Multilateral environmental agreements in the context of sustainable development for the Commonwealth of Dominica, eastern Caribbean

Abstract

How is a small island developing state, such as Dominica, able to implement the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to which it becomes a signatory? The purpose of my research was to examine the activities of the Government of Dominica's newly established Environmental Coordinating Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment to implement the multilateral environmental agreements (MEA). The first objective involved analyzing how Dominica attempts to fulfill the mandates of becoming a signatory to the growing number of multilateral environmental agreements. In particular, three MEA case studies were selected: (1) Climate Change, (2) Ozone Depletion, and (3) Biodiversity Conservation. My research involved performing work with Dominica's Environmental Unit in order to meet the mandates of each of these international treaties. The second objective of my research entai ed juxtaposing the experiences, opportunities and impacts from the three seemingly disparate MEA case studies, and providing commentary upon improved MEA implementation from a sustainable development perspective in Dominica, and more generally in other less developed nations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)