Wasted Lives: Determining the Feasibility of Establishing a Test Case Resource Recovery Programme in the Urban Poor Community of Faux-a-Chaud, Saint Lucia By Laurah M. John B.A. (Hons.), Bishop’s University, 2009 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF URBAN STUDIES in the Urban Studies Program Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Laurah Mavis John 2012 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2012 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. Approval Name: Laurah M. John Degree: Master of Urban Studies Title of Thesis: Wasted Lives: Determining the Feasibility of Establishing a Test Case Resource Recovery Programme in the Urban Poor Community of Faux-a-Chaud, Saint Lucia Examining Committee: Chair: Meg Holden Associate Professor, Urban Studies and Geography ______________________________ Patrick J. Smith Professor, Urban Studies and Political Science Senior Supervisor __________________________________ Peter V. Hall Associate Professor, Urban Studies Supervisor __________________________________ Hannah Wittman Assistant Professor, Sociology External Examiner Date Defended/Approved: _____________May 11th,___________ 2012 ______ ii Partial Copyright Licence Ethics Statement The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained, for the research described in this work, either: a. human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics, or b. advance approval of the animal care protocol from the University Animal Care Committee of Simon Fraser University; or has conducted the research c. as a co-investigator, collaborator or research assistant in a research project approved in advance, or d. as a member of a course approved in advance for minimal risk human research, by the Office of Research Ethics. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Office of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for approval and letter of approval are filed with the relevant offices. Inquiries may be directed to those authorities. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada update Spring 2010 Abstract The term resource recovery, in its broadest sense includes the “repairing, refurbishing, or remanufacturing of discarded goods; the separating, reprocessing, and recycling of raw materials such as glass, paper, or aluminum; and the processing of selected fractions of the waste stream into new products such as compost or energy”, (Bartone 1990, p.7). According to the World Bank/UNDP Integrated Resource Recovery Project, highly developed informal sector networks of refuse scavenging (resource recovery) already exist in almost all developing countries as a response to rapid and dramatic increases in population of urban centres. This has led to a rise in the levels of urban poverty and an inability of governments to cater to the rising demands for basic infrastructure services such as solid waste management. As such, the marginalized urban poor are exposed to numerous environmental hazards. Therefore, resource recovery by the urban poor has been identified as a means of alleviating urban poverty, enhancing environmental sustainability and bettering communities. In the small island developing state of Saint Lucia, levels of urban poverty are on the rise and inadequate solid waste management services threaten the island’s fragile ecosystem while disproportionately affecting marginalized groups. As such, the researcher sought to determine the feasibility of establishing a test case resource recovery programme in an urban poor community, from a social and policy perspective. The study was examined using the conceptual framework of sustainable community development based on the four principles of social equity, environmental integrity, good governance (democratic decision-making processes) and economic viability. The results denoted that there were no real policy barriers to the establishment of a resource recovery programme. However, the lack of legislation on more sustainable waste minimization strategies highlighted the lack of political will among past and present government administrations to move towards a more sustainable agenda despite their commitments to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Agenda 21. The social element denoted several challenges with regard to community cohesion and participation, representation, and consumption and waste disposal patterns of behaviour. Keywords: Resource recovery; Urban poverty; Environmental Hazards; Solid Waste Management; Small Island Developing States; Sustainable Development. iii Acknowledgements I would like to take this opportunity to thank Simon Fraser University and the Department of Urban Studies for granting me the opportunity to be a part of the Urban Studies Programme. Without your support, I would not have had the chance to be a part of a truly enriching experience. To Dr. Anthony Perl, thank you for your candid discussions. To Terri Evans, thank you for always having your door open, and being a sounding board. To the Urban Studies Faculty to whom I have had the opportunity of being your pupil – Dr. Karen Ferguson, Dr. Meg Holden, Dr. Anthony Perl, Dr. Patrick Smith, Dr. Peter V. Hall, and Dr. Matt Hern – thank you for pushing me outside of my comfort zone to realize my potential. To my senior supervisor, Paddy, I am very grateful for your immense patience and gentle prodding throughout this research process. Your insights were instrumental in helping me develop my thesis. I am especially grateful to the individuals who helped me while undertaking my research. To Ms. Emlyn Jean and the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority, thank you for taking the time to help me find the right path for my research, and being an indispensible resource throughout the entire research process. To Mr. Cuby King, I am immensely grateful for your generosity and willingness to sacrifice some of your time to help me conduct my research. To Mr. Gary Butte, thank you for your assistance and allowing me to tap into your professional network for my research. To the community members of Faux-a-Chaud, thank you for letting me into your homes and lives to conduct my research, the experience was invaluable. To the interviewees, thank you for taking the time to meet with me and imparting some of your knowledge. I would also like to thank my dear family and friends for their continued support and input throughout this journey. To my parents, Paule Turmel-John and Velon John, thank you for your love, reassurance and eagerness to assist in my research. To my siblings Makeddah John and Jozey John, thank you for continual support and encouragement. And to friends, thank you for developing an interest in resource recovery and urban poverty; your patience and input has been most appreciated. iv Table of Contents Approval.......................................................................................................................... ii Abstract........................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .........................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................... viii 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objective ................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Rationale ................................................................................................................ 7 1.3 Organization of Research Study ............................................................................. 9 2 The Context of the Study: Saint Lucia .............................................................. 10 2.1 Geography and Demography ............................................................................... 10 2.2 Saint Lucia as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) ........................................ 12 2.3 The Government of Saint Lucia ............................................................................ 16 2.4 Economy of Saint Lucia ........................................................................................ 21 2.5 Tourism in Saint Lucia .......................................................................................... 22 2.6 Poverty in Saint Lucia ........................................................................................... 24 2.7 The Community of Faux-a-Chaud ........................................................................ 30 2.8 St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA) .................................... 33 2.8.1. History of SLSWMA ................................................................................