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Environment
and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Environment
and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Institutional
strengthening of beach management capabilities in the organisation of
eastern Caribbean States and the Turks and Caicos Islands
3. METHODOLOGY
The methodology for phase 1 of the
project is detailed below:
| (a) | Preparation of a customised manual for each island describing the routines for use of the ‘Beach Profile Analysis’ programme, see 3.1 below. | ||
| (b) | Conversion of existing beach change databases, previously analysed using a customised Lotus 123 spreadsheet programme, to the ‘Beach Profile Analysis’ programme format. | ||
| (c) | Quality control of the beach change databases. | ||
| (d) | Preparation of graphs showing trends over time at the beach profile sites. | ||
| (e) | Compilation of the beach change databases for each island in an easy-to-use format. This consisted of a ring binder containing the following: | ||
| - | List of contents, | ||
| - | Map showing the location of the beach profile sites, | ||
| - | Customised manual describing the routines for use of the ‘Beach Profile Analysis’ programme (see (a) above), | ||
| - | Data for each profile site consisting of: | ||
| Table showing values for profile area and width, as well as annual means | |||
| Composite graph showing different profiles superimposed on top of each other, | |||
| Line graph showing the trends in profile area and profile width over time | |||
| (Appendix I shows for a sample site, Morris Bay in Antigua, the data table, composite graph and line graph). | |||
| (f) | Visit each island for a period of approximately 5 days, including travel days. Install the ‘Beach Profile Analysis’ programme and the updated beach change database on computer at the main counterpart agency. Provide the counterpart agency with the ring binder containing the customised manual and the summary database, as well as back-up diskettes of the ‘Beach Profile Analysis’ programme and the database. After each island visit, a mission report was prepared and sent to UNESCO – CSI, as well as the UNESCO Port of Spain Office. These reports described the background to the monitoring programme, the objectives of the visit, the activities undertaken during the visit, and an assessment of the results. Appendix II contains a schedule for the island visits. | ||
| (g) | Provide training to the officers of the main counterpart agency in the use of the programme and the management of the database. Ensure they are proficient in entering, saving and retrieving the data as well as utilizing other routines such as the preparation of composite profile graphs and graphs showing trends over time. | ||
| (h) | Meet with other agencies that have been involved with the monitoring programme to lay the groundwork for their involvement in phase 2 of the project and where appropriate to demonstrate the computer programme and the beach change database. | ||
| (i) | Where necessary, provide further training in the field techniques for beach monitoring. | ||
3.1 Beach Profile Analysis Programme
As part of the UPR-SGCP support to the
COSALC project and to this present project, a fully compiled software programme
was prepared by Dr. David F. Gray under the UPR-SGCP contract MPRD-11-75-1-98.
This programme is entitled ‘Beach Profile Analysis,’ it is written
using the Delphi language, and utilizes the Windows (95 or higher) operating
system. It provides for data
analysis and the graphical representation of beach change trends and
specifically the following:
| - | entry of beach profile data collected in the field, |
| - | computation of beach profile area and width, |
| - | graphical plots of beach profiles, |
| - | composite plots showing several profiles on the same graph, |
| - | preparation of data tables for individual sites showing values for profile cross sectional area and profile width as well as annual means, |
| - | preparation of line graphs showing trends in profile area and width over time. |
The programme has four main
routines: data entry, graphical plots of the beach profiles, data tables, and
graphical representation of trends over time.
Graphs can be easily transferred to word processing documents.
The programme has fully
compiled ‘Help’ files, and in addition there is a written manual which also
describes the routines, see Section 3 above.
The programme has been designed for use by people with very little computing experience and is user friendly.
