Michelle Mycoo

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Dr. Michelle Mycoo is a Senior Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning. She is based in the Department of Geomatics and Land Management, the Faculty of Engineering at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Mycoo is the recipient of awards for teaching excellence and research and has many scholarly publications in referred journals, books and book chapters.

Dr. Mycoo is a Steering Committee Member of Future Earth Coasts (FEC) and the United Nations-Habitat Universities Partnership Initiative.

She is also a planning practitioner and senior advisor to numerous international development agencies (EU, DFID UK, The World Bank, IADB, IDRC) and Caribbean governments and has produced many technical reports, policy briefs and training manuals.

She has expertise in urban planning, integrated coastal zone management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, integrated water resources management and sustainable tourism.

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University of Leicester

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University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Gabriel Gutierrez-Alonso

University of Salamanca

John Sutton

Macquarie University

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Kevin Arbuckle

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Jesper Hoffmeyer

University of Copenhagen

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Books by Michelle Mycoo

A Blue Urban Agenda Adapting to Climate Change of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States

a Creative Commons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) lice... more a Creative Commons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ igo/legalcode) and may be reproduced with attribution to the IDB and for any non-commercial purpose. No derivative work is allowed. Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IDB that cannot be settled amicably shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the IDB's name for any purpose other than for attribution, and the use of IDB's logo shall be subject to a separate written license agreement between the IDB and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license.

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Papers by Michelle Mycoo

Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier Caribbean

Sustainable development goals series, 2022

Small Island Developing States in a post‐pandemic world: Challenges and opportunities for climate action

WIREs Climate Change, 2022

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been impacted by and responded to COVID-19 in ways tha... more Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been impacted by and responded to COVID-19 in ways that give us clues about vulnerabilities under climate change, as well as pathways to resilience. Here, we reflect on some of these experiences drawing on case study examples from the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Ocean SIDS, exploring how SIDS have responded to COVID-19 and considering the potential for coping mechanisms enacted for the pandemic to support long-term resilience to climate change. Island responses to the pandemic highlight both new directions, like tourist schemes that capitalize on the rise of remote working in Barbados and Mauritius, and reliance on tried and tested coping mechanisms, like bartering in Fiji. Some of the actions undertaken to respond to the pressures of the pandemic, such as visa schemes promoting "digital nomadism" and efforts to grow domestic food production, have climate resilience and equity dimensions that must be unpacked if their potential to contribute to more sustainable island futures is to be realized. Importantly, the diversity of contexts and experiences described here illustrates that there is no single "best" pathway to climate-resilient post-pandemic futures for SIDS. While the emerging rhetoric of COVID-19 recovery often speaks of "roadmaps," we argue that the journey towards a climate-resilient COVID-19 recovery for SIDS is likely to involve detours, as solutions emerge through innovation and experiment, and knowledge-sharing across the wider SIDS community.

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Gated community living: a global and developing-country phenomenon

The ancient self-contained walled cities were places of grandeur where all members of the communi... more The ancient self-contained walled cities were places of grandeur where all members of the community had access to shared facilities such as baths, recreation space, churches, and community meeting places, and walls served as a mechanism for defence against invaders. The modern gated community is a residential area with restricted access, where normally public spaces have been privatised, and public goods are privately provided or maintained. It has its own `architecture of fear ' (Marcuse, 1997). Access is controlled either by physical design, using walls, fences, traffic barriers, or electronic devices such as automatic gates, smart-card-operated gates, or entry-phones, or by 24-hour security personnel. Caldeira (2000) describes these types of development as fortified enclaves, which are turned inward, away from the street, the public life of which they explicitly reject. She notes they are controlled by armed guards and security systems, which enforce rules of inclusion and e...

Environmental governance in small island developing states

Handbook of Governance in Small States, 2020

A study of the Hong Kong hotel industry : an urban planning perspective

published_or_final_versionUrban PlanningMasterMaster of Science in Urban Plannin

Mycoo, M. (2005). “Minimising Foreign Control of Land: A Case Study of St. Lucia” Land Use Policy, Elsevier, UK, 22 (2005) pp 345-357

Land Use Policy

Mycoo, M. (2006). “Managing Land-Based Space With Particular Reference To Traditional Uses/Poor.” In Dennis Pantin (Ed), Role of Civil Society in Sustainability Processes in the Caribbean: Report on a UNDP Study, CSEDNet. Randle Publishers, Kingston, Jama

Mycoo, M. (2011). “Natural hazard Risk Reduction: Making St. Lucia Safe in an Era of Increased Hurricanes and Associated Events”. Natural Hazards Review, American Society of Civil Engineers, USA, Volume 12, Issue 1, 37-45

Natural Hazards Review

This paper seeks to answer the question, “how to make islands safer using natural hazard risk red... more This paper seeks to answer the question, “how to make islands safer using natural hazard risk reduction measures.” It uses St. Lucia as a case study. Among the key findings of the paper is that physical risk reduction measures are difficult to implement or enforce despite their enactment. Furthermore, structural measures are costly to build and maintain. Another finding is that although a hazard mitigation plan is comprehensive, its usefulness is limited if it does not monitor, evaluate, and make provision for updating the plan and its policies. Additionally, hazard maps give inadequate guidance in selecting safe locations if the data are poor. Socioeconomic measures are costly in monetary and administrative terms; therefore, legislation encourages the population to locate in safe areas. A key finding is that supplementary measures for risk reduction are useful. The paper concludes that an array of risk reduction measures is used, but they are not easy to implement or enforce. In sh...

Mycoo, M. (2005). “Sustainable Tourism Livelihood and Poverty Alleviation: Anse La Raye, St. Lucia” Caribbean Geography, UWI, Mona, Jamaica. Vol.14. No.1., pp1-14

Adaptation to climate change: the coastal zone of Barbados

Proceedings of the ICE - Maritime Engineering, 2012

Unsustainable development in the Caribbean has reduced the effectiveness of coastal ecosystems as... more Unsustainable development in the Caribbean has reduced the effectiveness of coastal ecosystems as ecological buffers against climate variability, climate change, extreme weather events, and sea level rise. Using Barbados as a case study, the research conducted first examined ecosystem degradation. Second, an analysis of adaptation options for climate change and rising sea levels was undertaken. Based on the study conducted, conclusions were drawn on the implementation challenges of adaptation measures and approaches, and areas for future research. The research found that hard engineering is highly prioritised because of the vulnerability of settlements, infrastructure, and beaches to erosion. Beach protection in particular receives significant attention because beach tourism is economically significant. Additionally, beach nourishment is popular in alleviating erosion. A major finding is that reactive and standalone protective efforts are less effective, so that hard and soft engine...

“Is the concept of a green economy a useful way of framing policy discussions and policymaking to promote sustainable development?”

Natural Resources Forum, 2011

Is the concept of a green economy a useful way of framing policy discussions and policymaking to ... more Is the concept of a green economy a useful way of framing policy discussions and policymaking to promote sustainable development?" Sustainable development has three pillars: economic, environmental and social. Economic sustainability is growth without undermining an economy's capital base. Environmental sustainability includes a stable climate and biodiversity, among others. Social sustainability is a world free from poverty and inequity. The debates on sustainability are about the relationships-often contradictory-among these pillars. Growth is seen as inequitable and a threat to the environment, environmental protection as a burden on development and poverty eradication, and poverty reduction as having been achieved at significant environmental costs. There is a need to integrate the three dimensions. Various assessment tools exist to facilitate this integration. In practice, however, it is more about reconciliation than integration when it comes to addressing these relationships. This is where the concept of a green economy may help. Definitions of a green economy may vary, but if we agree on one attribute of a green economy, i.e. seeking growth from pro-poor environmental investment, the concept can help change the focus of the debate from reconciling to synergizing the relationships. A stylized example of such a green economy is where poor farmers in Africa are enabled to improve soil and produce organic food that they can consume and export.

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Chapter 15: Small Islands

Urban sustainability in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: a conceptual framework for urban planning using a case study of Trinidad

International Development Planning Review, 2018

Urban planners in the Caribbean have long advocated for a resolution of conflicts between built d... more Urban planners in the Caribbean have long advocated for a resolution of conflicts between built development and the environment. They have grappled with challenges of small geographic size, an increasingly urbanised landscape and the need to facilitate urban centres as engines of economic development and as the loci of prosperity. This article investigates the urban planning community’s perspective with respect to the drivers of unsustainable urbanisation and provides a conceptual framework for urban planning to attain urban sustainability in a small island developing state context. Trinidad is used as a case study. The research found that urbanisation has been inadequately regulated despite a plethora of legislation, urban plans and policies, and that the political will to achieve urban sustainability is lacking. This has resulted in ecosystem damage, economic losses and the undermining of human well-being. The article concludes that urban planning needs a conceptual framework to m...

Opportunities for Transforming Informal Settlements in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

Informal settlements are quite complex because they consist of economically disadvantaged, often ... more Informal settlements are quite complex because they consist of economically disadvantaged, often landless households located on steep hillsides, floodplains and swamps, which contribute to their exclusion from accessing infrastructure. These challenges need not be constraints; rather they offer opportunities for transformation. Such communities are generally characterised by inadequate access to safe water; inadequate access to sanitation and other infrastructure; poor structural quality of housing; overcrowding and insecure residential status. This paper uses primary and secondary data to determine the drivers which impact on the burgeoning of informal settlements in the Caribbean and analyses their implications for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 which focuses on achieving safer, sustainable and resilient human settlements. The main findings of the paper are that housing shortages, delays in obtaining planning approvals, inflated land values and povert...

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Feasibility of alternative sustainable coastal resource based enhanced livelihood strategies. Scientific report

1 Utility Performance and Consumer Willingness to Pay for Water in the early 1990 s : Case Study of Trinidad

Throughout the developing world there are numerous examples of high levels of Government spending... more Throughout the developing world there are numerous examples of high levels of Government spending on water infrastructure while maintaining low tariffs and subsidies. The supply-focus approach has proven to be wasteful. A strong case is advanced for a demand-oriented approach, which emphasizes expenditure in relation to demand, and the adoption of demand management techniques such as pricing. It is difficult to ignore daily problems in obtaining water for domestic purposes when there is a threat to public health and economic productivity. Given the undisputed importance of water, this paper attempts to examine the major problems of water supply in urban Trinidad and to analyse factors determining

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Human Adaptation to Coastal Hazards in Greater Bridgetown, Barbados

As urban risks associated with a changing climate continue to intensify, it is increasingly impor... more As urban risks associated with a changing climate continue to intensify, it is increasingly important to broaden our understanding of climate vulnerabilities in coastal cities and human adaptation to climate-related hazards. Coastal cities in small island developing states in the Caribbean stand to be among the most climate-impacted. This paper explores vulnerability to coastal hazards (sea-level rise, storm surges and flooding) in Barbados’ capital city and its urban corridor—Greater Bridgetown. Specifically, it is a qualitative survey of climate change vulnerabilities and human adaptation in the study domain that is underpinned by three research questions: 1) In what ways is Greater Bridgetown vulnerable to coastal hazards? 2) What are the human dimensions of this vulnerability? and 3) What are the associated human adaptations? We apply a four-component adaptive urban governance framework to explore the role of the city’s historical development, urban morphology, national-level in...

Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Enhancing Resilience in Caribbean Small Island Developing States: A Spatial Planning Framework

The World of Small States

Sustainable Development Goal 11 and a New Urban Agenda for Caribbean Small Island Developing States: Policy, Practice, and Action

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities

Many Caribbean Small Island Developing States face the daunting task of fulfilling the United Nat... more Many Caribbean Small Island Developing States face the daunting task of fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. As signatories to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, their governments committed to embark on a roadmap to achieve sustainable development within this time frame. In this context, Caribbean Small Island Developing States have embraced Sustainable Development Goal 11 in pursuit of creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities as articulated in various governance, spatial, socio-economic, and environmental policies. Notwithstanding this commitment, a tension exists between policy and practice. Several barriers to policy implementation have stymied efforts to make progress in fulfilling Goal 11. Enabling the impact of sound policy through well-informed practice is pivotal, if these states are to make advancements in ensuring that their population has access to basic services and live in safe, resilient, and sustainable...

A Blue Urban Agenda Adapting to Climate Change of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States

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Safe Water and Sanitation for a Healthier Caribbean

Sustainable development goals series, 2022

Small Island Developing States in a post‐pandemic world: Challenges and opportunities for climate action

WIREs Climate Change, 2022

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Gated community living: a global and developing-country phenomenon