Development may be defined by an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation. The United Nations acknowledges, however, that our collective global idea of development has shifted to now include sustainability. As such, the UN has crafted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build a better world by 2030, and these 17 SDGs were adopted by all UN member states (of which Jamaica is numbered) in 2015. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals include: good health and well-being; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; sustainable cities and communities; and partnerships for the goals.

Where development is concerned, a new Jamaica beckons on the horizon. In the last couple of months there has been major roadwork in St Andrew and St Catherine; we have heard whispers of the promise of development in the oft overlooked rural parish of St Thomas; and new KFC franchises have opened in Falmouth, Harbour View, and Mountain View (perhaps the most important of all on our list). We hasten to mention as well, that parishes like Portland have been eye-balled for tourist-friendly development. Uncomfortable though change may be, as proven by all the dust in Hagley Park Road’s environs, and the confusion experienced by drivers on the not-yet-completed Constant Spring thoroughfare, change and the development it brings are important and necessary. Still, while all the aforementioned certainly go toward achieving goals 9 and 17, namely industry, innovation and structure, and partnership for the goals, many changes being debated or enacted do not support good health and well-being, sanitation, climate action, or life on land.

In recent weeks residents of the Cockpit Country and environmentalists have protested bauxite mining in the area, meeting on July 22 for a rally in Albert Town. You see while bauxite mining is certainly an industry (thus seemingly satisfying one of the goals on the list of SDGs) and it contributes to the country’s economic growth – tackling yet another goal – one must ask at what cost. New mining leases issued could add further strain to Jamaica’s natural resources and project the country into a hundred year history of mining within the Cockpit Country’s environs. Residents of the areas most greatly affected have groused about the effect of the activity on their health, their daily lives and the environment; complaining of sinusitis and asthma complications, red dust on their laundry, red dust in their water, and the deforestation and various forms of ecocide taking place. Besides air pollution, water pollution and deforestation, the activities of bauxite extraction and processing often result in the displacement of several communities and disruption of agricultural livelihoods. This certainly does not support sustainable cities and communities – goal 11 – or climate action – goal 13.

Regarding development in parishes like St Thomas and Portland, it would be remiss of us to pretend that these parishes have not been crying out for structural development. To our personal knowledge and chagrin roads in many places in St Thomas are virtual dirt tracks and traveling from one point to another in the parish is bothersome to say the least. But if the price to pay for improved infrastructure and socio-economic opportunity is clean air, reasonable traffic flow, sustainable communities, and lush, green vegetation, we might have to take a pass on them both.

Even though hot and stifling Kingston, with all its traffic congestion and strained systems and resources, boasts great entertainment, and seemingly endless opportunities for events, networking and socio-economic opportunities, only a fool would remain blind to the strain of urban living on health and health systems, natural resources and social systems. And we can’t help but wonder if that is the kind of development the government plans on bringing to parishes like Portland and St Thomas.

If it is, and this kind of development is intended to spread and catch until every last peacefully existing rural area in our island is overrun with tourists, tourist traps, steel and metal and concrete, and all the usual ecological devastation native to developed areas and tourist towns, we’ll upgrade our pass to a hard pass.

Development that is not sustainable, eco-friendly and well-thought out may have devastating impact for decades to come, and in this race against climate change we have no time to waste. Please, just listen to the environmentalists, and remember the sustainable part of the development goals.