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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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Dominica workshop papers
Coastal
Stewardship and Tourism in Dominica
William
McLawrence
Introduction
Waitukubuli, the Carib name for Dominica, means
‘Tall is her body’. This was the Caribs’ way of describing the mountainous
and rugged nature of this volcanic island.
Dominica’s underwater topography is no less dramatic, with sharp
pinnacles and vertical walls dropping to thousands of feet.
As a result, Dominica is blessed with a very narrow continental shelf and
a limited expanse of low lying coastal areas, restricted to river valleys and
the northeast coast. Dominica’s
narrow continental shelf also contributes to the length and width of the few
beaches with which the island is blessed.
Due to the mountainous and rugged nature of the
island, development, both human settlement and agriculture, has been mostly
restricted to the coast. Like most
Caribbean islands, this development is concentrated along the west coast or the
leeward side of the island. This
places much pressure on the coastline, and in particular, the west coast.
The natural process of erosion along the coastline
has been accelerated due to the effects of climate change and climate variation.
Changes in weather patterns, and in particular, the increase in frequency
and intensity of hurricanes, and the long dry spells followed by heavy periods
of rainfall currently being experienced, also places much pressure on the
coastline.
Increased globalisation is challenging Dominica’s
traditional dependence on agriculture, and the export of agricultural products.
The government is being forced to embark on a programme to diversify the
economy, and to focus on tourism and services as alternatives for economic
development.
Due to Dominica’s abundance of natural features, and the
friendliness of its people, the island is well placed to take advantage of its
natural environment and cultural heritage with the development of a well
established and world-class sustainable tourism industry.
However, as the tourism industry expands, effective coastal stewardship
becomes an important challenge.
Coastal Stewardship in Dominica
Dominica’s coastline has been used for various activities,
which have had both negative and positive impacts on the environment.
These include fishing and other maritime activities, human settlement,
agriculture, infrastructural development and expansion (roads,
telecommunications), tourism and the natural habitat for many species of flora
and fauna found along the coast.
The coastline has become very vulnerable to degradation due
to the pressures created by increased use. Degradation of the coastline is
evidenced by pollution, improper development, resource use and misuse.
However, efforts have been made to mitigate this degradation, such as
beach clean ups and beautification campaigns, public awareness and training,
coastal monitoring and the development of sea defences.
While these mitigation efforts are commendable, much more will have to be
done to protect Dominica’s coastline and lessen the degradation that is being
experienced. These include amending
current laws and enacting new legislation, enforcement of laws, and closer
collaboration among all stakeholders including communities, relevant government
and non-governmental agencies and civil society in general.
Tourism in Dominica
Dominica is being promoted as a world-class ecotourism
destination. The island is blessed
with an abundance of natural attributes, and has a rich and diverse cultural
heritage, and because of this the island has earned the title ‘The nature
island of the Caribbean’. The
National Development Corporation (NDC), charged with the responsibility for
promoting Dominica as a suitable investment location and a desirable world-class
tourism destination, is faced with the challenge of creating the right balance,
so as to ensure that the integrity of the environment is not adversely affected.
The NDC is therefore embarking on a number of initiatives that are intended to
inculcate in the general populace a sense of pride and ownership of Dominica’s
natural resources and ecotourism product.
These initiatives include the following:
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The Nature Island Standards of Excellence. | |
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The Sisserou Seal of Eco-Excellence. | |
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The Organization of American States Small Tourism Enterprise Project. |
The above programmes seek to advocate greater public awareness of the environment, professional delivery of quality service, and improved environmental practices by tourism service providers to ensure that the integrity of Dominica as an eco-tourism destination is maintained for generations.
Conclusion
Dominica is poised to be a leader in coastal stewardship, because although there has been some degradation, the programmes and initiatives undertaken by government and other stakeholders, if fully implemented, will steer the country in the right direction. While a renowned environmentalist once said ‘Dominica talks ecotourism, but walks mass-tourism’, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There will continue to be conflicts with the use of the country’s resources, as efforts continue to improve the well being of the nation. However, mitigation efforts will continue to ensure that we continue to strike the right balance for the benefit of future generations.
