Coastal Tourism in the Wider Caribbean Region: Impacts and Best Management Practices	Report Contents Report in Word Format
	CEP Technical Report No. 38 1997	All CEP Technical Reports

2. TOURISM AND COASTAL RESOURCES DEGRADATION

The problems causing coastal resources degradation in the region have not changed significantly over the past two decades, though the scope of the problem appears to have increased (UNEP 1989a, UNEP 1992, UNEP 1996, IRF 1996a). The negative impacts of coastal resources utilization can be said to result from, or be exacerbated by, the following factors:

1. Inadequate policy and/or legislative framework.
2. Inadequate/ineffective planning and/or monitoring systems.
3. Inadequate institutional capacity.
4. Low sensitivity and/or low level of awareness of resource users.

Additionally, it is widely recognized that many agents of coastal resources degradation arise from outside the coastal zone. This is particularly true of the islands of the Caribbean, many of which are characterized by mountainous terrain, high levels of deforestation, and swiftly flowing rivers with short distances to the coast. Among these external sources, UNEP (1989a) identifies deforestation as the major factor.

It must therefore be reiterated that coastal resources degradation results from a mixture of public sector system inadequacies and the actions of industry, developers, groups and individuals. Island Resources Foundation (IRF), in 1996, compiled a bibliography of publications dealing with the matter of coastal resources degradation in the Wider Caribbean, which indicate the range of sources, impacts, and implications (Appendix 1).

2.1 Overview of Coastal Resources Degradation

A review of the literature on coastal resources degradation in the Wider Caribbean indicates that every country experiences some form of impact. While there has not been any comparative assessment of the degree of the problem among the states, in a few cases the problems are significant enough to warrant the implementation of major rehabilitation projects (Kingston Harbour, Jamaica, and Havana Bay, Cuba).

Following this review, the sources of coastal resources degradation fall into the following broad categories:

1. Pollution
2. Improper developments and development control, and
3. Resource overuse and misuse.

However, this simple categorization is too broad to provide any meaningful start to the definition of solutions to the problem. Table 1 provides a much more detailed picture of the sources and nature of coastal resources degradation. Of significance also is the fact that some causes of resource degradation have several levels of impact (Box 1).

Table 1: Sources of Coastal Resources Degradation

Source	Activity	Type of Impact
Tourism	Waste generation Physical change Recreational Mechanical action/physical Change Resource over-use/ misuse Beach management Land speculation	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Socio-economic Socio-cultural Human health
Industry	Waste generation Physical change	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Socio-economic Human health
Solid Waste Disposal	Collection Dumping Burning	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Human health
Shipping	Waste generation Mechanical action	Physical Ecological Aesthetic Socio-economic Human health
Non-Point Sources of Pollution	Waste	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Socio-economic Human health
Commercial Activity	Waste generation Physical change	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Socio-economic Human health
Housing	Waste generation Recreational Mechanical action/physical Change Land speculation	Physical Ecological Hydrological Aesthetic Socio-economic Human health
Overuse of Resources	Recreational Harvesting	Physical Ecological Socio-economic

 

2.2 Tourism Impacts on the Coastal Zone

As mentioned previously, the environment is the primary basis for tourism in the Caribbean, and tourism development takes place mainly in the coastal area. This "new" growth industry is added to the traditional settlement and development activities which already exert major influences on the complex mixture of sensitive ecosystems which comprise the coastal zone.

The impacts of the tourist industry on coastal resources result from all the sub-sectors of the industry, primarily the construction and operation of facilities. The sources that are directly attributable to tourism activities can be categorized as follows:

1. Construction

• Landfills (wetlands and marine areas)
• Dredging
• Building on the shoreline and on steep slopes
• Drainage
• Sand mining
• Inappropriate design

2. Operational

• Sewage and solid waste disposal
• Boat maintenance
• Beach maintenance and/or restoration
• Facilities maintenance
• Guest consumption patterns

However, a third major source of impact is the non-construction element of the industry, that is, recreational activities. These are often linked with major facilities such as hotels or marinas, but may also be undertaken without the availability of fixed operational bases. The activities include:

• Scuba diving and snorkeling
• Yachting
• Motor boating, water skiing, and jet skiing
• Sport fishing
• (Mountain) biking

Simmons & Associates (1994) notes that though the impacts from marine tourism can be easily identified, it is difficult "to determine a direct cause-effect relationship in explaining these impacts" . This results from the fact that other activities in the coastal area, as well as activities taking place outside the coastal area, also impact adversely on coastal resources.

The Caribbean Conservation Association (1991) provides a concise summation of the negative impacts of tourism in the Eastern Caribbean countries (Figure 1).

The detrimental practices directly attributable to the tourist industry, the impacts of those practices, and the relative importance of the causal factors will be discussed in more detail in Section 3.

 

Detrimental Impacts of Related Sectors

There are a number of sectors and activities that are indirectly linked to the tourist industry which also contribute to coastal resources degradation. These include the following:

1. Over-fishing
2. Harvesting of reef materials for curio items
3. Over-harvesting of trees/plants (thatch, palm, Lignum vitae, etc.) for craft and construction purposes
4. Speculative land development

The impacts of these activities are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2: Impacts of Activities Indirectly Related to Tourism

ACTIVITY	IMPACTS
Over-fishing	Damage to reef (dynamiting, herbivores removal, etc.) Social conflicts
Harvesting of reef materials	Coastal erosion Loss of habitat for reef inhabitants Loss of suitable materials for colonization by coral larvae Social conflicts International sanctions
Over-harvesting of trees/plants	Coastal erosion Destruction of wetlands Decreasing income for uses of wetland resources Social conflicts
Speculative land development	High land costs Pollution (inadequate infrastructure)

 

Figure 1: Negative Impacts of Tourism in the Eastern Caribbean

 

 Source: Caribbean Conservation Association, 1991

 

2.3 Physical Planning and Coastal Zone Degradation

As stated before, the degradation of coastal resources results from physical damage and pollution arising from many sources. "The often dramatic and irreversible alteration of natural coastal ecosystems and the extensive pollution of the sea and inland waters are primarily caused by the rapid growth of coastal population, the expansion of recreational areas, inappropriate agroforestry practices, and the concentration of industrial development in coastal zones, accompanied by inadequate environmental, technological and economic policies" (UNEP 1992). As IRF (1996a) points out, tourism impacts are really only a subset of the general problems associated with coastal zone management (Table 3).

Table 3: Sectors Utilizing or Affecting Coastal Resources

Sectors Often Specifically Related to the Coastal Zone or Ocean	Sectors Rarely Specifically Related to the Coastal Zone but may have Direct Impacts
Naval and other national defense operations (e.g. testing, coast guard, customs) Port and harbour development (including shipping channels) Shipping and navigation Recreational boating and harbours Commercial and recreational fishing Mariculture Tourism and recreation Marine and coastal research Water supply Waste disposal Oil and gas facilities	Agriculture; aquaculture Forestry Wildlife management Parks and recreation Education Public health (mosquito control, food) Housing Water and pollution control Water supply Transportation Flood control Oil and gas development Mining Industrial development Energy generation Waste disposal

Source: Adapted from Awosika, et al. (1993)

 

The articulation of the need for integrated coastal area management has progressed to the point of development of guidelines for coastal zone planning. Caribbean States and Territories that have or are developing integrated coastal area management plans include; Barbados, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, British Virgin Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. However, such comprehensive plans are difficult to develop, and take several years to implement. Some states have developed resource management plans (St. Lucia) or recreational use plans (Jamaica) for small areas.

Though there is increased activity in the development of integrated coastal area management plans, as well as improved physical (land use) planning, interests in and out of the tourist industry have embarked on programmes to identify and correct the detrimental impacts attributable to tourism activities.

 

Top of Page

List of Tables and Figures, Foreword, Acknowledgements | Section 1. | Section 2. | Section 3. | Section 4. | Section 5. | Section 6. | Section 7. | List of Acronyms  | References  | Appendix 1. | Appendix 2. | Appendix 3.