Report on the national training workshop in the ECLAC methodology for estimating the socio-economic and environmental effects of disasters. 19-21 April 2005, Cayman Islands

International Rivers and Lakes Nº 43

CONTENTS I.A new publication on groundwater international treaties.II. Spain and Portugal in water conflict.III.Hungary aims to end tug of war with Slovakia over Danube Dam by late 2005.IV. Bosnia and Herzegovina : Preventing municipal pollution of transboundary riversV. Water sovereignty and NAFTA in Canada.VI. Jordan, Israel, Palestinians agree on action to save shrinking Dead Sea.VII. CEC Secretariat recommends development of a factual record on Lake Chapala.VIII.Water Wars: A review of water scarcity and water conflict.IX. Officials say Mexico has paid half its water debt.X. Plans announce…

Renewable energies potential in Jamaica

Jamaica has abundant renewable energy sources (RES), which have hardly been tapped in the past and could provide for large shares of the future energy requirements. In 2005, around 5% of the expected 4,020 GWh of electricity produced will be based on RES (wind and hydropower). With the new planned target of a share of 15% RES electricity by 2012, a combined renewable capacity of about 175 MW would need to be installed in that year. There is further wind potential on Jamaica, even if no exact figures can be given on the magnitude of the exploitable wind potential. Nonetheless, it seems realisti…

Guyana: socio-economic assessment of the damages and losses caused by the Janurary-Feburary 2005 flooding

Sustainable human settlements development in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document presents an overview of the regional progress made towards the targets and commitments derived from implementation plans and programmes for the main agreements of the Johannesburg Summit and Agenda 21 regarding human settlements thematic cluster in Latin America and the Caribbean. It has been submitted as part of the preparatory process for the twelfth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, held in May 2004. A previous summary of this report was validated by the XII General Assembly of Ministers and Highest Authorities of Housing and Urban Developmen…

Sustainable development: epistemological challenges to science and technology. Report of the workshop "Sustainable Development: Epistemological Challenges to Science and Technology"

The meeting was initiated by a discussion about the role and meaning of knowledge in society. Potential changes that could be made in order to better adapt scientific knowledge to political agendas of global problems were addressed. One of the main challenges is to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. The presumption that more knowledge is needed in order to face problems like sustainable development was challenged. It was argued that part of the problem might reside in the scientific method itself. At the same time, the importance of understanding the political processes was stressed.…

The impact of hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands

Introduction and Summary The advent of Hurricane Ivan and its tragic and devastating consequences in the Cayman Islands and particularly in the Grand Cayman puts a strain on the economy and fiscal pressures on Government. The consequences of Ivan pose the need beyond the humanitarian response, for a rapid assessment of the damage (impact on assets); and losses (effects on economic and social flows); to determine its macroeconomic, social and environmental consequences and its implications for the country's fiscal stance. At the request of the Cayman Islands Government and with the support…

International Rivers and Lakes Nº 42

CONTENTS I.North American ‘Great Lakes Annex’ released .II. Parliament in Argentine Province approve s new bill to protect the Guaraní Aquifer.III.United States - Mexico water treaty dispute.IV. International Economic Law, Water for Money’s sake.V. The Human Right to Water: Legal and Policy DimensionsThestatements and opinions reported in this Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or official positions of the United Nations, and are to be exclusively attributed to authors, organizations and media quoted or summarized in the Newslett…

ECLAC in the Caribbean: confronting natural disasters

Assessment of the socioeconomic and environmental impact of hurricane Ivan on Jamaica

The mission was made at the request of the Jamaican Government, undertaken with the UNDP with a group of multi-sectoral, inter-institutional group of experts and consultants that assessed the damage following ECLAC's methodology for the evaluation of the socio-economic and environmental impact of disasters 2 and prepared a report with the assistance of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. The report was presented on 19 October 2004 to the Minister of Finance for their consideration in organizing the reconstruction process, establish additional resources needed for the country and adopt miti…

Free trade and the development of sustainable agriculture in the Caribbean

This study examines the options for Caribbean countries in pursuing development of their agricultural sectors given the changes taking place in the international economy. The most significant of these changes is the liberalization of the trading regimes for primary agricultural products, in particular banana, by the European Union. This has serious implications for small Caribbean countries that rely on exports of one or a few commodities and are unable to compete in free markets. However, countries could reposition their agricultural sectors to take advantage of export niche markets and/or g…

Productive development in open economies

Presentation The countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region have shown a keen and lasting interest in mechanisms of economic development and public policies for its promotion. This is a process in which ECLAC has been involved ever since it was founded over half a century ago. Today, the debate on these issues continues against the backdrop of a globalization process in which the remarkable dynamism of some dimensions -especially its economic, financial and cultural aspects- contrasts with the slow formation of an institutional network capable of coping with the increased interdepend…

Report of the Open-ended Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Sessional Ad Hoc Committee on Population and Development

International Rivers and Lakes Nº 41

CONTENTSI.Important opportunity for expanded discussion on water management: European Water Management Online.II. Sustainability: Do 'Water Wars' Still Loom in Africa? III.Water conflicts unlikely, says new study.IV. International law and water investments: private desalination plants raise debate.V. Federal water rights upheld by Supreme Court.VI. April rains reduce Mexico water debt to Texas.VII. US may cut water to states: Southwest drought slashes ColoradoRiver flows.VIII.Study: Canada takes too much water.IX. Israel signs agreement to buy water from Turkey.Thestatements and opin…

Population Ageing - Subregional Challenges of a Global Phenomenon

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2003 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2003

La edición 2003 del Anuario estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe contiene una selección actualizada a comienzos de diciembre de las principales series estadísticas disponibles sobre la evolución económica y social de los países de la región. Representa un sistemático esfuerzo de la División de Estadística y Proyecciones de la CEPAL, orientado a homogeneizar las cifras y a hacerlas internacionalmente comparables. La primera parte comprende indicadores socioeconómicos derivados (tasas de crecimiento, proporciones o coeficientes), que representan una visión resumida de cada área de interés y…

Renewable energy sources in Latin America and the Caribbean: situation and policy proposals

The World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, August 2002, responded to a new cycle of global meetings that began with the Millennium Summit. The main characteristic of this new cycle is that the focus of the debate has moved away from declarations of principle toward identifying objectives and areas of concrete action, with quantitative commitments and deadlines for compliance. Debates about energy held an important position in Johannesburg. The positive links between access to energy, eliminating poverty and improving People's health and quality of life were emphasi…

A methodological approach to gender analysis in natural disaster assessment: a guide for the Caribbean

The Caribbean region is highly prone to natural disasters, with he increased occurrence in recent years of hurricanes, storms, floods, storm surges and volcanic eruptions. These bring about the loss of lives, property and employment, and damage to the physical infrastructure and the environment. The poor are generally the most vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters, and it is the women and children among them who are often the hardest hit. These impacts are likely to be amplified by a country's particular development patterns, with the level of vulnerability of social groups influe…

Socio-economic impacts of natural disasters: a gender analysis

This document was prepared by Sarah Bradshaw, consultant for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), under the supervision of the Women and Development Unit, in close collaboration with the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division and the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters in Mexico City, in the framework of the Project Improve damage assessment methodology to promote natural disaster mitigation and risk reduction awareness and preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean (ITA/99/130). The paper analyses the socio-economic effects of hurricane Mi…

Urban poverty and habitat precariousness in the Caribbean

This report focuses on urban poverty and habitat precariousness in the Caribbean countries with an emphasis on current and former British territories. Chapter 1 looks at the different sets of related indicators. Firstly, an overview of population growth and urbanization is presented. Next a synopsis of poverty indicators is given. Chapter 2 analyzes available information by countries mainly referred to habitat conditions such as housing, sanitation, land titles, water, public services, in order to present an evaluation of poverty conditions and precariousness in Caribbean urban areas. Prelimin…