Mercer

The coastline of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a vital resource to residents, visitors and wildlife alike. The island group is made up of tiny cays and small islands, the largest island is Tortola with 61 square kilometres (24 square miles). The coastline consists of carbonate sand beaches, rocky outcrops, and mangrove colonies. Generally on the north side of the 40 plus cays and islands, the coastline comprises rocky outcrops interspersed with sandy beaches. Here, the vegetation consists of dry littoral forest extending from the hills to the sea. On the south coasts there are generally several sheltered bays with patches of mangrove and coral rubble beaches.

As tourism development progressed in the BVI, from its inception in the early 1970s, the coastline experienced significant changes, particularly on the main islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Hotel properties were built adjacent to sandy beaches, often alienating local residents, and preventing access to, and use of the beaches.

The beaches play an important role in the BVI, providing diverse opportunities, which in turn drive the economy by supporting numerous jobs, and enhancing the service sector and visitor industry. Many of the sheltered bays, hosting their large mangrove colonies, were reclaimed to make more land for yacht marinas, commercial buildings and industrial activities. The result was a more than 50% destruction of mangrove areas, which eventually impacted heavily on fish and bird life.

With the increase in income, residents started extensive construction of concrete buildings and the plastering of walls. The sand for many of the homes and buildings was initially taken from the beaches. There are many examples of shoreline erosion throughout the territory that have occurred because of sand extraction. Beaches on the north and eastern ends of Tortola and Virgin Gorda bear evidence of extensive erosion.

In recent years, beachfront property and certain coastal areas have gained much attention and market value due to the continued demand for access to, and use of the sea. This rise in market value, some of which is inflated, puts the purchase price beyond the reach of many local residents. However, there are many local residents who have taken part in the commercialisation of the coastal areas for tourism development.

The people of the British Virgin Islands are aware that the environment is all encompassing and it is agreed that having effective environmental policies is necessary in order to build and maintain cultural, economic and environmental harmony. The whole idea behind coastal zone management is to bridge the gap between environmental protection and economic development with proper regulations. The government established the Conservation and Fisheries Department (CFD) under its Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour to help manage development of coastal areas.

To address the impacts of tropical storms, assess coastal damage and plan mitigation strategies, CFD decided to look at understanding the dynamics of the coastal zone. One of the first studies undertaken was done in 1984 by Amherst College and a report (The Geology and Characteristics of Selected Beaches of the British Virgin Islands) was produced. In 1989, CFD established a beach-monitoring programme, which is still on going. The University of South Florida and Amherst College compiled a report in 1994 on the status of beach erosion and water quality. These studies set the basic groundwork for future conservation efforts. The British Virgin Islands is a developing territory whose economic stability relies heavily on its natural resources. The question of how to assess environmental damages and lower future economic impact is a relevant one. The public is becoming more aware and now their attitude towards the preservation of natural resources is more positive.

With the public outcry over the decline in the pristine state of the islands as a whole, government agencies were at the forefront of efforts to alleviate the stress on the environment, especially the beaches and coastal areas. The practice of beach sand mining has been prohibited and has just about stopped.

Education and public awareness are two focal areas around which to build civic pride within communities. The Conservation and Fisheries Department concentrated at the primary level of education as a starting point. Curricula in the school were revamped so as to allow flexibility for the incorporation of environmental material. Slides shows and lectures on beaches, coral reefs, mangrove and sea turtles are carried out at the primary and secondary schools. Annually, during June, which is celebrated as environment month, a series of activities including environmental games shows, radio quizzes, poster and poetry competitions, are held to involve and encourage public participation. These activities promote an understanding of why the environment is important and which specific areas are in distress. Promoting a sense of pride in the community is an essential element of coastal stewardship.

Government began to look at what was at their disposal and how to best utilise this material without trying to reinvent the wheel. A Coastal Resources Atlas - Data Inventory was put into a geographical information system, and an interface and meta-database was created to provide a user-friendly system, which could be easily accessed by stakeholders.

There has been a growing concern for sound coastal management and effective mitigation measures to deal with coastal erosion. As development in the British Virgin Islands is on the rise, there is an increase in the degradation of the shorelines and coastal areas. Many studies have tried to address how and why development has negatively impacted the environment. This is a difficult area to deal with, because often there are no easily identifiable, direct links between a particular development activity and the status of an ecosystem. Apart from the current monitoring work, some alternative ideas that can result in effective coastal zone management include:

		Solicit more public involvement in the initial phases of decision-making.
		Revise and upgrade existing monitoring and management practices.
		Establish a more effective building setback code.
		Establish improved local regulations and guidelines.
		Investigate beach nourishment as an erosion mitigation method.
		Set up of standards and guidelines for reclamation, dredging and sand mining.

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