The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A well-known architect said yesterday that the Bahamas had to go beyond viewing its ‘sand, sun and sea’ as just a tourism marketing tool, arguing that they were “fundamental tools” for national development and sustainability.

Michael Diggiss, principal of Michael Diggiss & Associates, told the Bahamas Society of Engineer’s (BSE) monthly luncheon yesterday that this nation must change its thinking over its national resources.

“How we look at the ‘three S’s’ has a lot to do with tourism. Sun, sand and sea is what we advertise and are the attributes that we claim make us unique. I believe that has some positive correlations, but I think it is also limiting how we think about those three resources,” said Mr Diggiss.

“If we look at them as gifts, I truly believe they are fundamental tools to our national development. The question is what are we doing to embrace those elements and use them towards our own national development, rather than have other people define what our national development ought to be.”

Mr Diggiss stressed that the Bahamas must begin to capitalise on its natural resources, or risk remaining stuck in its current predicament.

“It is ironic that we have so many sunny days, but we have energy issues. It makes no sense,” he said. “Why don’t we have solar as an industry in the Bahamas?

“We are still importing solar technology into the Bahamas when one of the main ingredients of solar panels is sand. Why don’t we have an industry related to sand? It is a fundamental product to a lot of things we import in the country.”

Mr Diggiss added: “We are surrounded by water, but yet we don’t have enough fresh water to drink. I think we are trapped into the thinking that those elements are what we sell to the tourists. We have to change that thinking, and if we don’t we are going to be stuck in the conditions we are in now.

“Most of what we use here is imported, and that is not sustainable for a country in terms of economic growth and development. We have to change our economic model because it is not sustainable.

“The Caribbean should be a hub for ideas and technologies. The world should be coming to us and not the other way around.”