PROGRESSION OF VULNERABILITY OF OECS STATES: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ROOT CAUSES by Valma R. Jessamy CSERGE Working Paper ECM 03-07 PROGRESSION OF VULNERABILITY OF OECS STATES: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF ROOT CAUSES by

The image of paradise, which has made the Caribbean Islands world icons for luxury tourism, is a far cry from the harsh realities and rigors of everyday life for Caribbean peoples. Recent studies have placed these states among the most vulnerable, when compared to other small states and less developed countries in the world. Lessons learnt from natural hazard and disaster research reveal that vulnerability is rooted in everyday life and reinforced by historical patterns, which shape the political economy of societies and determine peoples’ access to resources. This study applies approaches from natural hazard research to analyse four centuries of economic evolution of the independent territories of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the underlying causes that created conditions of political, social, environmental and economic vulnerability are identified. The analysis was conducted at three levels and a conceptual integrated framework for linking all levels and dimensions of vulnerability has been developed. The framework provides a useful tool for performing cross-sectoral vulnerability assessments, identifying linkages and points of interface, and developing appropriate strategies for each dimension and scale of analysis. The results provide evidence that present strategies to reduce one type of vulnerability may exacerbate another, and in some cases may reinforce the status quo. Based on the framework, the types of vertical and horizontal integration needed to reduce vulnerability in OECS Member States are suggested.