Thesis Abstract
St. Kitts is a 68sqkm Small Island Developing State (SIDS) with an open economy, limited natural and human resources and its tropical location subjects it to natural hazards (tropical storms and hurricanes). The inherent vulnerability of SIDS to global processes like global environmental and economic changes is established. What is less obvious and equally less researched in the Caribbean, in particular, is how these global processes combine to fundamentally restructure local economies, resultantly, landscapes and potentially the livelihood of rural dwellers, case in point: St. Kitts. The economy prior to 2005 depended on sugar and tourism. Unable to compete in a liberal market, and with regular crop loss from hurricanes, the St. Kitts Sugar Industry was closed. Fortunately, St. Kitts has witnessed a steady growth in tourism since Independence. This closure of the industry raises questions about livelihood sustainability, like: what will people formerly involved in the sugar industry do for a living; will the tourism sector be able to absorb people laid off by the closure of the sugar industry? Analysis of data previously collected through focus groups, an island wide survey and expert interviews shows that further questions can be raised when considering the workers that were made redundant by the closure of the sugar industry. In particular the issue of gender is raised as female sugar workers appear to be less likely to readily transition to new jobs in tourism. A major aim of the study is to characterize the vulnerability of St. Kitts to two major global forces of change: (a) trade liberalization and (b) tropical storms and hurricanes. It focuses primarily on mapping the livelihood vulnerability of special groups to these forces.
Supervisor: Prof. David Barker |
