Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy

Saint Barthélemy (St. Barth) is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island’s small size, lack of natural resources, socioeconomic features, and geographic isolation make it an interesting case study for matters of sustainability, specifically freshwater pro...

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Main Authors: Lillian Howell, Russell Fielding
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Island Studies Journal 2019-06-01
Series:Island Studies Journal
Subjects:
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author Lillian Howell
Russell Fielding
author_facet Lillian Howell
Russell Fielding
author_sort Lillian Howell
collection DOAJ
description Saint Barthélemy (St. Barth) is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island’s small size, lack of natural resources, socioeconomic features, and geographic isolation make it an interesting case study for matters of sustainability, specifically freshwater production and waste management. Interviews were conducted with residents of the island to determine the factors that motivate or discourage sustainable behavior with regards to these environmental issues. A sense of civic duty, the simplicity of environmental regulations, rapid communication and implementation, socioeconomic stability and affluence, and economic incentives each served to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable decision-making, while government priorities and persistent habits tended to hinder such behavior. The results of this study could be applied to other island communities with similar characteristics to determine how we, as a global society, can move towards a more sustainable future.
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spelling doaj.art-d1daa043cf174a09b3899b0a0cc247292022-12-21T20:00:13ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25931715-25932019-06-0114192010.24043/isj.74Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint BarthélemyLillian Howell0Russell Fielding1The University of the South, USAThe University of the South, USASaint Barthélemy (St. Barth) is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island’s small size, lack of natural resources, socioeconomic features, and geographic isolation make it an interesting case study for matters of sustainability, specifically freshwater production and waste management. Interviews were conducted with residents of the island to determine the factors that motivate or discourage sustainable behavior with regards to these environmental issues. A sense of civic duty, the simplicity of environmental regulations, rapid communication and implementation, socioeconomic stability and affluence, and economic incentives each served to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable decision-making, while government priorities and persistent habits tended to hinder such behavior. The results of this study could be applied to other island communities with similar characteristics to determine how we, as a global society, can move towards a more sustainable future.caribbeanislandssaint barthélemysustainable behaviorwaste management
spellingShingle Lillian Howell
Russell Fielding
Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
Island Studies Journal
caribbean
islands
saint barthélemy
sustainable behavior
waste management
title Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
title_full Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
title_fullStr Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
title_full_unstemmed Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
title_short Motivating sustainable behavior: waste management and freshwater production on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy
title_sort motivating sustainable behavior waste management and freshwater production on the caribbean island of saint barthelemy
topic caribbean
islands
saint barthélemy
sustainable behavior
waste management
work_keys_str_mv AT lillianhowell motivatingsustainablebehaviorwastemanagementandfreshwaterproductiononthecaribbeanislandofsaintbarthelemy
AT russellfielding motivatingsustainablebehaviorwastemanagementandfreshwaterproductiononthecaribbeanislandofsaintbarthelemy