Towards Sustainable Development in Central America and the Caribbean

A. Danielson, A. Dijkstra, A. Danielson, A. Dijkstra

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2001
• Print ISBN:
  9781349419753
  9780333793374
• eBook ISBN:
  9780230502123
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Management
• Index: Economics

Since the economic decline in the early 1980s, most countries in Central America and the Caribbean have returned to positive growth rates. The recovery often coincided with or followed extensive neoliberal reforms. The contributors to this book address the crucial question of whether these growth rates are sustainable. Several aspects of sustainability are assessed, in particular macroeconomic, social, and ecological aspects. The book includes both comparative analyses focusing on one of these aspects of sustainability, and country case studies. The conclusion is that these countries have not yet arrived at a sustainable growth path due to, for example, high levels of foreign and domestic debt, worrisome trade gaps, a lack of social integration and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources. In sum, the analysis points to serious weaknesses in the current neoliberal model, the implications of which go far beyond this particular region.

Table of contents

• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Preface
• Notes on the Contributors
• List of Abbreviations
• 1 Towards Sustainability in Central America and the Caribbean: Introduction and Overview
• 2 Fiscal Sustainability in the CAC Region
• 3 The Fruits of Interest: Financial Liberalization and Banking in Central America
• 4 Trade Reform in Central America and the Caribbean: Will Liberalization Resolve the Problem of Structural Imbalances?
• 5 Economic Reform, Citizenship and Social Integration in Central America
• 6 Crisis, Adjustment and the Dynamics of Gender Relations in Central America and the Caribbean
• 7 Economic Policy and the Environment: Structural Adjustment and Prospects for Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Central America
• 8 Sustained Growth in Haiti: Pipe-Dream or Realistic Possibility?
• 9 The Performance of the Manufacturing Industry under Adjustment: The Case of Trinidad & Tobago
• Index