Exploring Solid-Waste as an Indicator of Sustainability in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

1. Exploring Solid-Waste as an Indicator of Sustainability in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Case Study of Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI) Noni Georges Islands VIII November 2004

2. Outline • Background Concepts • Island Sustainability • Measuring Sustainability • Waste Management • Case Study: • Study Area • Solid Waste Trends • Implications • Conclusion

3. Conceptual Diagram Island Sustainability Waste Management Measuring Sustainability

4. h Island Sustainability

5. Island System

6. Environment Open System Matter Energy Matter Energy System Boundary

7. Measuring Progress Commitments to: • Agenda 21 • Barbados Program of Action • St. Georges Declaration

8. Problem Caribbean SIDS have not yet begun to address assessing physical progress towards sustainable development

9. Understandable Lack research capabilities Focus on assessing vulnerabilities Regrettable Obligated to assess progress Excellent candidates for sustainable development research Silence of SIDS

10. Waste Management

11. Extraction Processing Production Consumption Disposal

12. Definition Materials that we can not or do not use

13. Economic Process • Depends on high quality material inputs • Converts high quality materials into low quality wastes • Environment is the source of inputs and sink for wastes

14. Survival of Society • Continuation of the economic process

15. Question I

24. Solid Waste Management System

25. Storage

26. Collection

27. Treatment

29. Trends 1995 - 2000

30. Limitations • Accuracy • Lack of public co-operation • Weigh scale maintenance • Inconsistent record keeping • Utility • Outdated composition study • Origin of wastes unknown

31. Growth in Waste Quantities

32. Population Growth • Visitor Contribution • Local Contribution • Economic Growth • GDP • Consumption

33. Visitor Contribution • Overnight visitor arrivals • 365,000 - 474,000 • Effective visitor population • (number of visitors x average length of stay / 365) • 4,400 - 8,000 • Waste Generation Estimates • Land-based visitors (3.0 kg/day) • Water-based visitors (1.6 kg/day) • Cruise visitors (1.77 kg/day)

35. Local Contribution • Total Solid Waste – Visitor Contribution • Population Scenarios • 2% • 3.8%

37. Local & Visitor Waste Contribution Tons per day 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996

38. Economic Growth • GDP $315 - $680 million • GDP / capita $18,900 - $33,700

39. Waste per unit GDP

40. Imports vs. Exports

41. Waste vs. Size

42. Discussion

43. Limited waste system capacity • Storage • Collection • Treatment • Disposal

44. Assimilation Capacity • Soil • Air • Water

45. Material Build-up in Island System

46. Rest of the world Domestic Environment ECONOMIC PROCESSING Imports $1,019 million Exports $137 million DPO (86,926 t solid waste)

47. Increased Waste per Economic Output • Unsustainable

48. Tourism Carrying Capacity = F (Total waste capacity - Local needs)

49. Economic • Capacity to afford sound waste management system • $1.5 million • No tipping fees • No user fees • No recycling/deposit-refund scheme

50. Social • Lack of waste management programmes, policy, laws, regulations indicates lack of recognition that waste management failures need to be addressed • Contradicts National Policy Goal for Sustainable Development