Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands

Dominica workshop papers

Wise Coastal Management: Pollution Issues in Dominica

Terry Raymond

As Dominica moves to maturity as a nation state, her singular natural endowment entrusts her with a responsibility to be a model of sustainable development for small island states.  While there exist varying levels of environmental awareness and a mild degree of activism among the general population, the environment has played and continues to play an increasingly important role in Dominica’s development. 

In Dominica, the total length of coastline is approximately 153 km (95 miles), and the area of the coastal shelf is approximately 715 square km (279 square miles). The coastal shelf is relatively narrow, about 1 km (0.6 miles) wide on the west coast, broadening to 5 km (3.1 miles) on the east coast in the Marigot area. The coastal plain is also generally narrow, except in the Portsmouth area and the northwest coast where the better beaches are found. 

Because of the volcanic nature of the island and the narrow coastal plain, the majority of the beaches are narrow and consist of stone and black sand. Beaches in Dominica are used by visitors and local residents for recreation, and for other commercial purposes.  

Dominica’s tourism product is environmentally based, and it is endowed with a resource base that distinguishes it from other ‘sun, sand and sea’ Caribbean destinations. Dominica is ranked as one of the best dive destinations in the world.  It is therefore critical, after considering the above, that the country protects its marine and coastal areas from contamination. 

Contamination is defined as the input of materials into the environment by man, at a rate, which exceeds the natural rate. Pollution results when such inputs lead to the degradation of ecological or economic aspects of the environment, and pose environmental health risks. 

The quantification of pollution can be a costly and labour-intensive undertaking. In Dominica, several institutions are involved in monitoring pollution, mostly in terms of water quality and garbage disposal, these include the Environmental Health Department, Dominica Solid Waste Management Cooperation, and environmental organisations. 

A number of villages along the coast of Dominica continue to dump garbage into rivers and over the side of cliffs.  The garbage may then be moved along the coast by oceanic currents. This has the potential for serious health problems for persons who use the coastal areas for recreation and fishing, and for wildlife. 

For the past five years, a number of government and non-governmental organisations, and private sector agencies, have been conducting beach clean up campaigns. One of the largest was the Beach and Waterway Clean up Campaign undertaken in Dominica on October 21^st 2000, which saw a record turnout of 2,029 volunteers, including 20 Scuba Divers.  Over 27,800 kg (61,100 lbs) of debris were collected along a coastal/waterway distance of 113 km (70.5 miles), and including 35 communities. 

Based on the coastal clean ups, the debris sources may be defined as follows:

		Land sources: 40%, littering by beach users; fishing; landfills; manufacturing plants; sewage; drains; streams and rivers.
		Ocean sources: 19%, recreational boating, recreational fishing, commercial fishing, merchant vessels, cruise ships, military/research vessels.
		General sources: 41%, many of the materials found could not be traced to a specific activity or source, so were classified in a ‘general’ category.

The main pollution issues in Dominica’s coastal zone are:

The impacts of these forms of pollutions are:

The deep waters surrounding Dominica are potential dumping sites and as such surely seem a tempting solution to the problem of where to dispose of solid and liquid waste. However, this would not be an ethical alternative for the environment and its organisms. Furthermore, in view of the continued migration of Dominicans from the interior of the island to the cities and coastal areas, waste management will continue to be among the principal concerns of coastal zone management. 

The degradation of environmental health has ecological as well as socio-economic consequences. A pro-active approach to the avoidance of pollution is not only cost effective, but also represents an investment in the health of the community. 

The above picture paints a grim view of pollution in Dominica.  There is still a lot of work to be done in getting citizens to realise that they must play their part in ensuring that the environment will be preserved for future generations. 

Possible solutions include:

		Increase the number of litter wardens in Dominica.
		Increased police patrol of affected areas.
		Enforcement of the Litter Act of 1997.
		Education of bus drivers whose passengers dump garbage out of the widows and over cliff edges, and ensuring that each bus has a container for garbage disposal.
		Training law enforcement officers.
		Educational programmes in the communities and schools.
		Improved garbage collection system island-wide, and equipping the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation with the necessary machinery and manpower.
		Sorting of garbage into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories.
		Funding for local initiatives.

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