I found a relatively more in depth article about the conference, "El mundo ofrece apoyo pero pide compromiso con su desarollo", which mentions the inequality in Guatemala and the need for fiscal reform. Since my Spanish is lacking, I"m not quite sure if I understand the article fully ( I welcome your help!). However, from what I do understand, they are saying that foreign aid to Guatemala comes with the stipulation that Guatemala needs to be undertaking major development projects itself. All in all, I think this article calls for positive change. However, my take on the article, especially after reading the comments, is that this is a lot of talk, but no action.
Lastly, I just wanted to mention that in both these articles, climate change and its consequences are discussed. I am not sure if this was already mentioned in class, but Guatemala is said to be in the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. In these articles, they estimate how much damages from natural disasters are going to cost them in near future. It is evident that this issue is on Guatemalan minds, especially after the extreme weather of this summer.
Do you think countries like Guatemala are going to lead the way in sustainability since they are more directly feeling the consequences of climate change?
To address the questions at the end of the summary: Guatemala’s exposure to natural disasters (vis-à-vis climate change) provides little incentive to pursue sustainable development. This is because the sustainability of Guatemalan development has little to do with the ability to cope with natural disasters. Although sustainable development projects are a good idea for any country at any time, I think concerns of equity, as evidenced by the articles, would probably be held over the concerns of environmental sustainability.
ReplyDeleteThe ability for Guatemala to economically develop in a sustainable manner will not necessarily mean that they will be more prepared against natural disasters, or counteract the symptoms of climate change. After all, socio-environmental issues transcend a single national reality. Consider the possibility that simply being developed in a more socio-politically equitable manner would probably increase the ability of the state to deal with natural disasters (through increased government spending power, better infrastructure and communications systems.) And in regards to Climate Change directly, any substantive action is confounded by the problem of collective action on an international level. The biggest polluters want to change the least. I feel that this attitude is reflected in the discourse of the Donors Conference.
At the conference, the donors (bilateral, IDB et al) reaffirmed the need to repair, reform and develop Guatemala’s economy. Although they were supportive of external funding, they also stressed the need for Guatemalans themselves to take up the yoke of responsibility. One of the suggestions was a revision of the ‘social compact’. I think that the idea of a ‘new social compact’ is targeted at the need for greater equality in society and in development. In a country where 60-70% of the population is impoverished, only a small proportion of the population is left to control most of the wealth, many people become excluded from this compact. In light of great inequality, a progressively structured Income Tax could be one of the biggest generators of domestic revenue. But the agricultural and industrial elites, those with the most political power, will be the first to resist.
Being able to create a more equitable political and economic system is Guatemala’s biggest challenge, and the most important goal. By taxing elites, wealth can be redistributed, allowing the poorest citizens to enjoy a better quality of life, and give the government more ability to assist and aid in the aftermath of natural disaster.
I agree with Mark in that the ability to cope with natural disasters is tied to the socio-political development. However, I don't necessarily agree with the statement that sustainable development has little to do with coping with climate change.
ReplyDeleteThe wikipedia definition for sustainability is the "ability to endure" and my own understanding of the term is that it means to be able to exist in the long term. Therefore, being able to adapt to changes in the climate and the ability to cope with natural disasters is a big part of sustainable development, in my books anyways.
To answer the question i posed, I think that by being confronted on a daily basis with weather conditions associated with climate change, the long term sustainability of their development projects is on their minds. I dont believe that anything that humans do at this point can prevent climate change, as it is already underway. However, I do believe that we can undertake development projects which will make our communities more resilient to climate change. As both the articles i cite mention the impacts of these policy decisions on future generations, i believe that Guatamalans may be on the right track.