Advancing Environmental Mainstreaming in the Caribbean Region: The Role of Regional Institutions for Overcoming Barriers and Capacity Gaps

Livia Bizikova, Graciela Metternicht and Therese Yarde
Additional contact information
Livia Bizikova: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), 1400-220 Laurier Street, Ottawa K1P 5Z9, ON, Canada
Graciela Metternicht: Institute of Environmental Studies (IES), University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
Therese Yarde: Caribbean Hub Capacity Building ACP-MEAs, CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, P.O. Box 10827, Greater Georgetown, Guyana

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Environmental mainstreaming (EM) is a policy instrument to integrate environmental risks and opportunities into planning and implementation. A body of knowledge exists on identifying barriers for EM at the national level. This paper identifies contributions of regional institutions for improving capacities for EM at the national level, using the Caribbean region as a case study. The methodology adopted combines in-depth interviews with senior policy-makers and participatory workshops for medium- and junior-level staff of government agencies. Four barriers for EM are analyzed with specific roles for regional agencies, including weak leadership, insufficient science–policy linkages, deficits in quantity and quality of human resources, and institutional aspects. Research findings identify regional leadership as crucial to supporting the science–policy interface, to share data and knowledge across countries facing similar challenges, to provide assistance with national policy development for EM involving transboundary issues, and to ensure cross-sectoral perspectives in regional initiatives, especially those on economic development.

Keywords: environmental mainstreaming; policy integration; science and policy; SIDS; Caribbean region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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