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Plans> Population and Development |
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POSITION PAPER
ON
The British Virgin Islands, as the name indicates, is a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, comprising of 60 islands, cays and rocks located in the Eastern Caribbean some 100 kilometres to the east of Puerto Rico. The economy is dominated by tourism and international financial services. Consequently, 95% of our national disposable income is derived from services. Our economy, in terms of gross domestic product, has grown threefold since 1984 necessitating import of labour at all levels of skills. Generally, African descent in combination dominates the ethnicity with the immigrants of European decent forming a small minority. Culturally, we represent the entire spectrum of the Caribbean through immigrants from French, Spanish and Dutch speaking countries. Like most Caribbean countries, we are very much exposed to and aspire for the Western industrialized countries way of life brought through tourism, satellite, telecommunications, and trade. Being a country of serene islands spread out over a large water, area we are more so a marine country with water-based tourism, particularly yachting and diving, being the prime tourism activities. Given this scenario sustainable use of environmental assets, marine or land, is the preferred and only option. Sustainable development in the context of natural assets preservation and management has been a key feature in government's approach to macro management of the country as indicated in our National Report submitted to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro last year. Our commitment is to the protection and sustainable use of natural assets for our current and future generations is further manifested in our formulation of a National Physical Development Plan with assistance from the United Nations Committee on Human Settlements (UNCHS). The socioeconomic, environmental and demographic situation has been characterized by rapid change and complexities driven primarily by increased economic activity (oriented around extensive use of natural assets) which of course is the basis for imported (through migration) labour. This migration of workers and their dependents exerted pressure on the social infrastructure and services to a point where they are operating at a capacity and, as well, the traditional problems associated with cultural and ethic mixing of population factions. The following demographic analysis is presented in this contextual framework. Population trends during the 1980's was highlighted by a large flow of immigrants consisting mainly of workers, accompanied in some cases by their dependents, in response to increase for labour which the domestic labour force could not supply due to inadequate numbers and the lack of the range of skills demanded. Of course, this accelerated increase in the demand for labour resulted from a sustained and expanding increase in economic activities mainly in tourism, construction, international financial services,- transportation and the communications sector of the economy from 1985 onwards. During the last decade, the population increased some 61% with more than 80% of this increase being classified as migration. In fact population changes attributable to migration moved form net outward migration in 1980 the three (3) times that figure in net migration inflows in 1991. The age and sex structure of the population is distinctly different from that of many countries in the Caribbean sub region in that a rapid depletion of persons after the age twenty (20) because of the absence of migration. The unusual age structure is explained by the rapid economic transformation of the country from agricultural production to a service economy oriented around tourism and financial services. The older cohorts show a pattern of heavy emigration as in other Caribbean countries the younger cohorts have emigrated less recent emigration has been balanced and surpassed by substantial immigration of young adults mainly from larger countries of the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana, etc.). Additional characteristics of the age distribution is the absence of a bulge in the pyramid at older ages that results from heavy retirement return migration by persons who emigrated to find work earlier and little undercutting of the pyramid at younger ages that would indicate substantial fertility decline in recent years. Differing from many countries in the sub-region, the sex ratios by age groups do not show a steady decline with age as a consequence of generally lower mortality of females than males at all ages. Instead, the pattern is irregular, probably as a result of sex selecting immigration and may be to some extent the,small numbers involved. It is very unusual to find at almost all ages above 50 years the sex ratios are above 100, thus indicating that there are more males than females even in the oldest age groups. A broader comparison of the population age distribution from 1960 to 1991 shows that the population of the population under 15 years has declined successively form 48% to 24%. Correspondingly, the population of the groups 15-44 has risen from 35% to 55% during the same period and proportion age 65 and over has remained more or less constant. The median age of the population has consequently rise from 16 to 24 years. Among other things, these changes mean that both the labour force and the number of women of child-bearing age are growing at a much faster rate that the overall population as a result of the net inflow of immigrants to the economic circumstances. On the other hand the school population has grown relatively slowly so that although between 1960 and 1990 the total population grew by 103%. the population under 15 grew by only 15%. In contrast, the number aged 45 years and over has increased by 128% slightly higher than the increase in total population. The conventional dependency ratio differs remarkably from the regional norm is that is much more favourable because of immigration policies in respect of dependents. accompanying migrant workers. In fact, the dependency ratio triples when dependents declared by migrants on their applications are taken into consideration. The British Virgin Islands have, five (5) major population centre or islands and 80% of the population live on the largest island which accounts for 40% of the land mass. the third largest island,, representing 15% of the land mass- and housing 60% of tourism plant, accommodates about 15% of the population. The distribution of population must be viewed in the context of the British Virgin Islands being a marine or water country with a mature area more than 20 times the land mass. The fertility ratio among citizens is approximately one-third that of immigrants due on the one hand to immigration policies requiring repatriation of school age children born to immigrants not properly documented and on the other hand the exposure of female citizens to birth control methods and the desire of Western Industrialized countries to have fewer children for economic and other reasons. Overall in line with the trend observed in other countries of the region the fertility rate is declining. However, the major difference is that the rate of net in migration is increasing to cope with the demands for labour brought on by increased economic activity. Implications for Population Policies and Strategies In view of the demographic, social, economic and environmental situation of the British Virgin Islands described above the implications and imperatives for population policies and strategies within the context of integrated development are obvious. While my country subscribers fully to the right of individuals to determine the size, timing and location their families together with the right to live anywhere in the country, government seeks to administer its responsibility for promoting and maintaining sustainable development within the context of changing productivity patterns with social equity and within the limits, constraints and parameters of our natural assets base. Government, in having to administer social justice in a country 49% foreigners, seeks to address the full range of socioeconomic, environmental and population issues and concerns simultaneously rather than sequentially. Our conviction is that in order to avoid repercussions traditionally associated with imbalanced sectoral growth and ignoring of the population issues we must plan in integrated manner for providing the full range of social services including but not limited to health care, education, social welfare, social security and housing. Our development objective is the betterment of humans in all his dimensions. Our social policy, as part of an overall integrated policy, will focus an improvement of the physical, social and economic environment in qualitative and quantitative terms. Policy will focus on social equity, the status of women, children and foreigners and social welfare for all our population whether acquired through vital events or immigration. The demographic trends together confirmed investment intentions of both the public and private sectors suggest that a large number of new job seekers and immigrants will pose serious population policy considerations for policy makers. Additionally, particularly with young job seekers, the mismatch of skills available and demanded, as a consequence of economic activity, will deepen the situation in terms of population in its widest sense. Population issues are explosive if the solution does not focus on resolution of fundamental structural conflicts and problems bring with them seriously negative social consequences. It is abundantly clear that the role of the public sector has to be widened if it is to continue in its role as a facilitation for the development of the private sector has to be widened if it is to continue in its role as a facilitation for the development of the private sector, and protector of the right of its citizens to basic human needs and benefits of progress and insurer of the basic rights of all individuals under its control. In environmental terms, the British Virgin Islands is true a marine country with an exclusive economic zone extending some two hundred miles in the Caribbean sea in the choice areas of international fishing fleets and, as well, nearer to home, serving as the home of yachting and driving making up the bulk of our tourism activities. This means that tourism competes with fisheries for the use of the same fragile coral reefs, sunken wrecks made into reefs for fish breeding and the deep root water for catching pelagic species to feed tourists. Land-based tourism in form of totals, guest houses and villas compete with construction for use of the limited flat land to build homes and tourism plants, while agriculture for fertile land and again with tourist for use of white sand. Further the need for reclaimed land is essentially a mountainous country competes with fish hatching grounds for mangroves and watershed or we areas. Socially, the country seeks to manage a cultural mix of Spanish and English Caribbean nationals with an ethnic mix of Africans, Europeans and East Indian integrating these cultural and ethnic diversities in itself a challenge to such a small country in the absence of an adequate framework institutional and economic infrastructures. In essence we observe demographic factor pushed by development of social and economic infrastructure, tourism plant, housing and institutional infrastructure are exerting pressure and the physical environment in competing for the use of scarce natural and human resources. In view of the socio-economic, environmental and demographic situation, my government, through a strategic visionary approach is fully committed to the integration of population in our development planning process now highlighted by the formulation of a National Integrated Development Plan and with assistance from the other relevant specialized UN agencies. By integration I mean the explicit consideration of population variables in development planning By taking into account both the impact of population factors on development and implications of development goals, strategies and programmes for population variables. Preliminary demographic demographic analyses have indicated that migration has been the most critical population variables. It must be remembered that our systems in the Caribbean sub-region are much smaller, more volatile, more vulnerable to external shocks and more robust to changes in global conditions. In the sub-region there is the same desire for sustainable development and changing productivity patterns with social equity as our larger regional neighbours but our problems in respect of population are more explosive, and can be more devastating. Of course you recognize that I am about to request that migration, with its various impacts, influences and outcomes be considered as the major area for immediate, comprehensive and sustained attention on the sub-regional level. In recognition of important role of population in the social, economic and environment dynamics of the Caribbean sub-region, through you Mr. Chairman, I am appealing to concerned specialised UN Agencies to maintain the presence of population analysis skills in the sub-region and, further, to provide resources and effectively support a migration study of consequence for the region, and Mr. Chairman, given population dynamics of my country, I offer it to the specialised agencies and area for a pilot study on migration in the sub-region to a prelude to a larger sub-regional study. While I still have the floor, Mr. Chairman, I must congratulate the UNFPA for responding so promptly to a need assessment request made by my country to assist with background information, data, policies and strategies in respect of NIDP 1994-1998. Further it would be remiss of me if I did not congratulate and express my sincerest appreciation to ECLAC/CELADE Demography Unit in Port-of-Spain for the yeoman assistance given to the region and my country in the area of demography. |
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