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…

Agricultural transformation and Gender considerations in Caribbean Economics

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the gender and social disparities existing in the agricultural and rural sector in Caribbean economies. In this context, agricultural transformation as occasioned by the dismantling of preferential trading arrangements is analysed to identify the most relevant gender discriminatory measures in the current agricultural development policy and programmes. The analysis seeks to provide the basis for enhancing understanding among policy makers, planners and rural development practitioners of the gender and social dimension involved in the formulati…

Caribbean tourism and agriculture: Linking to enhance development and competitiveness

This study examines current trends in tourism and agriculture in Caribbean countries and the strategy for linking them in order to facilitate their future development. The tourism industry has, in the past, developed largely apart from other sectors such as agriculture. On the other hand, agriculture has developed mainly to satisfy export markets. Domestic agriculture has had limited development and has therefore been displaced to a considerable extent by food imports. The recent promotion of agriculture tourism linkages is an attempt to enhance the local value added of the tourism industry, w…

Los resultados y las lecciones aprendidas del estudio comparativo sobre el uso de las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) en América Latina y en Asia

La División de Comercio Internacional e Integración de la CEPAL (DCII) lanzará a fines de septiembre del 2005 el libro titulado Information Technology for Development of Small and Medium-sized Exporters in Latin America and East Asia (Tecnología de la información para el desarrollo de pequeños y medianos exportadores en América Latina y Asia del Este). Este estudio proporciona una descripción de la actual condición de las TIC y de su uso para promover el comercio internacional. Se centra en las experiencias sobre el uso de las TIC por las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes) en las regiones…

Sistema Interactivo Gráfico de datos de Comercio Internacional (SIGCI)

Disponer de una buena base de datos del comercio exterior de los países constituye una herramienta fundamental para los tomadores de decisiones. La División de Comercio Internacional e Integración de la CEPAL, ahora presenta una base de datos de fácil manejo que entrega información del intercambio comercial de 33 países de América Latina y el Caribe, de 15 países miembros históricos de la Unión Europea, más otros países seleccionados principalmente miembros del Foro de Cooperación Económica Asia-Pacífico (APEC) denominado Sistema Interactivo Gráfico de Datos de Comercio Internacional (SIGCI).…

Anuario Estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe 2004 = Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2004

La edición 2004 del Anuario estadístico de América Latina y el Caribe contiene una selección de las principales series estadísticas sobre la evolución económica y social de los países de la región. Representa un esfuerzo de la División de Estadística y Proyecciones Económicas 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 que constituyen antecedentes para que la informac…

Bridging infrastructural gaps in Central America: prospects and potential for maritime transport

Abstract Central America needs a regular, flexible, safe and affordable infrastructure and transport services in order to prevail over the existing bottlenecks and constrained intra-regional trade patterns. This need is widely recognized to achieve a sustained economic development, both national and regionally. Today, Central American countries face the following problems in their transport systems: lack of sufficient transport infrastructure and high transport costs. These problems have led to a decline in the competitiveness of the regional economies and sluggish economic growth …

Social security reforms and their implications for the Caribbean

As in many other countries, the viability and sustainability of social security systems in the Caribbean is of concern to policy makers. Although systems in the region remain relatively young, liquid and healthy at this time, timely reform is necessary to prevent a crisis in the future. Reform is required to grapple with population ageing, a fairly large informal (non-contributing); sector in some countries, high open unemployment and the impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS);. Caribbean social security systems (pension branch); are defined benef…

Network for Cooperation in Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean No. 21