Roberts-Hodge

Conflict Resolution in Coastal Zone Management, the Way Forward in Protecting Our Sandy White Gold: Anguilla

Anguilla, like other small island states in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has a very small and fragile ecosystem. It totals 90 square kilometres (35 square miles) of flat, developable land both inland and coastal. Islanders often boast of having 32 beaches, almost one for each square mile. Our beaches we boast with pride are some of the best and most pristine in the Caribbean, maybe, even in the world. The coast plays an important role in island life and economy and as a result, almost every economic sector has a strong stake in the coastal zone, each attempting to use the coast simultaneously and wanting a bite of the golden egg. Therefore, if we were to destroy even one of our beaches, (our white gold) or sacrifice one on behalf of development, it would in fact, represent a significant percentage of our island’s natural resources, our bread and butter.

Due to this dependency on the coastal zone, it is impossible to allocate the use of the coast to a single economic sector for development or to give one sector priority over another. Hence, there are always arising conflicts and struggles amongst private (quasi-private) property-based operations on the shore, and public (common) property-based activities in the coastal waters. There are also conflicts between regulatory agencies and developers wanting to do as they wish in coastal areas and also between regulatory agencies and elected members of government wishing to ignore various regulations and policies in the name of development and short-term financial gain. It light of this, it is essential that there is a coastal management process in place that has a mechanism to cope with conflict prevention, mediation and resolution.

The aim of this paper therefore, is to introduce some of the coastal management conflicts in Anguilla and outline methods previously undertaken to deal with them. It will also attempt to explore possible resolutions to these problems.

The small size of Anguilla is by no means equivalent to the many areas of conflict present within the coastal zone area. Needless to say, effective management of this area is by no means a ‘fait a complait’. Due to the fact that some of the most expensive and desirable real estate exists within the coastal zone, there is a great deal of competition for the use of land in this area. Conflict therefore is common and often heated. For purposes of this presentation, however, only four areas of conflict will be addressed.

The responsibility for the management of the coastal zone is fragmented amongst the Department of Physical Planning, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Department of Lands and Surveys and the Environmental Health Unit. Each one having responsibility for certain aspects of management and enforcement. However, the majority of the responsibility within the coastal zone lies with the Department of Physical Planning. Similarly, supporting legislation is also dispersed amongst these agencies, and in some cases legislation is ambiguous or non-existent. For example, Anguilla does not have an environmental law. This makes coordination and effective management of the coastal zone particularly difficult. This fragmentation causes conflict in that issues are sometimes not dealt with quickly enough and appropriate action not taken before reaching the crisis stage, e.g. sand mining.

Methods used in Anguilla to curtail conflict include public awareness activities:

		Short radio talks on physical planning and coastal issues.
		Articles in the local newspaper (physical planning and coastal issues).
		Short videos on coastal issues/ importance of coastal management.
		Workshop on ‘Wise Coastal Practices for Beach Management’ (September 2000) where a cross section of the public, government officials and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were invited to participate.

		Endorsement/approval of the National Land Use Plan by the Executive Council.
		Strengthening of the physical planning legislation.
		Creation of environmental legislation.
		Reduction in the fragmentation of responsibility for beach and coastal zone management.
		Improvement in coordination among government agencies and a clearer definition of agency responsibility.

Lack of Understanding amongst the Public Regarding Policies Relating to Coastal and Environmental Issues

The concept of physical planning, more specifically development control and coastal management, is new to Anguilla. The Department of Physical Planning has only been in existence since 1990 and coastal management came into being after that. As a result, the public often claims to be unaware of material policies and regulations governing coastal and environmental issues and often oppose them. Regulatory bodies such as Physical Planning are often viewed as being impractical and anti-development. This negative attitude is perpetuated by misinformation circulated within the community. Hence, it causes friction and mistrust between regulatory bodies such as the Department of Physical Planning, developers and members of the public.

Methods used in Anguilla to curtail conflict include public awareness activities such as those already detailed above, as well as public community meetings for (i) specific coastal developments, (ii) coastal pilot projects, and (iii) the National Land Use Plan.

There is a need for a more proactive approach to the physical planning process through increased and continuous public education and public involvement.

There are specific setback distances established to ensure the sustainability of new coastal developments coming on stream in Anguilla. Hence each individual beach has been given a specific setback distance from the vegetation line taking into consideration the differences in the behaviour, characteristics, history of erosion, and use of the beach. The Department of Physical Planning uses these guidelines as a tool for coastal resource management in its decision-making. The conflict is that these required setback distances are often not adhered to as many developers in the tourism sector feel that these distances are too large. Consequently, they choose to exercise their right to appeal to the Executive Council against decisions made by the Land Development Control Committee. More often than not, such development is not sustainable.

Methods used in Anguilla to curtail conflicts include the public awareness activities already described, where coastal setback issues were often discussed, as well as the Development of Coastal Setbacks Guidelines specifically designed for Anguilla (Cambers, 1996).

Again, there is a need for a more proactive approach to the physical planning process through increased public education and public involvement. Such programmes should also target tourists and try to influence a change in their attitude towards accepting a more natural beach environment, rather than expecting a perfectly manicured one.

Elected officials appear to be more concerned with short-term economic gain rather than sustainability. This is most apparent when considering the planning appeals process where developers are able to appeal to the Executive Council (EXCO) if they are aggrieved by a decision made by the Land Development Control Committee. It is very alarming to note that as many as 90% of planning appeals that go to EXCO are approved. The conflict is that elected officials are undermining their government agencies as well as policies they have previously endorsed. This inevitably weakens the system put in place to monitor, regulate and enforce coastal zone management.

Methods used in Anguilla to curtail conflict have included inviting elected government members and their Permanent Secretaries to participate in a workshop on ‘Wise Coastal Practices for Beach Management’, September 2000.

		Educate and inform elected representatives on existing policies and the reasons behind the policies.
		Encourage less political interference in the physical planning process.
		Restructure the planning appeals process.
		Endorse/approve the National Land Use Plan (by the Executive Council).
		Strengthen the physical planning legislation.

Having an integrated coastal management process with appropriate legislation, policies and guidelines in place does not necessarily guarantee that coastal conflicts will be automatically alleviated. In Anguilla there will always be a need to closely allocate and manage competing uses in a given area for the optimum long-term benefit of the island. It is the hope, however, that the integration of economic and environmental concerns will always be given careful consideration by all stakeholders at all stages of development, the elected political representatives being no exception.

Moreover, there is a need for the political will and courage on the part of the elected members of government to support the agencies involved in coastal management and to uphold legislation and policies. It is imperative also for the public to be more proactive and aware of activities and decisions that are made, which have a grave effect on the coastal resources and the social and economic well being of the island.

We are all custodians of our coastal environment, whether residents or visitors, and the survival of our small island state ultimately depends heavily on the health of our beaches (our white gold). With this in mind we need to remind all islanders that ‘people affect their environment and in turn the environment affects people, immensely’.

Cambers, Gillian. 1996. The impact of Hurricane Luis on the coastal and marine resources of Anguilla. Coastal development setback guidelines. British Development Division in the Caribbean, Barbados.

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