Page 21 - CAPE Caribbean Studies Study Guide Sample_Neat

Module 2 Issues in Caribbean development

epidemics. They can also cause significant damage to the environment, and
development projects that have been put in place to safeguard it.

Human-made disasters

A human-made disaster is a catastrophic event that occurs as a result of the
negligent or deliberate actions of people. The types of human-made disaster
are described here.

In parts of the Caribbean people engage in the construction of houses on
riverbanks. These homes are constructed without a proper environmental
assessment and they do not adhere to building codes. Building on riverbanks and
near waterways not only increases the risk of flooding but also pollutes the water
supply. Also, cities close to the sea may pollute the ocean with run-off from
hotels, offices and other buildings. It is common for people in rural communities
to disregard building codes, due to a lack of access to trained architects and the
authorities who would issue approval of housing plans. As a result, buildings are
often unable to withstand the impacts of earthquakes and hurricanes.
Oil spills at sea kill marine life and destroy coral reefs. Countries that benefit
from such resources as their main income tend to suffer.
The agricultural practice of slash-and-burn (see 1.3) on the hillsides often turns
into wildfires that burn most of the vegetation, leaving the land bare. When it
rains, landslides occur and these block roadways and may injure or kill people.
Illegal quarrying and the building of homes on hillsides have also contributed ✓ Exam tip

to soil erosion since trees and vegetation have been cleared leaving the soil
unprotected. Hillsides are exposed to the elements, and when it rains, tonnes In the examination you are expected
of soil flow downhill and devastate the homes and businesses below. to differentiate between hazard
On 10 April 2013 two ships collided off the coast of Columbia which and disaster. Also, essays require
resulted in hundreds of gallons of oil being spilled in the Caribbean Sea. you to explain how disasters
This huge ecological threat could have resulted in contaminated beaches and promote or hinder development.
destruction of fishing beds and other wild life habitats. This can be done by categorising the
impacts socially, economically and
Crime has become one of the major challenges affecting many nations in the
environmentally.
Caribbean region, but especially Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. The drug
trade and gang warfare in these nations has resulted in a large homicide rate.
Other implications include destruction of families, loss of investment from
multinational corporations and negative impacts on tourism.

CASE STUDY
Key points
In 2005, a news release from the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) indicated that small island states such as those in the Caribbean Human-made and natural
■
were very vulnerable to natural disasters and human-made disasters. The news disasters threaten the economic
release stated that pollution from industries in the region had contaminated development of the region.
fresh water reserves and even destroyed mangroves and coral reefs.
■ Natural disasters may be
Oil-producing territories such as Trinidad and Tobago have seen an categorised into geological,
increased amount of oil tankers in the area, thus further polluting hydrological and meteorological
the oceans around the countries, depleting fish stocks and damaging disasters.
mangroves. In other territories that rely on tourism, hotels have polluted
■ Disasters tend to have a negative
the beaches and contaminated watercourses, causing coral reefs to die in the impact on the region’s social,
process. As towns spread, there is the indiscriminate destruction of forests economic and environmental
to make way for industry.
development.

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