, Berqrdo Peretra
t has steadi.- FTom our ou)n consulting experience and with a close
985 to onlg interactton with our clients, uhether theg are planning
Jor the ISO 9OOO path or theg are caught up with the
FTA? 83 'Wind oJ Qualitg Charge', theg seem to haue some
unrque problems.

\RICOM, hAS Cuba and CARICOM 139

d tnto mem- Clifford E. Grtlfin
I State or as
Economicallg, Caribbean cotrtries feel tncreasinglg
te same and . nsecure as a result oJCuba's abilitg to attract high-risk
z consider to
uenhre capitali.sts from mqjor Western countries. Fyom
tnditions for their perspecttue, Cuba is re-directing scarce capital
u? NAl"?lA.
awag Jrom other countnes ur the regton.
lo0 The Caribbean in the Year 2OOO t5l
Cheddt Jagan
called deuel- The structural aQjustment programmes haue proued
WorldWar II to be merelg a palliatiue, not a cure. Theg will nof suc-
e so desper- ceed wtless, at the same ttme, there are debt forgiue-
try. We need ness, uncondtttonal ai.d, and stnrctural adjustments in
ignal^s being the tndustrtal cortntrles, to tuhich theg are inextricablg
t discern the Iinked in a dependent relationship.
bbean.
108 Sustainable Development r64
B arb ara Kojis, J o ant H atrtg an- Farrellg, Norman J. Quinn
The concept oJ "sustainability" is not eastlg defned
n deueloping
and is interpreted differentlg bg economr:sts, ecolqgtsts,
nrtunities to
resource managers, plarvters and others. Euen among
breast oJ the
the uarious groups, e.g. economists, there are significant
dge base.
diffe re nce s oJ inte rpre tation.
r19
My days in Israel 175
ngo hopes.
Sqmantha Lezoma
id.ered afi.er The tlwught oJTahani's tears strll moue me. Her eges
:oruidered a tuere aluags brimrtting ouer with sadness and I uon-
and a plat- dered uthat she couLd. haue experi.enced to express such
her markets pain. She was onlg 19 gears old.
Caribbean Business Report r85
t24
CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS is published
bi-monthly by Caribbean Informatlon
with respect Systems & Services Ltd. (CISS).
'se than that
Its registered office is in Port of Spain,
cr.rp. In other Trinidad. West Indies.
Ccu(ar head.-
,.ed.. voL.7NO.5@1995
rssN l0l I -5765
 Sustainable DeveloPment
The U.S. Virgin Islands, with limited land,
provide examples to study successes
and failures that are applicable globally

B arb ar s. Koj is, J oan H aryg an-FarreLlg

anEL Norman J. Qutnn
f\ne of Marx's most quoted remarks was that philoso-
.\Jpners have only interpreted the the world, while the real
task is to change it. until recently, same could have
been said of natural scientists. But in view of the
unplanned changes to the Earth that humans have caused,
an increasing number of scholars and managers al.e
endeavori.tg io find ways to prevent destmction of the
Earth's ecosystems in the face of increasing development
pressures. The issue of "sustainability" is becoming
increasingly common in contemporary discussions of not
only economic development, but management of natural
resources and the environment.
However, the concept of "sustainability" is not easily
defined and is interpreted differently by economists, ecolo-
gists, resource managers, planners and others. Even
arnong the various groups, e.g. economists' there are sig-
nificant differences of interpretation. Some seem to treat
sustainabilifv essentially as another way of espousing eco-
nomic efficiency in the management of services derived
from the natural endowment (e.g. World Bank, 1992). While
others claim that conventional economic efficiency criteria
are inadequate, if nct irrelevant, for addressing sustain-
ability concerns (see, e.g. Norgaard, 1988: Daly and Cobb,
1989; Costanza, l99l). Still others like Solow (1993) take a

DR. RAI?RAII{ KOJIS is Senior Resource Ecologist in Ure Coastal Zone

Management Program in the Department of Planning and Natural Resources:
JOAN FIARzuGAN-FARRELLY is Manager, coastal Zone Management Program,
DPNR: and DR. NORMAN J. gUINN is Associate Professor. Universilv of the
Virgin Islands.
 nlent KAI IS, FIARRIGA/V-FARRELLy AND OUINTV 169

more middle ground position, acknowledging the signifi-

cance of intergenerational equity in sustainability, but
t land, largely emphasizing conventional efficiency criteria. There
JSCS
are some who believe in the capacity of substitution and
ibally innovation to address any problem of natural capital
scarcity. While others believe that the total rate of savings
globally expressed in both accumulation of built capital
rarrellg and maintenance of natural capital may be too low to main-
tain or expand utility, even if substitution and innovation
possibilities are favorable. Clearly, if these possibilities are
that philoso- less favorable, then the maintenance of natural capital
"vhile the real becomes even more important in anticipating the basic
te could have interests of future generations.
view of the - Small island territories, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands,
; have caused, *ittr ti-ited land may provide the examples to which we
nanagers are turn to study successes and failures of sustainable devel-
uction of the opment that are applicable globally. Lovejoy (1988) assert-
; development ed that we had to the end of the century to develop a glob-
is becoming al environmental policy which would allow enjoyment of
rssions of not ecosystem services and amenities on a long-term sustained
rnt of natural use basis. lt is a rare ecologist who believes that the pre-
sent rate of loss of biodiversity, combined with the destruc-
is not easily tion of habitat, can continue into the 21st century without
omists, ecolo- resulting in severe ecological disequilibrium. The definition
others. Even of sustainable development implies the creation of a model
there are sig- which determines limits for these factors for various geo-
seem to treat political areas and translates them into politically accept-
spousing eco- able threshold values beneath which the economy has to
nrices derived remain. Economic activities likely to bring society near or
, 1992). Whiie beyond these threshold values would have to be scrutinized
:iency criteria for opportunities to reduce their environmental impacts by
;sing sustain- new technologies. The establishment of the Coastal Zone
aly and Cobb, Management Prograrn (CZM) in the USVI is a legal mani-
'(1993) take a festation of that concept.

THs SerrrNc VtRcrr.r Isr.enos

the Coastal Zone -
'latural Resources; The Virgin Islands are arnong the northern most islands
ragement Program. of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles Island chain
, University of the
in the Caribbean Sea. The USVI is a territory of the United
 170 CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS
States and has a total land area of 344 km. It is a pre-emi-
nent tourist destination with considerable natural capital
such as numerous bays which provide safe anchorages and
swimming beaches.
Our consumptive growth has far exceeded our growth in
population and employment during the last decade (Fig l).
People are spending more and using more resources. This
has resulted in the proliferation of vehicles to the extent
that walking is frequently faster than driving along
Veteran's Drive, the main road through town. Construction
of buildings has surged and along with it electrical con-
sumption. On small islands, such as ours, space is limited
and continued development comes with ever-increasing
environmental costs such as the destruction of mangroves,
the filling of wetlands, and loss of wilderness areas and
undeveloped beaches.
Like many other Caribbean islands, the USVI is fortunate
to be endowed with many natural renewable resources,
€unong these are its clear tropical waters; sandy beaches;
protected bays: coral reefs, m€rngrove and seagrass habi-
tats; moist forest and cactus communities; and mountain
vistas. These resources are the source of the isiands'
wealth and make them a coveted place to live and visit. St.
Thomas/St. John are virtually dependent on a single rev-
enue source, tourism, which accounts for approximately
one third of the people employed in the non-agricultural,
private sector economy and accounts for more than 60 per
cent of the USM's Gross Domestic Product. The agricultur-
al and fishing industries only make a small contribution to
the territory's economy as much of the food consumed on
the island is imported.
In the last few decades there has been rapid growth in
population and in the number of marinas and anchorages
for boaters, cmise ship facilities. sea side hotels and con-
dominiums, and even shoreline industrial development.
This development has dramatically accelerated loss of wet-
lands and shallow water marine habitats. At the same time
pollution has contributed to the loss of critical marine
habitats and degradation of water quality. With changes to
 KO.JIS WYAND OtnN/V 17l
It is a pre-emi- the land come changes to the culture and people. As with
eatural capital our knowledge of the environment, the effect of develop-
nchrorages and ment on the culture is poorly understood and requires
greater study and public awareness of results.
Iour growth in
decade (Fig l). Lsssoxs rN DBvgIoPMENT
"esources. This
Decades ago the USM was
; to the extent similar to other lesser devel-
driving along oped islands in the Caribbean
People are
r. Construction which needed to attract and
electrical con- spending more
retain development. The tradi-
ipace is limited tional approach to developing and using
:ver-increasing d:d retaining industries
r of mangroves, involved competition among more resources
ress areas and communities to "buy" corpo-
rate investment with tax abate-
lVI is fortunate ments, environmental waivers,
rble resources, and other financial support. A "race to the bottom" ensued
;andy beaches; as developers played off one community against another for
seagrass habi- the most subsidies and pollution tolerance. Poor and envi-
and mountain ronmentally concerned citizens were often left out of the
rf the islands' plans.
re and visit. St. Tourism has not brought consistent economic improve-
rn a single rev- ment. The two free market Caribbean countries with the
approximately greatest growth in tourism earnings during 1981-1990
rn-agricultural, were Antigua and St. Lucia (510 per cent and 523 per cent
rre than 6O per respectively compared with USVI 222 per cent). Over the
The agricultur- sarne period their external debt increased 301 percent and
contribution to 250 per cent.
I consumed on Much of the infrastmcture and supplies necessary to
large scale tourism must be imported. Like Antigua and St.
'apid growth in
Lucia, the USW generally exhibits the classic behavior of a
rnd anchorages small, dependent economy that produces what it does not
rotels and con- consume and consumes what it does not produce. St. Croix
I development. has an oil refinery that supplies some of the territory with
ted loss of wet- refined petroleum products and exports the surplus. There
t the same time is also an alumina refinery, a small, struggling watch
critical marine industry, and a rum industry (produced from imported
Vith changes to molasses). There are no other major industries which
 1,72 CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS

would help to offset the trade imbalance that is character-

istic of insular, tourism-based economies. The USVI
imports souvenirs, jewelry and foodstuffs for tourists
instead of exposing them to locally grown fruits, vegetables
and indigenous crafts.
Economists would agree that any community is in a non-
sustainable situation if it consumes more than it produces.
The external debts will have to be repaid by future genera-
tions and this will negatively impact their development
potential. The largest growth sector of many insular
economies, tourism, has resulted in greater external debt.
Just as the economic arguments for tourism develop-
ment seem weak, the idea of having hundreds of thousands
of people visiting the island without any deleterious effect
to a poorly understood natural environment is unlikely.
There are few quantitative models for assessing environ-
mental impacts. TWo of the authors of this article are bioi-
ogists who readily admit that there are currently serious
empirical problems in measuring and attributing cause to
environmental effects at sub-lethal levels. Don't misunder-
stand us. Not all changes in the coastal zone are difficult to
attribute to human activities. It is well documented that
habitats juxtaposed to urban development over several
decades have experienced major modifications and a
decline in productivity compared with similar habitats
adjacent to low or no impact development on land.
However, it is unknown, for example, specifically how much
sedimentation, nutrient loading and toxic chemicals zunong
other compounds, our coastal systems can tolerate, before
they begin to deteriorate. How can we protect our biodiver-
sity if the tolerances of the plants and animals remain
unknown?

Gooo EuranoruuElrrAl Poucy MAKES GooD Ecorvoprrc sENSE

Acceptance of the need to manage development comes
with the acknowledgment that good environmental policy
makes good economic sense. The territorial government
recognizes its inter-generational responsibility with regard
to the environment and has developed environment man-
 KOJIS, FIARRIGAIV-FARRELLY AND OUn'/l/ 173
.at is character- agement programs. As the United States Virgin Isiands
ies. The USVI Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan states, "whether
fs for tourists it is truly understood or not by the local businesses and
uits, vegetables inhabitants, all that the Territory has to sell is its environ-
ment. If the environment is degraded, so is the economic
nity is in a non- base."
ran it produces. For example, thousands of visitors come to the USVI to
r future genera- sail, swim, snorkel and scuba dive. By doing so, they con-
:ir development tribute signiflcantly to the economy of the territory. In the
many insular l98os, boating activity rapidly increased. Many harbors
r external debt. and bays experienced a growing demand for mooring per-
lurism develop- mits and became popular as anchorage areas for boats.
ds of thousands
eleterious effect
fhe sea grass meadows and coral reefs which support fin
and shell fish populations were damaged by anchors and
ent is unlikely. mooring chains. Permanent, ecologically sensitive moor-
;essin$ environ- ings are now being planned for popular anchorages to
article are biol- reduce damage by anchors. Other recent examples which
urrently serious illustrate potential economic effects of environmental prob-
:buting cause to lems include the detection in 1991 of high quantities of
lon't misunder- bacteria in bays by two major resort hotels which tlrreat-
re are difficult to ened the closure of the hotels and the employrnent of hun-
ocumented that dreds of people.
nt over several The nature of these issues shows that a sustainability
ications and a policy invariably becomes a political process and not just
;imilar habitats tlte result of determinations of economists or ecologists.
ment on land. The necessity for governmentai involvement in the man-
ically how much agement of environmentally sensitive land comes from the
hemicals €unong essentially public character of tfrese resources. Citizens of
r tolerate. before a territory have a right to protect a valuable resource which
:ct our biodiver- must be balanced with the American freedom to develop
animals remain one's land.
Economic and ecological concerns need not be diametri-
cally opposed. Good environmental policy is good econom-
)colotvrtc sENSE ic development poiicy when ttre obiective is sustainable
:lopment, comes economic development. For example, policies that preserve
onmental policy vegetation funcLion to reduce erosion and increase the
rial government long-term prospects of continued agricultural and fisheries
,ility with regard production.
vironment man- As well as managing deveiopment, it is necessary to set
L74 CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS

aside land for no development. In relation to other territor-

ial land masses, much of the territory has protected status.
Presently the protected areas comprise about 10.3 per cent
of the territory's land. In comparison, protected areas in
Europe (excluding the former USSR) amounted to 3.9 per
cent of the land; in the USSR 2-5 per cent: and in North
America 8.1 per cent. (Fi. 2). The relatively high percentage
of protected area in the territory Is significant owing to the
extremely limited amount of land available. However, about
8O per cent of the protected area is on the small island of
St. John. Consequently, mzrny territorial residents on St.
Thomas and St. Croix feel that more land must be protect-
ed on their islands. A proposal for a territorial park system
is presently being drafted.

Tue FnauEwoRK exo PLaNNtlvc PnocBss

In recent decades local laws have been passed to promote
sustainable development. Those actions most related to
land and coastal use issues are listed below:
l. The Earth Change Law sought to control and reduce
soil erosion and to restrict land alteration activities which
were adversely affecting the natural resources,
2. The Open Shoreline Act guaranteed public access to
beaches,
3. The Shoreline Alteration and Dred$in$ Control Act
controlled the dredging and mining of sand, gravel, and
coral from the beaches and submerged lands,
4. The Trust lands, Occupancy and Alteration Control
Act declared that it is in the public interest to preserve,
maintain and improve submerged and filled lands for the
benefit of the public,
5. The Water Pollution Control Act and the Spill
Prevention anC Pollution Control Act controlled pollution of
the surface and underground waters and established stan-
dards of water quaiity and pollutant discharges, and
6. The Virgin Islands Coastal hne Management (CZM)
Act serves as the guide for planning and managing the use
of coastal erreas.
TLc CZM program endeavors to involve all departments
 KOIIS, fr4.l"uGAiv-FARRELLY AND OUIIVI/ r75
other territor- of the government, non-government organizations, the ter-
rtected status. ritory's university and the public in the management of the
10.3 per cent coastal zone. It has been the goal of the program to devel-
:cted areas in op a management plan which would:
,ted to 3.9 per i. accommodate growth and facilitate economic gains and
and in North at the same time protect valuable and irreplaceable natur-
igh percentage al resources.
rt owing to the ii. promote public use and enjoyment of the shoreline as
Iowever, about well as uses of submerged lands which are in keeping with
;mall island of the doctrine of public trust,
sidents on St. iii. acknowledge the importance of individual rights and
ust be protect- freedoms in using the coast by establishing sound man-
al park system agement with a minimum of regulation and administrative
requirements.
It is impossible to maintain coastal embal'rnents in their
)CESS
original pristine condition and support a large economic
sed to promote base with its attendant human population. We can, horvev-
rost related to er, try to limit development to levels appropriate to the loca-
: tion and adjacent habitats, develop and enforce the use of
:o1 and reduce technologies which reduce environmental pollutants and
ctivities which their effects. and select an economic base which has less
es, deleterious impacts on the environment with the endorse-
rblic access to ment of the community.

rg Control Act Creating CommunitY Awareness

,d, gravel, and Legislation alone cannot advance the common welfare.
S, Community awareness, support and participation are nec-
'ration Control essary in decisions that affect island communities. The
st to preserve, implementation of sustainable development concepts must
I lands for the begin with education in the schools and continue through-
out one's life. Environmental education should be included
and the Spill throughout ttre other disciplines of the formal education
led pollution of curriculum at all levels. Biolory teachers have no propri-
tablished stan- etary rights on teaching environmental awareness anv
rges, and more than English teachers have a monopoly on spelling
rgement (CZMI and grammar and philosophy teachers on logic. If environ-
rlaging the use mental issues affect us all, then good. creative teachers can
find ways to introduce these concepts in their curriculum.
rll departments We need to provide citizens with information through out
 176 CARIBBEAN AFEAIRS

their life about finding a balance between sensitive ecosys-

tems and man-made pressures including tourism, the
careful use and recycling of resources, and otlter issues.
Increased community literacy rates, unrestricted access to
relevant information, and the availability of alternative
technical expertise is essential in promoting an informed
public discussion.

Pr.qruNIruc FoR THE NEXT cENTURY

It has been suggested by many futurists that if the pre-

sent growth trends in world population, industrialization,
pollution, food production, and resource depletion contin-
ue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be
reached within the next lOO years. We suggest that small,
insular communities will reach this point well before the
rest of the world. To be successful we must shape a vision
of what a healthy, tropical island territory should look like
environmentally and economically. We need to determine
what mix of commercial, residential, industrial and unde-
veloped land would create a sustainable quality of life and
a strong economy with full employment for its citizens.
We also recognize that small, insular communities are
not alone in their problems, nor isolated from othersl prob-
lems. Global ecological and economic interdependence are
challenging traditional concepts of national sovereignty.
Polluters of the open ocean threaten the sustainability of
this shared ecosystem. The potential tragedy of these glob-
al commons impacts insular territories greatly as the ocean
area included in ttreir 200 km radius Exclusive Economic
Zone is many times greater than the land mass.
International co-operation and enforcement is needed for
the global commons as many nations are interdependent
upon their proper management.
THe rrr,tpeRrecr PeRaorcM Frrrune ReseencH NEEDS
-
In conclusion. the coastal zone murnagement paradigm
we have described is, like many other social models, imper-
fect and evolving. We are well aware of its shortcomings.
but believe that it is a significant effort to legislate a demo-
 KO'JIS, HARR/GAJV-FARRETLY AND OLlrl{1V L77

nsitive ecosys- cratic, political solution to deal with the challenge of find-
tourism, the ing a sustainable development/resource management
i other issues. equilibrium.
icted access to within any sustainable development model it must be
of alternative recognized that there are limits to development even when
g an informed it is managed properly. Furthermore, that a maximum level
of sustainittr development exists must be recognized and
quantitative models to predict broad limits to it need to be
developed.
The argument of the world commission on Environment
that if the Pre-
and Deve.-lopment (1987) that development is sustainable if
dustrialization,
rpletion contin- t[e present generation can satisff its needs without com-
piomising thg ability of future generations to meet their
; planet will be
own needs is attractive, but it must withstand examination
lest that small, of the tradeoffs involved in satisflring different kinds of
well before the
. shape a vision
needs. If the present generation, by modifring a particular
;hould look like set of natural ecosystems is able to provide future genera-
'd to determine tions with greater endowments of capital or knowledge, or
trial and unde- a larger set of undisturbed
rality of life and ecosystems of a different
nature, it is not a foregone con-
its citizens.
rmmunities are clusion that it is sociallY oPti- International
rm others'prob- mal to sustain that Particular
set of ecosystems. co-operation and
dependence are
ral soverei$ntY. Of course, we looked at a
sustainability paradigm onlY enforcement is
;ustainabilitY of within a single societY. The
1y of these glob- needed
world is comprised of manY dif-
rtly as the ocean ferent societies with more and
.usive Economic
re land mass. less cultural homogeneitY.
nt is needed for
cultural attitudes towards sustainability influence philo-
sophical views about intergenerational equity. It would be
interdependent profitable to examine the influences on individual and soci-
NEEDS
etal values in other Caribbean cultures in order to better
understand the preferences of the current $eneration and
:ment paradigm tJre prospective values of future generations. These atti-
I models, imPer- tudes will inevitably be different in groups which have
s shortcomings' expanded rapidly by exploiting non-renewable resources,
egislate a demo- than in groups with nearly static territories and technolo-
gies. This may help explain why material progress rather
178 CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS

than sustainability has been the unquestioned overall aim

of Western societies until very recently (Pezzey, 1992) and
why a shift toward greater emphasis in sustainabiiity will
encounter resistance. In this area ful.rther assistance is
needed from social scientists"

FIG. 1