Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods in each of the 1993 independent OECS Territories of the OPAAL Project (2006)

Protected areas are not only useful for biodiversity conservation but can also be used to promote sustainable development. The process for setting up a Sustainable Development Area is similar to that of an environmental protection area, involving drawing boundaries, enacting regulations, obtaining funding, and concentrating human power. The objective of a Sustainable Development Area is to train manpower, create sustainable jobs, increase GDP, alleviate poverty, improve living standards, and promote sustainable human development. Protected areas can achieve both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The Brundtland Commission Report 1987 defines sustainable development as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Protected areas are a flexible instrument that can be adapted to every ecosystem type and human context, making them suitable for the Caribbean.The paper recommends the establishment of Sustainable Development Areas to train manpower, create sustainable jobs, increase GDP, alleviate poverty, improve living standards, and promote sustainable human development.

Area of interest: Grenada 

Year: 2006