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Destruction in Paradise: Using the capabilities approach to assess the causes of marine debris in the Bahamas -The case of Hurricane Dorian and informal settlements in the Abaco Islands

Simonaviciute, Greta LU (2022) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20221
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Marine debris is a major threat to wildlife and human health. This study examines the socioeconomic vulnerability of informal housing as arguably one of the main drivers of the abundance of marine debris in the aftermath of a tropical cyclone. Using the Abaco Islands, Bahamas, as a case, the study applies the capabilities approach to assess the societal impact of Hurricane Dorian. Findings indicate that capabilities were already deprived in analyzed areas before Dorian, resulting in vulnerable informal settlements easily destroyed by the storm, leading to both large amounts of marine debris and massive social suffering. From this, the study argues that restoring capabilities to what they were before a disaster is insufficient. Instead,... (More)
Marine debris is a major threat to wildlife and human health. This study examines the socioeconomic vulnerability of informal housing as arguably one of the main drivers of the abundance of marine debris in the aftermath of a tropical cyclone. Using the Abaco Islands, Bahamas, as a case, the study applies the capabilities approach to assess the societal impact of Hurricane Dorian. Findings indicate that capabilities were already deprived in analyzed areas before Dorian, resulting in vulnerable informal settlements easily destroyed by the storm, leading to both large amounts of marine debris and massive social suffering. From this, the study argues that restoring capabilities to what they were before a disaster is insufficient. Instead, efforts should aim to enhance capabilities to reduce housing vulnerability. The study suggests that better data collection and recognition of land rights, among other factors, would improve the capabilities of informal communities, ultimately mitigating marine debris. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Simonaviciute, Greta LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
marine debris, capabilities approach, informal housing, disaster impact index, sustainable development, the Bahamas, sustainability science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2022:029
language
English
id
9084389
date added to LUP
2022-06-09 10:57:16
date last changed
2022-06-09 10:57:16
@misc{9084389,
  abstract     = {{Marine debris is a major threat to wildlife and human health. This study examines the socioeconomic vulnerability of informal housing as arguably one of the main drivers of the abundance of marine debris in the aftermath of a tropical cyclone. Using the Abaco Islands, Bahamas, as a case, the study applies the capabilities approach to assess the societal impact of Hurricane Dorian. Findings indicate that capabilities were already deprived in analyzed areas before Dorian, resulting in vulnerable informal settlements easily destroyed by the storm, leading to both large amounts of marine debris and massive social suffering. From this, the study argues that restoring capabilities to what they were before a disaster is insufficient. Instead, efforts should aim to enhance capabilities to reduce housing vulnerability. The study suggests that better data collection and recognition of land rights, among other factors, would improve the capabilities of informal communities, ultimately mitigating marine debris.}},
  author       = {{Simonaviciute, Greta}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Destruction in Paradise: Using the capabilities approach to assess the causes of marine debris in the Bahamas -The case of Hurricane Dorian and informal settlements in the Abaco Islands}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}