Case study 

"Sustainability" and "sustainable development" have become extremely popular terms. They are the subjects of conferences, articles and books, and a fundamental principle of many organizations which are active in development projects all through the world. Sustainability has become the rallying call of environmentalists and an objective of corporations. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992, was convened to address global environmental issues and suggest solutions. Waste management was identified as a serious environmental problem for numerous countries, predominantly Small Island Developing States (SIDS).  The unique social, economic and environmental characteristics of SIDS, such as high population density, relative isolation, limited accessibility of land space and paucity of human and financial resources, limit the range of possible options for the sound management of waste. It is not limited to the disposal of litter. Sewage, hazardous and toxic wastes as well form part of the waste problem. The large amounts of wastes produced by tourists, for instances, is a complex problem for SIDS particularly since it is typically generated over a short period, thereby frequently overloading existing disposal and treatment facilities. Protection of the environment from pollution is extremely important for SIDS since aside from other reasons which are common to all countries, two significant industries, tourism and fisheries, depend on a pristine environment.

problem1. describe comprehensively the role that the research process can play in promoting sustainable waste management systems in SIDS.

problem2. Appraise the contribution of qualitative and quantitative research approaches in case study.