Transcript SUSTAINABILITY

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Voice & Experience of St. Kitts & Nevis
Ministry of Health Perspective
Patrick Martin
Chief Medical Officer
04/12
KNOWN: Development at all costs without
regard for equity and the carrying capacity of the
environment is unsustainable – a prescription for
social strife and disaster.
Ott, K
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 People in small islands are acutely aware of
limits/boundaries.
Adams, W.M
 Lives and livelihoods depend on the interaction
between the "three pillars" of social,
environmental and economic sustainability.
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RE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Salient Question
How best can the gifts of Providence be used to
satisfy daily needs and future aspirations,
while leaving a beneficial legacy for
generations to come?
Patrick Martin CMO, SKN
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ABOUT ST. KITTS & NEVIS
Pop: 52,000
Land Area: 269 km2
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STRENGHTS
• Clean Air
• Democratic Governance
• Potable water
universally accessible
• Universal health and
education
• Fertile soil
• Per Capita Income –
“Middle”
• Sun (12/24 hours)
• Poverty (2008) – 22%
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CHALLENGES
• Susceptibility & Vulnerability
– Geographical: Hit by Cyclones, Tectonic Activity, Climate Change
– “Open Economy”: Hurt by global fuel, food, finance market vicissitudes
• High rates of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes
– Over-reliance on imported food
• Prevalence of substance use and abuse
– A driver of mental illness and violence
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CHALLENGES
• Excessive expenditure for imported fossil fuel
energy
• Porous Borders
– 60 miles of coastline. Marine Space 5x Land Area.
– A national security and public health concern
– Relative ease of trafficking in illicit drugs and humans causing
ongoing gang violence
– Relative ease of entry of new and reemerging infections
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OPPORTUNITIES
• Government Leadership
– Prime Minister is Minister of Sustainable Development
– Planned development
• Young, ICT-aware population
• Significant tracts of agriculture-ready land
• High interest in exploiting renewable energy
– Solar; Wind; Biomass
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THREATS
• High Indebtedness: Forced to borrow at market rates
– For human and infrastructural capital improvement
– To repair/restore damages caused by natural phenomenon
including Climate Change
• Prolonged global recession
– Inimical to tourism earnings (#1 GDP pillar) & FDI (construction # 2
GDP pillar)
• Land Use/Coastal Zone Tension
– Agriculture/Reefs/Green Spaces vs. Housing/Hotels/Golf Courses
– Plastic and chemical pollution
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PRESENT NEEDS – FUTURE NEEDS
Health Sector Contribution
• Cross-cutting: Continuous advocacy for health in all public policy
– Balance concerns for Viability - Carrying Capacity - Equity
• Equity & Sustainability: Measures of success
– MDGs attained before 2000. Need to be sustained i.e. $$$
– High HDI rating. To sustain requires $$$
= Increase investment in government health sector from 2.8 to 5.0% GDP
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PRESENT NEEDS – FUTURE NEEDS
Questions for RIO+20
How can a small island developing state like St.
Kitts and Nevis sustain progress in the
circumstances of a prolonged global recession
and already felt Climate Change impacts?
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PRESENT NEEDS – FUTURE NEEDS
Questions for RIO+20
Is it fair that island states with infinitesimally
small carbon footprints are victims of others
ecological indiscretions?
How can a global forum transform empathy to
meaningful development partnership?
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PRESENT NEEDS – FUTURE NEEDS
Expected Outcomes of RIO+20
1. Performance M&E Framework
–
Commitments to assist countries to develop robust surveillance and
information systems, and evidence-informed, response strategies
2. Commitment to Fairness in Development Assistance
–
Vulnerability indicators trump macroeconomic indicators.
• “Middle Income” status can be reduced or destroyed by a single
cyclone or earthquake.
Sustainable Development = Equity, Protection, Solidarity,
Partnership, Investment, Performance Metrics,
“Good Governance”
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