Environmental justice in Cuba

Bell, K. (2011) Environmental justice in Cuba. Critical Social Policy, 31(2), pp. 241-265. (doi: 10.1177/0261018310396032)

Abstract

‘Environmental justice’ refers to the human right to a healthy and safe environment, a fair share of natural resources, access to environmental information and participation in environmental decision-making. Some analysts have argued that environmental justice is undermined by the political economy of capitalism. This paper builds on this analysis by evaluating the environmental justice situation in Cuba, a country where there is little capitalist influence. Evidence is based on participant observation and interviews in Cuba, as well as secondary quantitative data. The research findings suggest that Cuba fares relatively well in terms of environmental justice, but still faces a number of challenges regarding the quality of its environment and some aspects of the environmental decision-making process. However, many of its ongoing problems can be attributed to global capitalist pressures.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Bell, Dr Karen
• Authors: Bell, K.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Critical Social Policy
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 0261-0183
• ISSN (Online): 1461-703X
• Published Online: 09 February 2011