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Coastal Resources Management Coastal zones are marked by above-average concentrations of people and economic activity. This is particularly true for the Caribbean, where the small size of the islands and their relatively long coastlines make for a strong dependence on the coast's resources for livelihoods, housing, and diversion. The sustainable management of the coastal zone remains of the most central challenges of the Caribbean states, and can only be correctly addressed with efficient information management of the environmental and socioeconomic conditions that affect the coast. Although some data gaps exist, the main informational challenges for the region for coastal zone management lie in developing strategies for localizing data where it exists, in establishing reliable and standardized data archiving systems, and in securing the accessibility to these data archiving systems. A major step towards addressing these issues was the implementation by the United Nations Environment Program - Caribbean Environmental Program (UNEP-CEP) of the Information Systems for the Management of Marine and Coastal Resources (CEPNET) Program. CEPNET supports all the activities of UNEP-CEP by promoting information and data networks, both in terms of electronic information management systems, such as databases and the internet, as well as networking expertise, contacts and agencies. CEPNET's objectives include: to strengthen the capabilities of national and regional agencies responsible for the management of marine and coastal resources to handle information relevant to specially protected areas and wildlife, assessment and management of environmental pollution, and education, training and awareness; to increase access to marine and coastal resource management information through the strengthening of networking mechanisms and the selective dissemination of information resulting from the projects and the activities of CEP; and to assist national institutions with the development of national decision support systems for marine and coastal resource management. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Natural Resources Management Unit (OECS/NMRU) has developed a Coastal and Marine Resources Programme, designed primarily to build capacities at local, national and regional levels to facilitate more efficient decision-making, supported by an enhanced information base on coastal and marine resources. The Soufriere Marine Management Authority (SMMA) in Saint Lucia is a regional model for the management of coastal and marine protected areas. SMMA has direct links with Saint Lucia's Fisheries department, the University of the West Indies (UWI), and other research institutions abroad. However, their access to information on coastal resources is limited by the fact that, although there are several research projects underway, few are pertinent to protected areas management. Better coordination is needed between research institutions and managers of protected areas. Another limit is the scarcity of regional networks that allow for exchange of information on coastal resources. Where networks are in place, they are only updated by a limited number of resource persons, and rarely by project managers actively involved in producing information. UNEP's CEPNET intends to address this issue in part by relying on the Internet to provide connections for information exchange among those concerned with the conservation and sustainable development of the coastal marine resources of the Wider Caribbean Region. To this purpose, it is important to create and maintain metadata archives for locating the whereabouts of data. The nature of coastal zone management obligates the use of spatial data for planning. There is a need for data to be spatially integrated for its processing using spatial analysis tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This requires the standardization of data collection methodologies and data capture. Compatibility of data remains a challenge and standardization amongst countries on how and how often data should be collected is becoming more of a necessity. At the start of every GIS inventory process, it is necessary to evaluate the future data needs and requirements. The Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC ) Project, executed by the Organization of American States and CARICOM with Global Environmental Facility funding, developed the Coastal Resources Inventory System (CRIS), to provide the necessary baseline data for the execution of project activities related to the sustainable management of coastal resources. CRIS manages coastal resource data, including coastal physical characteristics, natural environments, and information on the use of coastal areas and resources. It is an interactive system based on a web-GIS concept, capable of combining data with spatial applications such as remote sensing and satellite imagery. CRIS is addressed to planning agencies and ministries of environment, and a couple of countries are already exploring the capacity of CRIS to be used as a planning and decision-making tool. The Living With the Sea Project provides a good practice guide which contains information resource for operating authorities and other practitioners and guides them as to how they can deliver habitat restoration and re-creation works. It refers to existing works and demonstration sites that address individual coastal habitats such as sand dune, shingle ridge, saline lagoon, salt marsh, mudflats, reed beds and grazing marsh; and identify best practice in the re-creation and restoration of these habitats.http://www.english-nature.org.uk/livingwiththesea/project_details/default.asp. The Project for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System was launched on June 20, 2001 on Ambergris Caye in Belize. The global objective of the project is to enhance the protection of the ecologically unique and vulnerable marine ecosystems comprising the MBRS, by assisting the participating countries in strengthening and coordinating national policies, regulations and institutional arrangements for the conservation and sustainable use of this global public good.
The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands provides a number of useful resources on these issues, including a newsletter as well as discussion papers. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4, 2002, focused on meeting difficult challenges, including improving people's lives and conserving our natural resources in a world that is growing in population, with ever-increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security. The Global Forum on Oceans Coasts and Islands website promotes the platform of oceans, coasts and islands at the WSSD and beyond, You can find coverage of the ocean, coastal and island issues covered at the World Summit, as well as the resulting Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts and Islands that is currently being organized. Information is also available on the preparatory process to the World Summit, including the official Prepcom meetings, the Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio+10, and the GPA Intergovernmental Review Meeting. http://www.udel.edu/CMS/csmp/globaloceans/index.html. Also available is the Summary Report of the Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Mobilizing For Implementation of the Commitments Made at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development: 12-14 November 2003
The Caribbean Conservation Association's New Coral Reef Education Pack
The education pack, comprising posters and a workbook, is aimed at students aged 8-10 in Caribbean primary schools. The pack may also be used by educational staff working outside schools, in environmental clubs, communities, etc. It applies many active learning and self-enquiry approaches, including some out-of-classroom activities to boost children's self confidence and commitment to actively partake in actions to help conserve coral reefs. Dr Joth Singh, Executive Director of the CCA, at a recent hand over of the books to the locally-based sponsors, commented "We are grateful for the assistance of our partners which has resulted in the production of this Education Pack. The world's coral reefs are an extremely fragile resource and we are grateful that these organizations shared our vision that one of the best ways to preserve our reefs is to go directly to their future proprietors…the youth." The pack will be distributed from October 2003 from the CCA Secretariat. The CCA is seeking to partner with community groups and schools in the application of the Education Pack to monitor and manage activities aimed at promoting sustainable coral reef practices in relevant communities. Both local partners, First Caribbean International Bank and the Australian High Commission have indicated a desire to further support the Coral Reef Education Programme through promoting the Coral Reef Education Pack in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean. The CCA is a regional, non-profit, membership organization, comprising 16 government members, 86 NGO members and over 200 individual members involved with the initiation and promotion of environmentally sound activities which will promote the wise and safe management of the Caribbean's natural and cultural resources. CCA's work is focused in four priority niche areas of environmental awareness building, information management, communications and compliance with international conventions. Eight specific programme areas are addressed within these niche areas: marine and coastal resources, protected areas and water resources management, land-based sources of marine pollution, trade and environment, multilateral environmental agreements, energy management and cultural heritage. For more
information contact the CCA at `Chelford', Bush Hill, The Garrison, St. Michael,
Barbados. Contact: Karen
Hackshaw, CCA
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