Nichols

Small islands are sufficiently different to continental land-masses to require customised and carefully adapted planning, development and management strategies. They have to be viewed as complete units characterised by a matrix of interactions between systems. Indeed, natural resources management in particular, and sustainable development in general, in island states is a mixture of science, policy, law and administration and is highly dependent upon the social, economic and political circumstances. There is no clearly defined ‘coastal zone’ and it is impossible to manage the use of any individual part or parts of an island system without considering the ever-present externalities.

The importance of shore areas in small islands cannot be over-emphasised, they support economic development as well as provide potential benefits to the social and cultural fabric of island societies. The fact that most development is centred in the narrow ‘coastal zone’ implies a resource base that is deemed critical to the sustainability of economic growth and the potential for countries to succeed in the establishment of a comparative advantage in an increasingly competitive global economy.

Maintaining the integrity of resources in coastal areas in face of the drive to reap even greater benefits than currently obtains, represents the greatest challenge to natural resource managers. Even more daunting is the challenge to manage all the externalities caused by anthropogenic activities in areas other than the coastal strip, in a manner that would secure environmentally sound approaches to the use of resources in coastal areas. It is logical that the only sound approach to attaining any semblance of wise use would be one in which all stakeholders share the responsibility for the management of the use of the natural resources.

However, in order to achieve this, a stewardship attitude has first to be inculcated among stakeholders to ensure the high levels of commitment and cooperation required to bring about any meaningful change in habits or attitudes. Stewardship could then be described as an attitude of voluntary compliance demonstrated by a strong commitment and willing participation of stakeholders in initiatives or efforts to ensure the sound and sustainable use of natural resources.

Activities Conducted in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Region Promoting Coastal Stewardship

The development of a stewardship attitude must be built on persistence and continuity to ensure long-term reinforcement and sustainability, but must also be multifaceted in order to reach the sensitivities of stakeholders. The Natural Resources Management Unit of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS-NRMU) has embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at building a stewardship attitude among stakeholders. More specifically the OECS-NRMU has facilitated:

	1.	The development of educational materials (building blocks) on all aspects of the natural environment on small islands.
	2.	The infusion of environmental information into the curriculum of schools.
	3.	The provision of support to public agencies as well as civil society in the development of educational material for specific target publics.
	4.	The development of educational materials (posters, fliers, videos, booklets, etc.) for use in the broadcast media.
	5.	The hosting of educational workshops on aspects of environmental management with media workers as the prime target group.
	6.	The hosting of special focus sessions (pesticides, watershed management) on aspects of unsustainable resource use.
	7.	The support of programmes aimed at developing capacity and capability.
	8.	The promotion of stakeholder partnerships in the management of the use of natural resources.
	9.	The development of institutional arrangements to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders.
	10.	Review of legislative frameworks and provision of recommendations for enhancements/amendments.
	11.	Provision of a forum to facilitate the greater involvement of Ministers of the Environment in the decision-making process (the Ministers of the Environment Policy Committee).
	12.	The development of the St. George’s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the OECS.

Ideas for Furthering Coastal Stewardship in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

A shift in the management paradigm is necessary if coastal stewardship is to be developed as a support mechanism for environmental management. The following steps may provide ideas for adoption:

	1.	It is necessary firstly to identify the issues (nature of the problem/s) through the conduct of a situational analysis, which would also provide information on stakeholder interest.
	2.	A mechanism for bringing all stakeholders together under equitable arrangements for discussion is probably the first challenging step.
	3.	The dissemination/sharing of information on the nature of the issue prior to any meeting may be necessary, but should be a permanent feature of any management process.
	4.	Structured discussions should identify possible solutions and a pathway for the attainment of goals.
	5.	It is necessary that policies be developed to inform and guide management of the use of resources in the coastal zone.
	6.	Legal and institutional frameworks should be favourable to the involvement of all stakeholders in the decision-making and planning processes.

Influencing policy makers is easier if (i) they are part of the entire process (they are stakeholders), and/or (ii) if recommendations have the support of the majority or all of the affected stakeholders. The nature of the issue or issues under consideration will determine the length of the process of negotiation towards solutions. However, it is not expected that all stakeholders will exhibit the same level of commitment towards reaching a solution and it may be necessary to employ other powers of persuasion to influence resistant parties or objectors. Some solutions or alternatives may require shifts in government policy that may be difficult to achieve. An example of this could be the provision of alternative forms of livelihood for truckers who are no longer able to transport sand mined from beaches because of an imposed ban on sand mining. What do they do to earn a living with trucks that were primarily used for that purpose and cannot be effectively absorbed into the rest of the construction industry? Sustainability of the process is usually supported either by institutional arrangements or legislative instruments, or some other form of empowerment process.

One mechanism that has institutional and legal support is the establishment of Local Area Management Authorities (LAMAs), a mechanism that took root in Dominica (Soufriere-Scotts Head Marine Reserve) and St. Lucia (Soufriere Marine Management Area and Mabouya Valley), where local communities or groups were empowered by government to assume leadership roles in the management of the use of particular resources. This approach is currently being developed in Grenada (Grande Anse Beach). In this instance the resource management agencies relinquished lead control to that of an appointed or recognised body, effectively forming a partnership between a government agency or agencies and civil society. In these relationships existing legislation makes provision for the empowerment of the community to manage on the behalf of stakeholders.

Another option for beach management is through an adopt-a-beach programme, where one or a group of stakeholders assume management of a specific area or areas, in the process ensuring the use of sound approaches for use. An adopt-a-beach programme does not necessarily need the intimate involvement of the pertinent resource management agency in dealing with day-to-day issues, although legislative support in dealing with problems is an advantage. In this instance it is strongly recommended that hotels or other industries be encouraged to enter into such partnership arrangements with the general public and government agencies, since the benefits to be enjoyed by all stakeholders can be greater than that of singular control. This is a far better conflict management/resolution tool than the confrontational approach of traditional top-down management approaches.

Integrated approaches to the management of the use of resources have been shown to be far more effective than traditional top-down, sector specific approaches, further inducing a climate of voluntary compliance. This has the effect of reducing the load of agencies in monitoring and policing, and creating greater opportunities for conflict-free sustainable use of coastal resources. While public awareness and information sharing is considered critical to empowering stakeholders, long-term sustainability is ensured if the institutional framework and legal instruments support partnership arrangements between governments and civil society.

The Integrated Development Planning programme of the OECS is one programme designed to integrate the private sector and civil society to facilitate enhanced decision-making and planning for national development. This process of change is supported by the reformation of legal and institutional frameworks in a manner that would give effect to the partnership arrangements.

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